Disposal of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste: Building international consensus

More than 30 years have elapsed since the first commercial nuclear generation of electricity. During this period approximately 125,000 metric tonnes of spent nuclear fuel have been produced. The IAEA estimates that this amount will grow to approximately 200,000 metric tonnes by the year 2000. Some 25% to 30% of this spent fuel is expected to be reprocessed, with the remainder being stored. At the end of 1991 there were 420 nuclear power plants operating worldwide supplying 17% of the world's electricity needs. Another 77 plants are under construction worldwide. In four countries, more than half of the electricity needs are supplied by nuclear power, while 13 countries obtain at least 20% of their power from this source. Despite this reliance on nuclear electrical generation and the quantities of the wastes which have been produced, no country has been able to begin construction of a repository for spent nuclear fuel or high-level wastes, and the earliest a repository is projected to be in operation in any country is the year 2010. Disposal of these wastes is perceived by some to be a problem that cannot be satisfactorily solved and it has become a critical obstacle to the development of nuclear power. This article will analyze major reasons for this situation, attempt to place the magnitude of the problem in its proper perspective, describe IAEA programmes to help resolve the issue, and make some recommendations for consideration by countries