Final countdown to site selection for Canada’s nuclear waste geologic repository. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. (2023, January 17). Retrieved January 29, 2023, from https://thebulletin.org/premium/2023-01/final-countdown-to-site-selection-for-canadas-nuclear-waste-geologic-repository/
This article brings up the issue of storing nuclear waste around the world. Nuclear waste storage needs to be highly secure and safe, but countries continue to store their waste locally. The article mentions that “only four countries’ ‘ (Finland, Sweden, France, and Switzerland have found local repositories for nuclear waste; however, for many countries such as Sweden, they are still trying to work through regulations and the details of how the waste is going to be safely stored.
I find it interesting how many countries are struggling to find safe areas to store their waste. One thing I wished the article had brought up is if these countries were to get into a military conflict, how would they prevent nuclear waste storage sites from being weaponized? Furthermore, I wonder why it is very tedious for governments to approve of repositories for nuclear waste, as countries such as Sweden are struggling to get past their government bureaucracy. However, environmentally, there may be a solution to storing nuclear waste deep underground. The article states that in southern Ontario, the “repository would be in a clay-rich limestone, which is appealing due to its strength and low permeability. There is also a tight shale layer directly above the limestone that acts as an added barrier to further delay the migration of any escaped radioactive material toward the surface” (Braden and Macfarlane, 2023). Therefore, finding low permeable but high strength rock to store nuclear waste underground would be a a decent solution to storing nuclear waste and avoiding the contamination of valuable resources such as groundwater.
This is an interesting article and a very thoughtful response. The idea of using low-permeable but high-strength rock sounds like a good idea to keep the nuclear waste controlled, it could still do harm in the process of retrieving the rock itself, and it could possibly let out more emissions in the process. The heavy machinery depending on fossil fuels would most likely provide the nuclear plants with the rock, and that would lead to a bigger problem.
I see where you are going with this and I agree. I think another issue with this is if governments cut corners, it could lead to disastrous consequences (you are dealing with nuclear waste after all). Thank you for your response!
I haven’t even thought out all the nuclear waste being used as a weapon, so I believe more restrictions are needed when dealing with something so dangerous. How might one avoid a consequence such as having a melt down?
Thank you for your response! I think a possible response to avoid running into a situation where nuclear waste is weaponized is by simply finding ways to diplomatically resolve tensions. Another possibility as explored by that article is storing deep underground with low permeable rock.