Nuclear Wastes -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- Executive Summary -- THE "ONCE-THROUGH" FUEL CYCLE -- THE S&T CONCEPTS -- OVERALL CONCLUSIONS -- DETAILED FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS -- Findings Regarding Potential Radiological Effects of S&T -- Findings Regarding Separations Technology -- Separations Technology Requirements for ALMR and LWR -- Separations Technology Requirements for the ATW -- Findings Regarding Transmutation Technology -- Current Status of LWR, ALMR, and ATW -- Relative Capabilities of the Concepts for TRU Transmutation -- ALMR -- LWR -- ATW -- Findings Regarding Feasibility, Development, and Deployment -- LWR -- ALMR -- ATW -- Findings Regarding System Integration -- The Nature of an S&T System -- Findings Regarding Economics -- Issues -- Implications of Fuel Reprocessing Costs -- Pyroprocessing and Cost Perspective -- Findings Regarding Effects on Repository Capacity and Program -- The Need to Dispose of Fission Products and Residual Wastes -- Transmutation and Repository Capacity -- Findings Regarding Nontechnical Issues -- Institutional and Public Policy Considerations -- Legislative and Administrative Constraints -- Financing -- Proliferation Issues -- Public Acceptance -- Findings Regarding Research and Development -- Scope for Research and Development -- Findings Regarding Defense Wastes -- Safety of Hanford Waste Storage Tanks -- Characterization of Hanford Tank Wastes -- Retrieval, Separation and Treatment Potential for Hanford Tank Wastes -- PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS -- Chapter One Introduction -- COMMITTEE MISSION AND OPERATION -- Committee Formation and Mandate -- Why Actinide Burning is Being Reconsidered -- Institutional Incentives -- Technical Incentives -- Scope of Study -- Time-Frame -- S&T Areas -- Technologies -- BACKGROUND ON SPENT REACTOR FUEL AND HIGH-LEVEL WASTE DISPOSAL -- History.

Current Waste Disposal Situation -- Spent Reactor Fuel -- Defense High-Level Waste -- Current Policies Governing High-Level Waste Management -- Commercial Spent Fuel -- Defense High-Level Waste -- ORGANIZATION OF THE REPORT -- REFERENCES -- Chapter Two Summaries of S&T Proposals and Radionuclides Release Scenarios in Repository -- SOURCE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF RADIONUCLIDES IN SPENT FUEL -- Radioactivity Produced by Reactors -- Toxicity Considerations and Isotopes of Concern -- Toxicity Index -- Isotopes of Principal Concern -- The Uranium Problem -- SUMMARY OF S&T PROPOSALS AND TECHNOLOGY STATEMENTS -- Light-Water Reactor (LWR) -- Advanced Liquid-Metal Reactor (ALMR) -- Accelerator Transmutation of Nuclear Waste (ATW) -- Separations Technology and Commercial Spent-Fuel Reprocessing -- Separations and Transmutation of Plutonium Only -- Defense High-Level Waste -- RADIONUCLIDES AND REPOSITORY PERFORMANCE -- LWR Spent Fuel Characterization -- Estimating Radiological Repository Risk -- Radionuclide Release Scenarios -- An Optimized Waste Form -- REFERENCES -- Chapter Three Separations Technology -- HISTORICAL BACKGROUND -- Aqueous Processes -- Nonaqueous Processes -- TYPES OF WASTES -- Spent Reactor Fuel -- Defense Nuclear Waste -- TYPES OF SEPARATIONS -- Aqueous Processes -- PUREX Process -- TRUEX Process -- Other Aqueous Processes -- Non-Aqueous Processes -- Electrochemical Separations-IFR -- Molten Salt Processes-ATW -- Fluoride Volatility Processes -- SEPARATIONS FOR TRANSMUTATION OF LWR FUEL -- Separations for Burning in LWRs -- Separations for Burning in IFRs -- Separations for Burning in Accelerator-Driven Reactors -- Aqueous Methods -- Nonaqueous Methods -- Combination Methods -- CONCLUSIONS -- REFERENCES -- Chapter Four Transmutation Systems -- TRANSMUTATION PROCESSES AND CONCEPTS -- Transmutation Processes.

Transmutation of Key Fission Products -- Transmutation of Transuranics -- Transmutation Reactor Approaches -- Classes of Reactor Concepts -- Engineering and Materials Issues -- Program Funding -- International Activities -- Overview of Critical Reactor Concepts -- Fast Critical Reactor Concepts -- Thermal Critical Reactor Concepts -- Overview of Accelerator-Driven Reactor Concepts -- Separations with Transmutation of Plutonium (only) -- REDUCTION OF TRANSURANIC INVENTORIES -- Introduction -- The Transuranic (TRU) Ratio -- Scenarios for Constant Transmuter Power -- Declining Power Scenario -- Inventories and Transmutation Rates -- Constant-Power ALMRs, Unlimited Supply of TRUs From Stockpile of LWR Spent Fuel -- Constant-Power ALMRs, Limited Stockpile of LWR Spent Fuel, Additional LWRs -- Constant-Power ATWs -- Declining-Power ATWs -- Constant-Power LWR Transmuters -- Declining-Power LWR Transmuters -- PBR Transmuters -- Nonbreeding Transmuters Converted to Breeders After Stockpile Depletion -- Constant Power Transmuters Followed by Declining Power Shutdown -- Summary -- REDUCTION OF KEY FISSION PRODUCT INVENTORIES -- SAFETY ISSUES FOR THE REACTOR, FUEL MATERIALS, AND SUPPORTING FUEL CYCLE -- Decay-Heat and Target-Heat Removal -- Reactivity Control -- Reactivity Transients -- Materials Degradation -- Fluid Fuels in the ATW -- Potential for Reduction in Mining and Milling Hazards -- DEVELOPMENT TIME, COST, FEASIBILITY, AND RISK THROUGH SYSTEM DEMONSTRATION -- LWR Transmutation System -- ALMR/IFR Transmutation System -- Accelerator Transmutation of Waste (ATW) -- Other (Secondary) Transmutation Concepts -- PBR Transmutation System -- Phoenix Transmutation System -- TIME SCALES AND COSTS FOR MODEL SYSTEM DEPLOYMENTS -- Basis for Transmutation System Deployments -- Deployments for Declining Nuclear Power -- Reprocessing Requirements and Deployment Rate.

Deployments for Steady Nuclear Power Generation -- COMPARATIVE THERMAL AND ELECTRICAL EFFICIENCIES -- PRINCIPAL FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS -- REFERENCES -- Chapter Five Defense Wastes -- THE HANFORD TANKS -- Inventory and Characterization of Stored Waste -- Remediation Processing Considerations -- SCENARIOS FOR HANFORD TANK REMEDIATION -- Decision Factors -- Alternative Scenarios -- No Separations Option -- Sludge Washing -- Solvent Extraction for Actinide Concentration -- Extensive Separations -- In-Place Option -- Pristine Site Restoration -- TRU Isolation for Transmutation -- CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS -- REFERENCES -- Chapter Six Analysis of the Issues -- IMPACT OF S&T ON WASTE REPOSITORY -- Evaluation of Possible Repository Releases -- Effects of S&T Processes -- Impact on the First Repository -- Impact on a Second Repository -- Conclusions -- TRANSPORTATION-RELATED ISSUES -- Nuclear Material Transport -- Transportation Package Technology -- Regulations Related to Transportation Packages -- Conclusions -- PROLIFERATION ISSUES -- Nuclear Nonproliferation and the Once-Through Fuel Cycle -- Proliferation Issues Related to S&T Systems -- Diversion Threats -- Abrogation Threats -- Conclusions -- HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES -- Health Impacts -- Health Effects of Fuel Cycles -- Health Effects of Transmutation -- Summary -- COST OF FUEL REPROCESSING -- Introduction -- Relative Economics of Reprocessing versus Once-Through Fuel Cycle for LWRs -- Capital Costs and Throughouts of Contemporary Reprocessing Plants -- Operating Costs -- Financing Costs -- Private Financing -- Utility Financing -- Government-Owned Reprocessing Facility -- Unit Costs of LWR Reprocessing with U.S. Financing -- Costs Associated With Other Reprocessing Plant Studies -- Summary -- POLICY, INSTITUTIONAL, AND MANAGEMENT ISSUES -- Policy -- Licensing, Siting, and Public Acceptance.

Financial Provisions -- System Requirements -- Summary -- REGULATORY ISSUES -- Current Federal Regulations -- Once-Through Cycle -- Waste Storage and Disposal -- The Regulatory Role of the States -- Conclusions -- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT NEEDS -- Civilian Reactor Spent Fuels -- Neutralized Defense High-Level Waste -- REFERENCES -- Appendixes -- Appendix A Statement Of Work -- Appendix B List Of Committee and Subcommittee Activities -- Appendix C Base Case Once-Through Uranium Fuel Cycle for Light-Water Reactor with Geological Repository -- Appendix D Separations Technology-Additional Information -- Introduction -- Aqueous Processes -- Bismuth Phosphate Process -- REDOX Process -- PUREX Process -- Nonaqueous Processes -- Fluoride Volatility Processing -- Molten-Salt Processes -- Electrochemical Separations -- Argonne National Laboratory Program in Pyroprocessing as Related to Integral Fast Reactor and Light Water... -- Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) Pyroprocessing Separations -- Light-Water Reactor (Lwr) Actinide Extraction/Separation Process -- Reprocessing Experience In The United States And Abroad -- Experience at Various U.S. Sites -- West Valley, New York -- Morris, Illinois -- Barnwell, South Carolina -- Future Prospects -- Experience Abroad -- France -- United Kingdom -- Japan -- The Former Soviet Union -- Other Nations -- Future Separations Processes -- Possible Technologies for Actinide Separation -- Solvent Extraction -- Ion Exchange And Adsorption -- Membrane Processes -- Volatilization -- Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation -- Precipitation -- Natural Agents -- Transport -- Possibilities for Technetium Separation -- Solvent Extraction And Ion Exchange -- Ozonolysis -- Volatilization -- Electrodeposition -- Magnetic Separation -- Engineering Challenges to Separations -- Handling And Drying Of Sludges And Slurries -- Evaporators.

Extractors.