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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has determined that spent nuclear fuel can be safely stored on site for 30 years after a reactor shuts down and is proposing to extend that period to 60 years.49 With the 40-year license of a nuclear reactor, on-site nuclear spent fuel can be safely stored for up to 100 years in dry casks.50 Spent nuclear fuel is radioactive for thousands of years, however, so on-site storage in dry casks and cooling storage pools is merely a temporary and very expensive option for both the government and nuclear plant operators. Already, cooling pool storage space is running out, and space for on-site dry cask storage eventually will, too. The government should fulfill its obligation to nuclear reactor operators and provide a permanent central repository for spent fuel to decrease its liabilities and alleviate on-site spent fuel storage. An aggressive policy to complete a central, secured repository should be a top priority for Congress. Yucca Mountain could safely store from 70,000 tons to 120,000 tons of spent fuel; however, residents in Nevada strongly oppose the site.51 Monetary incentives should be considered to resolve the issue. A portion of the $19 billion fund from the 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act could be awarded to Nevada for housing the spent fuel.52 If not Yucca Mountain, then another central storage center should be established. Regarding the safety of transporting spent fuel, the NRC states: “Over the last 30 years, thousands of shipments of commercially generated spent nuclear fuel have been made throughout the United States without causing any radiological releases to the environment or harm to the public.”53 Fears of transporting spent nuclear fuel across the country are unfounded. Spent Fuel Reprocessing One method for reducing the buildup of nuclear spent fuel is reprocessing. In the current once-through fuel cycle for commercial reactors, nuclear fuel is used once and then removed for storage. This process creates tons of unusable radioactive spent fuel. So far, the nation has amassed 56,000 tons of spent fuel; at this rate, spent fuel would fill Yucca Mountain by 2010.54 With more nuclear power plants on the horizon, storage for more spent fuel will be needed. Advanced fuel cycle technologies like fourth-generation fast breeder reactors (FBRs) should be developed and implemented. FBRs use a “closed” fuel cycle, meaning they can reuse spent fuel. FBRs also create fuel, helping to preserve the United State’s limited uranium resources. FBRs can also use thorium, which is more abundant than uranium. FBRs are more costly to build and operate than current light water reactors and reprocessing spent fuel could lead to weapon-grade plutonium. Due to fears of nuclear proliferation, President Carter banned plutonium reprocessing in 1977.55 New techniques in reprocessing developed since 1977, however, safeguard against plutonium weaponization. Advanced fuel cycle plants, such as FBRs, should be considered once more due to the increasing buildup of spent fuel. Japan, Russia, India, and China have and continue to explore the potential of FBRs and spent fuel reprocessing. The United States should join them in this effort. 182PDF Image | Shaping Energy Technology Transition
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