Hazardous Waste Management in Nuclear Power Plants

This report analyzes the hazardous waste management system in a nuclear power plant from financial and institutional aspects. It also predicts future waste quantities and discusses major problems and issues.

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Hazardous waste management
Word count- 2000
Professor name

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Executive summary
In this report, a nuclear power plant will be analyzed from different perspectives. The plant produces
hazardous waste which must be disposed properly. First of all, the profile of the power plant is told in
brief. The location and introduction is given in brief. After this, hazardous waste generation and its
physical characteristics are described. Then existing hazardous management systems are described
from financial as well as institutional aspect. Future waste quantities are predicted and problems which
can arise in future are explained. Finally a suitable conclusion is made.

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Contents
Profile of the location..................................................................................................................................4
Hazardous waste generation and physical characteristics..........................................................................4
Existing hazardous waste management system..........................................................................................5
Institutional aspects................................................................................................................................5
Financial aspects......................................................................................................................................6
Prediction of future waste quantities..........................................................................................................7
Stages of nuclear waste production-...........................................................................................................8
Major problems and issues..........................................................................................................................8
Conclusion-..................................................................................................................................................9

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Profile of the location
A nuclear power generation plant is located in the San Francisco of California state in the USA. This plant
is run by the dharma companies which monetize the electricity. The site is widespread and produces
tremendous amount of electricity for the region. But, in the nuclear energy generation process, some
hazardous elements and chemicals are used and produced. These hazardous substances cannot be
disposed off through normal process waste disposal. Uranium and thorium used in the production of
electricity are very dangerous (Hamblin, 2008).
They should be buried deep in the earth so that their radioactive reactions do not reach to human as
well as animals. These substances can get explode when they come in contact with certain other
reactive animals. In addition to the solid waste, nuclear energy generation also produces radioactive
waste which is equally dangerous. To handle these wastes suitable technology is used by the owners of
plant but there are some lacunae also which are discussed in this report (Checker, 2005).

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Hazardous waste generation and physical characteristics
Under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), hazardous waste can be divided into two
types: characteristic wastes and listed wastes. The particular nuclear plant produces both types of
waste. Dharma Company has permit to produce this waste under RCRA act so it is producing the waste
legally. The company also knows about the regulations framed by United Nations Environmental
Protection Agency for disposal of hazardous waste (Marshall, 2005).
Hazardous waste can be generated from different sources like hospitals, generators, houses etc. the
physical characteristics of this kind of waste are as follows:
1. The nuclear waste look similar to the nuclear fuel but t is produced after the nuclear fission
reaction; thus it cannot be used for any other purpose.
2. Nuclear waste contains leftover small atoms which are highly reactive and can be the cause of
dangerous diseases like cancer and permanent blindness.
3. Nuclear waste is composed of many elements like uranium- 234, neptunium-237 and plutonium-
238. In addition to this, many other substances are formed and released in the environment.
This waste emits very dangerous beta and gamma radiations in addition to alpha particles which
are released from actinides.
4. There can be three types of nuclear waste viz. low level, intermediate and High-level waste.
Some elements or radioactive substances decay with time but some lasts longer in the
environment.
5. HLW accounts for 95% of total radioactivity in the nuclear reactor. Disposal of this waste needs
critical use of technologies.

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Existing hazardous waste management system
Institutional aspects
The nuclear fuel spends almost three years in a nuclear reactor before becoming a waste. The company
uses water to cool down the hot radioactive material. Water provides the shielding also. After this, for
almost 5 years, this waste is stored in a suitable container. Then it is transported in to dry ventilated
concrete containers. The nearby facility is made in which all radioactive substances are stored to
prevent exposure to radioactive elements (Harris & Nelson, 2007). The priority is given to high level
waste (HLW) as it makes up the large part of radioactivity of waste.
Many protection layers are formed at the suitable site which ensures that waste does not radiate
harmful radiations in the environment. This waste can be recycled through available technologies. But
even after recycling, the bulk of waste remains there. May be in future, there will be new innovations
but till that time, the nuclear waste cannot be taken for granted. The company understands its
corporate social responsibility. The policies of the company sync with the environmental principles
followed at international level (Shumway & Jackson, 2008).
The low, intermediate and high level wastes are separated from each other. Then, the low level and
intermediate level waste can be disposed by simple handling. But high-level waste is disposed
underneath the land. The depth at which it is stored is determined by the radioactivity potential of the
waste. So, all technical and non-technical aspects are considered. The high level waste is deposited in
depth of land through suitable method. For low level waste disposal, the company uses incineration
method. The company has its own commercially-operated incinerator. For high-level waste disposal, the
company uses deep burial technique (Kenny, 2011).
Financial aspects
Almost 300 tonnes of nuclear waste is produced by the particular nuclear plant in a year. The company
has made separate budget allocation for its disposal. The collection, storage and transportation of this

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waste needs suitable equipments, human resources and land. Thus nuclear waste disposal is an
expensive process. Many industrialized countries are transporting their nuclear energy waste to
industrializing and undeveloped countries because of higher cost of nuclear waste disposal. This
unethical practice is leading to international conflicts. Therefore the Dharma Company is very serious
about hazardous waste management. It spends 10% of annual profit on waste disposal mechanisms
(Taylor, 2014).
It can use the money it set aside for fulfilling CSR responsibilities. This move will also generate goodwill
in the market in addition to providing climate friendly electricity to the people. There can be no
alternative to safe disposal of waste. Nuclear waste has potential to remain radioactive for centuries.
Managing nuclear waste is not too hard as there are simple techniques available in the world. It is the
radioactivity potential of nuclear waste that makes it toxic to all living beings (Burton, 2013).
There are three main approaches to fund the waste disposal
1. The company makes provision in the balance sheet itself to cater to the needs of nuclear waste
disposal.
2. Internal funding is done by investors that lead to accumulation of some amount of capital as
special fund which can be easily used to dispose the waste.
3. External funds are also there which are held outside the company, within government or
Trustee Company.
Prediction of future waste quantities
As the demand for electricity is increasing in the world, the particular nuclear energy plant can be asked
by the relevant authority to meet this demand by generating further amounts of electricity. Also, the
nearby plants have become too old, they use obsolete technology. These old power plants can either be

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closed or revamped on the basis of new technology. Until such plants come into existence, California
nuclear plant will have to meet the demand of the public. So, the waste generation will be increased in
near future. No new technology is available to reduce the quantity of waste as of now (Cragin, 2007).
The nuclear waste produced will be increased. In ideal situation, such a waste should not be produced
and we should use alternative methods of electricity generation. But till the time other alternatives are
not available, we should try to reduce the waste to minimum amount. Three Rs of reduction, reuse and
recycle are kept in mind so that minimum resources are used to provide maximum electricity. The
company may get more such projects from the government so it has to be ready for further expansion.
Nuclear power plants cannot sustain themselves without suitable provisioning for waste disposal (Gee,
2010).
Stages of nuclear waste production-
The nuclear waste is generated at each stage of nuclear fuel cycle. When the uranium is mined lots of
radioactive substances are released into environment (Willett, 2003). Then milling of ore of Uranium, its
fabrication into nuclear fuel and then its use for electricity generation itself produces nuclear waste.
Majority of nuclear waste is produced when uranium is burned to produce electricity. So at each stage
of nuclear fuel cycle, the nuclear waste disposal techniques should be used. The nuclear waste can
contaminate the air, water and ground so many protective layers are formed for disposal of nuclear
waste under land (Tom Latourrette, 2010).

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Major problems and issues
Because of the large amount of waste generation, the suitable landscape is needed for its disposal.
There is needed to get permission from the government to use other landscapes for disposal of waste
generated by nuclear reactor. This process will take time. In the meantime, the temporary storage
facility must be created but it will cost the major amount of profit. If the company does not abide by
regulations of national and international laws, it can be closed or even fined heavily.
To identify the suitable land for disposal of waste, various factors need to be considered. The company
cannot transport this waste to low-income countries as it works on the basis of some moral values. In
addition to this, developing and underdeveloped countries can file the case against the company in
international court. Such a grave problem will never arise as company disposes all the waste through the
suitable method (Johansen, 2003).
Land acquisition is a problem as the people living in nearby areas may not be ready to vacate the land
for developmental purpose. Another issue is the financial cost. The company has to get finance from
investors which will not be readily accepted by them because of poor economic growth. Next problem
may be related to manpower. Handling hazardous substances can cost someone his or her life, if
anything wrong happens. In addition to this, the labour cost is very high in California. So the company
needs to follow all the labour rules along with environmental laws (Ferguson, 2011).
Conclusion-
The Dharma Company follows all principles laid out by United Nations Environmental Protection Agency
(UNEP). It is in sound fiscal situation but because of increased demand, in future, the company need
revamp of major policies. There will be need of more human and financial resources. These resources
are difficult to gather in the developed country. International attention has been increased on the

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disposal of radioactive waste since the practice of transportation of such waste to industrializing
countries by developed countries is revealed. This immoral means of business must be stopped and
everyone should acknowledge his or her environmental responsibility (Johnson, 2012).
The company may increase the rates of units of electricity supplied to different groups so as to
accommodate the burden of polluter pays principle. Health and environmental protection is cumulative
responsibility of public, government, NGOs and corporations. It is the responsibility of every individual
to take care of the environment in which we live. After Paris Climate deal, the USA unfortunately moved
out of this pact. But there are certain other international rules and regulations which the country should
abide by. There can be no further compromise with the environment as humans have only one planet to
live. The mother earth should be saved from each environmental hazard, not only nuclear waste. The
man has created environmental problems so it is the responsibility of the man itself that it saves the
earth from hazardous substances (Shrader-Frechette, 2011).

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References
Burton, B. (2013). Nuclear Power, Pollution and Politics. Routledge.
Checker, M. (2005). Polluted Promises: Environmental Racism and the Search for Justice in a Southern
Town. New York University Press.
Cragin, S. (2007). Nuclear Nebraska: The Remarkable Story of the Little County That Couldn't Be Bought.
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Gee, S. (2010). Making Waste: Leftovers and the Eighteenth-Century Imagination. Princeton University
Press.
Hamblin, J. D. (2008). Poison in the Well: Radioactive Waste in the Oceans at the Dawn of the Nuclear
Age. Rutgers University Press.

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Harris, G., & Nelson, L. (2007). Revisiting a Hazardous Waste Site 25 Years Later. Journal of
Environmental Health, 30-34.
Johansen, B. E. (2003). The Dirty Dozen: Toxic Chemicals and the Earth's Future. Praeger.
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