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Reprocessing Best Option for Nukes?

Posted April 01, 2009 7:01 AM

For nuclear power to reach its full potential, a practical way to store radioactive waste must be found. Reprocessing can reduce waste 100-fold and also provide usable fuel - but the process is complex, dangerous and produces additional hazardous waste. Storage without reprocessing is a simpler alternative, but is it better long term?

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Anonymous Poster
#1

Re: Reprocessing Best Option for Nukes?

04/10/2009 1:46 PM

I read this somewhere so the idea is not original, but it is simple in concept. For every new nuclear power plant that is constructed a large hole or several holes must be drilled on site. This hole must be large enough to contain all anticipated waste and to contain all contaminated by-products of a possible accident. It must be drilled below any known earthquake fault lines and below any known water tables and also lined to prevent any contamination except at the bottom of the hole. It seems that the complicated drilling machines that made the Chunnel could be adapted to drill vertically. Alernatively, several oil drill holes could be drilled in a pattern and the debris removed in between with explosives to form a large hole.

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Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Eastern WA State
Posts: 6
#2

Re: Reprocessing Best Option for Nukes?

04/11/2009 2:44 AM

For years I kept saying to people in the american field of nuclear power that if waste is still hot you should be able generate power from it. Nuclear power is simply creating the stem cycle. In fact I had a discussion with a PHD from Uof W that teaches nuclear physics. He told me it was impossible. Well it turns out that the French have been recycling spent feul for decades. In addition in his own state the DOE is building a multibillion dollar vitrification plant to turn waste encapsulated in to glass logs. When have you have professors so closed minded and arrogant to not even comtemplate real possibilities higher education is more of a hindrance than a help.

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