DOCSLIB.ORG

Nuclear Energy & the Environmental Debate

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Nuclear Energy & the Environmental Debate FEATURES Nuclear energy & the environmental debate: The context of choices Through international bodies on climate change, the roles of nuclear power and other energy options are being assessed by Evelyne ^Environmental issues are high on international mental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which Bertel and Joop agendas. Governments, interest groups, and citi- has been active since 1988. Since the energy Van de Vate zens are increasingly aware of the need to limit sector is responsible for the major share of an- environmental impacts from human activities. In thropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, interna- the energy sector, one focus has been on green- tional organisations having expertise and man- house gas emissions which could lead to global date in the field of energy, such as the IAEA, are climate change. The issue is likely to be a driving actively involved in the activities of these bodies. factor in choices about energy options for elec- In this connection, the IAEA participated in the tricity generation during the coming decades. preparation of the second Scientific Assessment Nuclear power's future will undoubtedly be in- Report (SAR) of the Intergovernmental Panel on fluenced by this debate, and its potential role in Climate Change (IPCC). reducing environmental impacts from the elec- The IAEA has provided the IPCC with docu- tricity sector will be of central importance. mented information and results from its ongoing Scientifically there is little doubt that increas- programmes on the potential role of nuclear ing atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases, such power in alleviating the risk of global climate as carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane, will cause change. In particular, the IAEA prepared, jointly climate change on a global scale. However, the with the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organi- natural climate variability is still larger than the zation for Economic Co-operation and Develop- estimated anthropogenic contributions to climate ment (OECD/NEA), sections on nuclear power change. of the SAR chapter dealing with energy supply Despite uncertainties, the threat of climate mitigation options. This chapter includes a de- change remains a serious long-term global scription of different options to reduce green- risk. Scenarios with time horizons of 2100 and house gas emissions; a presentation of illustra- beyond have to be developed, requiring insight tive low CO2 emission energy supply scenarios; into long-term development of life-styles, so- and a discussion on measures for implementing cio-economics, and technology. Such scenar- low carbon emitting technologies and strategies. ios are of a normative character and therefore The IAEA and OECD/NEA also prepared a sup- are inherently subjective. What is known is porting document to the SAR, Nuclear Power in that energy consumption is one of the major the Context of Alleviating Greenhouse Gas sources of greenhouse gases, and nuclear Emissions, which was published in the IAEA power nowadays avoids more than 8% of the TECDOC series in April 1995. worldwide CO2 emissions. This article describes the main functions of Two major international bodies are involved these two international bodies and reports on the in climate change matters: the Conference of IAEA's contribution to the IPCC's second Sci- Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate entific Assessment Report, which is being sub- Change (CoP/FCCC), which had its First Ses- mitted in early 1996 to the CoP/FCCC . sion in March/April 1995, and the Intergovern- Global bodies related to climate change Mr. Van de Vate is a staff member of the IAEA Planning and Economics Studies Section in the IAEA Division of Nuclear In 1992, the UN Conference on Environment Power. Ms. Bertel, a former staff member of the Section, is now on the staff of the Nuclear Energy Agency, Organization for and Development (Earth Summit) in Rio dealt Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. with the sustainability of the Earth in terms of IAEA BULLETIN, 4/1995 FEATURES avoiding climate change, environmental pollu- sidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) and the tion, and resource depletion. In Rio, the Frame- Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological work Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) Advice (SBSTA). In Berlin, the CoP/FCCC set up was signed. It entered into force in 1994 after the Ad hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate (AG/BM) being ratified by more than 50 countries. The to draft a protocol for the period beyond 2000. SBI FCCC's objective is to lower the atmospheric will develop recommendations to assist the CoP in greenhouse gas concentration to non-hazardous its review and assessment of the Convention's im- levels. This will require draconian measures, es- plementation. SBSTA will be the link between the pecially by the industrialized countries where scientific and technological assessments and the per capita CO2 emissions are more than ten information provided by international bodies on the times those of developing countries. Industrial- one hand, and the policy-oriented needs of the CoP ized countries will have to compensate for the on the other hand. The IAEA will be involved in increased CO2 emissions that are inherent to the activities carried out by these FCCC-related bodies. socio-economic development and rising popula- The IPCC is an independent, scientific, and tions of the developing countries. This equity technical body with a mission to help policy- consideration, laid down in the FCCC, is a fre- makers mitigate global climate change. As part quent political discussion point in inter-govern- of its work, the IPCC produces Scientific Assess- mental meetings related to climate change. ment Reports on climate change. Its first report The CoP/FCCC, the supreme body of the was published in 1990 and updated in a supple- Convention, was established by the Earth Sum- ment in 1992. The second report was endorsed in mit in 1992 and had its first session in Berlin, in late 1995 at the IPCC meeting in Madrid, and is March and April 1995. It reviews the implemen- expected to be published in early 1996. A third tation of the FCCC and makes decisions neces- assessment report is scheduled for 1998. sary to promote the Convention's implementa- In a co-operative project with the OECD, the tion. Several subsidiary bodies also have been IPCC has also produced Guidelines for National established: the Convention established the Sub- Greenhouse Gas Inventories. They will assist gov- Organizations related to the Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties I [United Nations Environment] World Meteorological (CoP/FCCC) I [ Programme (UNEP) I Organization Climate Change Secretariat I Intergovernmental Panel on Subsidiary bodies (UNFCCC) I Climate Change (IPCC) Subsidiary Body on Working Group I Implementation (SBI) Scientific Assessment Working Group II Ad hoc Group on the - Impacts, Adaptation ' Berlin Mandate (AG/BM) and Mitigation Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Working Group III " Technological Advice • Socio-economic and (SBSTA) Cross-cutting Issues IAEA BULLETIN, 4/1995 FEATURES ernments in reporting regularly to the reducing greenhouse gas emissions or other CoP/FCCC about the implementation of the na- health and environmental burdens in the short tional measures to lower their emissions of green- and medium terms. For example, carbon dioxide house gases. capture and disposal in deep oceans, or energy The Scientific Assessment Reports are drafted systems based upon hydrogen as a carrier, might by experts from a broad spectrum of scientific contribute substantially to greenhouse gas reduc- disciplines. They are subject to review by national tion in the long term. But they will by no means and international experts before being submitted be industrially mature and economically com- for approval by plenary meetings of IPCC and its petitive within the coming decades. Renewable three Working Groups. Working Group I, on Sci- sources, with the notable exceptions of hydropower entific Assessment, deals with climatology. Work- and biomass, do not offer realistic prospects for ing Group II, on Impacts, Adaptation and Mitiga- large-scale baseload electricity generation. tion, covers topics such as the rise of sea levels, energy, and desertification. Working Group III, on Socio-economic and Cross-cutting Issues, assesses Nuclear power and electricity options socio-economic literature related to climate change. Working Groups I and II have evaluated Nuclear power is a proven technology available CO2 emission scenarios with time horizons up to today that can contribute significantly to reducing 2100. greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental In contributing to these evaluations, the burdens from the energy sector and to meeting IAEA has emphasized the potential role of nu- environmental protection objectives. In the long clear energy in the context of comprehensive term — as the executive summary of the SAR comparative assessments. chapter on energy supply mitigation options states — "nuclear energy could replace baseload fossil fuel electricity generation in most parts of the The context of choices world, if generally acceptable responses can be found to concerns about reactor safety, radioactive All electricity generation options involve waste disposal, and proliferation". some environmental impacts. However, when The use of nuclear energy for electricity gen- they are fitted to state-of-the-art technologies, eration dates back to the late 1950s and it has the options are able to deliver electricity at rela- reached a stage of industrial maturity. At the end tively low risks to the environment. In particular, of 1994, there were 432 nuclear units connected a number of technical options exist for alleviat- to the grid with a total installed capacity of some ing or mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from 340 gigawatts-electric (GWe). In 1994, the nu- the power sector. Policy measures such as taxes, clear electricity generated worldwide exceeded subsidies, and emission permits can also be used 2300 terawatt-hours (TWh), supplying 17% of as a means to reflect the estimated full cost to the total electricity consumption.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Table 2.Iii.1. Fissionable Isotopes1
    FISSIONABLE ISOTOPES Charles P. Blair Last revised: 2012 “While several isotopes are theoretically fissionable, RANNSAD defines fissionable isotopes as either uranium-233 or 235; plutonium 238, 239, 240, 241, or 242, or Americium-241. See, Ackerman, Asal, Bale, Blair and Rethemeyer, Anatomizing Radiological and Nuclear Non-State Adversaries: Identifying the Adversary, p. 99-101, footnote #10, TABLE 2.III.1. FISSIONABLE ISOTOPES1 Isotope Availability Possible Fission Bare Critical Weapon-types mass2 Uranium-233 MEDIUM: DOE reportedly stores Gun-type or implosion-type 15 kg more than one metric ton of U- 233.3 Uranium-235 HIGH: As of 2007, 1700 metric Gun-type or implosion-type 50 kg tons of HEU existed globally, in both civilian and military stocks.4 Plutonium- HIGH: A separated global stock of Implosion 10 kg 238 plutonium, both civilian and military, of over 500 tons.5 Implosion 10 kg Plutonium- Produced in military and civilian 239 reactor fuels. Typically, reactor Plutonium- grade plutonium (RGP) consists Implosion 40 kg 240 of roughly 60 percent plutonium- Plutonium- 239, 25 percent plutonium-240, Implosion 10-13 kg nine percent plutonium-241, five 241 percent plutonium-242 and one Plutonium- percent plutonium-2386 (these Implosion 89 -100 kg 242 percentages are influenced by how long the fuel is irradiated in the reactor).7 1 This table is drawn, in part, from Charles P. Blair, “Jihadists and Nuclear Weapons,” in Gary A. Ackerman and Jeremy Tamsett, ed., Jihadists and Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Growing Threat (New York: Taylor and Francis, 2009), pp. 196-197. See also, David Albright N 2 “Bare critical mass” refers to the absence of an initiator or a reflector.
    [Show full text]
  • FT/P3-20 Physics and Engineering Basis of Multi-Functional Compact Tokamak Reactor Concept R.M.O
    FT/P3-20 Physics and Engineering Basis of Multi-functional Compact Tokamak Reactor Concept R.M.O. Galvão1, G.O. Ludwig2, E. Del Bosco2, M.C.R. Andrade2, Jiangang Li3, Yuanxi Wan3 Yican Wu3, B. McNamara4, P. Edmonds, M. Gryaznevich5, R. Khairutdinov6, V. Lukash6, A. Danilov7, A. Dnestrovskij7 1CBPF/IFUSP, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2Associated Plasma Laboratory, National Space Research Institute, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil, 3Institute of Plasma Physics, CAS, Hefei, 230031, P.R. China, 4Leabrook Computing, Bournemouth, UK, 5EURATOM/UKAEA Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Abingdon, UK, 6TRINITI, Troitsk, RF, 7RRC “Kurchatov Institute”, Moscow, RF [email protected] Abstract An important milestone on the Fast Track path to Fusion Power is to demonstrate reliable commercial application of Fusion as soon as possible. Many applications of fusion, other than electricity production, have already been studied in some depth for ITER class facilities. We show that these applications might be usefully realized on a small scale, in a Multi-Functional Compact Tokamak Reactor based on a Spherical Tokamak with similar size, but higher fields and currents than the present experiments NSTX and MAST, where performance has already exceeded expectations. The small power outputs, 20-40MW, permit existing materials and technologies to be used. The analysis of the performance of the compact reactor is based on the solution of the global power balance using empirical scaling laws considering requirements for the minimum necessary fusion power (which is determined by the optimized efficiency of the blanket design), positive power gain and constraints on the wall load. In addition, ASTRA and DINA simulations have been performed for the range of the design parameters.
    [Show full text]
  • 小型飛翔体／海外 ［Format 2］ Technical Catalog Category
    小型飛翔体／海外 ［Format 2］ Technical Catalog Category Airborne contamination sensor Title Depth Evaluation of Entrained Products (DEEP) Proposed by Create Technologies Ltd & Costain Group PLC １．DEEP is a sensor analysis software for analysing contamination. DEEP can distinguish between surface contamination and internal / absorbed contamination. The software measures contamination depth by analysing distortions in the gamma spectrum. The method can be applied to data gathered using any spectrometer. Because DEEP provides a means of discriminating surface contamination from other radiation sources, DEEP can be used to provide an estimate of surface contamination without physical sampling. DEEP is a real-time method which enables the user to generate a large number of rapid contamination assessments- this data is complementary to physical samples, providing a sound basis for extrapolation from point samples. It also helps identify anomalies enabling targeted sampling startegies. DEEP is compatible with small airborne spectrometer/ processor combinations, such as that proposed by the ARM-U project – please refer to the ARM-U proposal for more details of the air vehicle. Figure 1: DEEP system core components are small, light, low power and can be integrated via USB, serial or Ethernet interfaces. 小型飛翔体／海外 Figure 2: DEEP prototype software ２．Past experience (plants in Japan, overseas plant, applications in other industries, etc) Create technologies is a specialist R&D firm with a focus on imaging and sensing in the nuclear industry. Createc has developed and delivered several novel nuclear technologies, including the N-Visage gamma camera system. Costainis a leading UK construction and civil engineering firm with almost 150 years of history.
    [Show full text]
  • Nuclear Power Reactors in California
    Nuclear Power Reactors in California As of mid-2012, California had one operating nuclear power plant, the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant near San Luis Obispo. Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) owns the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, which consists of two units. Unit 1 is a 1,073 megawatt (MW) Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) which began commercial operation in May 1985, while Unit 2 is a 1,087 MW PWR, which began commercial operation in March 1986. Diablo Canyon's operation license expires in 2024 and 2025 respectively. California currently hosts three commercial nuclear power facilities in various stages of decommissioning.1 Under all NRC operating licenses, once a nuclear plant ceases reactor operations, it must be decommissioned. Decommissioning is defined by federal regulation (10 CFR 50.2) as the safe removal of a facility from service along with the reduction of residual radioactivity to a level that permits termination of the NRC operating license. In preparation for a plant’s eventual decommissioning, all nuclear plant owners must maintain trust funds while the plants are in operation to ensure sufficient amounts will be available to decommission their facilities and manage the spent nuclear fuel.2 Spent fuel can either be reprocessed to recover usable uranium and plutonium, or it can be managed as a waste for long-term ultimate disposal. Since fuel re-processing is not commercially available in the United States, spent fuel is typically being held in temporary storage at reactor sites until a permanent long-term waste disposal option becomes available.3 In 1976, the state of California placed a moratorium on the construction and licensing of new nuclear fission reactors until the federal government implements a solution to radioactive waste disposal.
    [Show full text]
  • ESTIMATION of FISSION-PRODUCT GAS PRESSURE in URANIUM DIOXIDE CERAMIC FUEL ELEMENTS by Wuzter A
    NASA TECHNICAL NOTE NASA TN D-4823 - - .- j (2. -1 "-0 -5 M 0-- N t+=$j oo w- P LOAN COPY: RET rm 3 d z c 4 c/) 4 z ESTIMATION OF FISSION-PRODUCT GAS PRESSURE IN URANIUM DIOXIDE CERAMIC FUEL ELEMENTS by WuZter A. PuuZson una Roy H. Springborn Lewis Reseurcb Center Clevelund, Ohio NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON, D. C. NOVEMBER 1968 i 1 TECH LIBRARY KAFB, NM I 111111 lllll IllH llll lilll1111111111111 Ill1 01317Lb NASA TN D-4823 ESTIMATION OF FISSION-PRODUCT GAS PRESSURE IN URANIUM DIOXIDE CERAMIC FUEL ELEMENTS By Walter A. Paulson and Roy H. Springborn Lewis Research Center Cleveland, Ohio NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION For sale by the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information Springfield, Virginia 22151 - CFSTl price $3.00 ABSTRACl Fission-product gas pressure in macroscopic voids was calculated over the tempera- ture range of 1000 to 2500 K for clad uranium dioxide fuel elements operating in a fast neutron spectrum. The calculated fission-product yields for uranium-233 and uranium- 235 used in the pressure calculations were based on experimental data compiled from various sources. The contributions of cesium, rubidium, and other condensible fission products are included with those of the gases xenon and krypton. At low temperatures, xenon and krypton are the major contributors to the total pressure. At high tempera- tures, however, cesium and rubidium can make a considerable contribution to the total pressure. ii ESTIMATION OF FISSION-PRODUCT GAS PRESSURE IN URANIUM DIOXIDE CERAMIC FUEL ELEMENTS by Walter A. Paulson and Roy H.
    [Show full text]
  • Re-Examining the Role of Nuclear Fusion in a Renewables-Based Energy Mix
    Re-examining the Role of Nuclear Fusion in a Renewables-Based Energy Mix T. E. G. Nicholasa,∗, T. P. Davisb, F. Federicia, J. E. Lelandc, B. S. Patela, C. Vincentd, S. H. Warda a York Plasma Institute, Department of Physics, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK b Department of Materials, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PH c Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3GJ, UK d Centre for Advanced Instrumentation, Department of Physics, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LS, UK Abstract Fusion energy is often regarded as a long-term solution to the world's energy needs. However, even after solving the critical research challenges, engineer- ing and materials science will still impose significant constraints on the char- acteristics of a fusion power plant. Meanwhile, the global energy grid must transition to low-carbon sources by 2050 to prevent the worst effects of climate change. We review three factors affecting fusion's future trajectory: (1) the sig- nificant drop in the price of renewable energy, (2) the intermittency of renewable sources and implications for future energy grids, and (3) the recent proposition of intermediate-level nuclear waste as a product of fusion. Within the scenario assumed by our premises, we find that while there remains a clear motivation to develop fusion power plants, this motivation is likely weakened by the time they become available. We also conclude that most current fusion reactor designs do not take these factors into account and, to increase market penetration, fu- sion research should consider relaxed nuclear waste design criteria, raw material availability constraints and load-following designs with pulsed operation.
    [Show full text]
  • Compilation and Evaluation of Fission Yield Nuclear Data Iaea, Vienna, 2000 Iaea-Tecdoc-1168 Issn 1011–4289
    IAEA-TECDOC-1168 Compilation and evaluation of fission yield nuclear data Final report of a co-ordinated research project 1991–1996 December 2000 The originating Section of this publication in the IAEA was: Nuclear Data Section International Atomic Energy Agency Wagramer Strasse 5 P.O. Box 100 A-1400 Vienna, Austria COMPILATION AND EVALUATION OF FISSION YIELD NUCLEAR DATA IAEA, VIENNA, 2000 IAEA-TECDOC-1168 ISSN 1011–4289 © IAEA, 2000 Printed by the IAEA in Austria December 2000 FOREWORD Fission product yields are required at several stages of the nuclear fuel cycle and are therefore included in all large international data files for reactor calculations and related applications. Such files are maintained and disseminated by the Nuclear Data Section of the IAEA as a member of an international data centres network. Users of these data are from the fields of reactor design and operation, waste management and nuclear materials safeguards, all of which are essential parts of the IAEA programme. In the 1980s, the number of measured fission yields increased so drastically that the manpower available for evaluating them to meet specific user needs was insufficient. To cope with this task, it was concluded in several meetings on fission product nuclear data, some of them convened by the IAEA, that international co-operation was required, and an IAEA co-ordinated research project (CRP) was recommended. This recommendation was endorsed by the International Nuclear Data Committee, an advisory body for the nuclear data programme of the IAEA. As a consequence, the CRP on the Compilation and Evaluation of Fission Yield Nuclear Data was initiated in 1991, after its scope, objectives and tasks had been defined by a preparatory meeting.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Basics - Nuclear Energy (PDF)
    NRDC: Policy Basics - Nuclear Energy (PDF) FEBRUARY 2013 NRDC POLICY BASICS FS:13-01-O NUCLEAR ENERGY The U.S. generates about 19 percent of its electricity from nuclear power. Following a 30-year period in which few new reactors were completed, it is expected that four new units—subsidized by federal loan guarantees, an eight-year production tax credit, and early cost recovery from ratepayers—may come on line in Georgia and South Carolina by 2020. In total, 16 license applications have been made since mid-2007 to build 24 new nuclear reactors. The “nuclear renaissance” forecast in the middle of the last decade has not materialized due to the high capital cost of new plants; the severe 2008-2009 recession followed by sluggish electricity demand growth; low natural gas prices and the prospect of abundant future supplies; the failure to pass climate legislation that would have penalized fossil sources in the energy marketplace; and the increasing availability of cheaper, cleaner renewable energy alternatives. I. SELECTED STATUTES n PRICE-ANDERSON ACT First passed in 1957, the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries n AtOMIC ENERGY ACT (AEA) Indemnity Act provides for additional taxpayer-funded liability Originally enacted in 1954, and periodically amended, the AEA coverage for the nuclear industry above that available in the is the fundamental law governing both civilian and military commercial marketplace to each individual reactor operator uses of nuclear materials. On the civilian side, the Act requires (this sum is $375 million in 2011). Under the Act, operators that civilian uses of nuclear materials and facilities be licensed, of nuclear reactors jointly commit in the event of a severe and it empowers the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) accident to contribute to a pool of self-insurance funds to establish and enforce standards to govern these uses in (currently set at $12.6 billion) to provide compensation to the order to protect health and safety and minimize danger to life public.
    [Show full text]
  • Policy Brief Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development
    OCTOBER 2008Policy Brief ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT Nuclear Energy Today Can nuclear Introduction energy help make Nuclear energy has been used to produce electricity for more than half a development century. It currently provides about 15% of the world’s supply and 22% in OECD sustainable? countries. The oil crisis of the early 1970s provoked a surge in nuclear power plant orders How safe is and construction, but as oil prices stabilised and even dropped, and enough nuclear energy? electricity generating plants came into service to meet demand, orders tailed off. Accidents at Three Mile Island in the United States (1979) and at Chernobyl How best to deal in Ukraine (1986) also raised serious questions in the public mind about nuclear with radioactive safety. waste? Now nuclear energy is back in the spotlight as many countries reassess their energy policies in the light of concerns about future reliance on fossil fuels What is the future and ageing energy generation facilities. Oil, coal and gas currently provide of nuclear energy? around two-thirds of the world’s energy and electricity, but also produce the greenhouse gases largely responsible for global warming. At the same For further time, world energy demand is expected to rise sharply in the next 50 years, information presenting all societies worldwide with a real challenge: how to provide the energy needed to fuel economic growth and improve social development while For further reading simultaneously addressing environmental protection issues. Recent oil price hikes, blackouts in North America and Europe and severe weather events have Where to contact us? also focused attention on issues such as long-term price stability, the security of energy supply and sustainable development.
    [Show full text]
  • Radiological Basics
    Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program MERRTT Radiological Basics INTRODUCTION The reliance upon, and use of, radioactive material in agriculture, notesnotes industry, and medicine continues to increase. As the manufacture, notesnotes use, and disposal of radioactive material has increased, so has the need to transport it. Consequently, the potential for you as a responder to encounter an incident involving some type of radioactive material has increased. Having knowledge of radiological hazards, and the terminology used to describe them, will increase your ability to quickly recognize, safely respond, and accurately relay information during an incident involving radioactive material. PURPOSE Upon completion of this module, you will have a better understanding of the basic structure of an atom and the fundamentals of radiation. MODULE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this module, you will be able to: 1. Identify the basic components of an atom. 2. Define ionizing radiation, radioactivity, radioactive material, and radioactive contamination. 3. Distinguish between radiation and contamination. 4. Identify some commonly transported sources of radioactive material. 01/05 rev. 3 2-1 Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program MERRTT Radiological Basics BACKGROUND notesnotes Radiation is all around us and has been present since the birth of notesnotes this planet. Today, both man-made and natural radioactive material are part of our daily lives. We use radioactive material for beneficial purposes, such as generating electricity and diagnosing and treating medical conditions. Radiation is used in many ways to improve our health and the quality of our lives. In 1895, while working in his laboratory, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered a previously unknown phenomenon: rays that could penetrate solid objects.
    [Show full text]
  • Uranium (Nuclear)
    Uranium (Nuclear) Uranium at a Glance, 2016 Classification: Major Uses: What Is Uranium? nonrenewable electricity Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element, that is very hard U.S. Energy Consumption: U.S. Energy Production: and heavy and is classified as a metal. It is also one of the few elements 8.427 Q 8.427 Q that is easily fissioned. It is the fuel used by nuclear power plants. 8.65% 10.01% Uranium was formed when the Earth was created and is found in rocks all over the world. Rocks that contain a lot of uranium are called uranium Lighter Atom Splits Element ore, or pitch-blende. Uranium, although abundant, is a nonrenewable energy source. Neutron Uranium Three isotopes of uranium are found in nature, uranium-234, 235 + Energy FISSION Neutron uranium-235, and uranium-238. These numbers refer to the number of Neutron neutrons and protons in each atom. Uranium-235 is the form commonly Lighter used for energy production because, unlike the other isotopes, the Element nucleus splits easily when bombarded by a neutron. During fission, the uranium-235 atom absorbs a bombarding neutron, causing its nucleus to split apart into two atoms of lighter mass. The first nuclear power plant came online in Shippingport, PA in 1957. At the same time, the fission reaction releases thermal and radiant Since then, the industry has experienced dramatic shifts in fortune. energy, as well as releasing more neutrons. The newly released neutrons Through the mid 1960s, government and industry experimented with go on to bombard other uranium atoms, and the process repeats itself demonstration and small commercial plants.
    [Show full text]
  • Radioactive Waste
    Radioactive Waste 07/05/2011 1 Regulations 2 Regulations 1. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) 10 CFR 20 Subpart K. Various approved options for radioactive waste disposal. (See also Appendix F) 10 CFR 35.92. Decay in storage of medically used byproduct material. 10 CFR 60. Disposal of high-level wastes in geologic repositories. 10 CFR 61. Shallow land disposal of low level waste. 10 CFR 62. Criteria and procedures for emergency access to non-Federal and regional low-level waste disposal facilities. 10 CFR 63. Disposal of high-level rad waste at Yucca Mountain, NV 10 CFR 71 Subpart H. Quality assurance for waste packaging and transportation. 10 CFR 72. High level waste storage at an MRS 3 Regulations 2. Department of Energy (DOE) DOE Order 435.1 Radioactive Waste Management. General Requirements regarding radioactive waste. 10 CFR 960. General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for the Nuclear Waste Repositories. Site selection guidelines for a waste repository. The following are not regulations but they provide guidance regarding the implementation of DOE Order 435.1: DOE Manual 435.1-1. Radioactive Waste Management Manual. Describes the requirements and establishes specific responsibilities for implementing DOE O 435.1. DOE Guide 435.1-1. Suggestions and acceptable ways of implementing DOE M 435.1-1 4 Regulations 3. Environmental Protection Agency 40 CFR 191. Environmental Standards for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes. Protection for the public over the next 10,000 years from the disposal of high-level and transuranic wastes. 4. Department of Transportation 49 CFR Parts 171 to 177.
    [Show full text]