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Ocean disposal of nuclear waste
Marme Pollutton Bulletin
ment orgamzations, environmental scientists, and other interested parties The second product is an archive of preserved marine specimens, such as sediments, fish tissues, and bivalves, statable for future retrospective and corraboratlve analyses This archive will be established under the guidance of the National Bureau of Standards, and will be available for qualified researchers and organIzations both in the U S and internationally
the disposal of low-level waste in the ocean However, Congress will wait for the EPA to develop standards and criteria for regulations governing ocean disposal before it will consider any permit This may take up to 3 years for EPA to complete Failure by Congress to act within 30 days on a permit request results in a legislative veto, serving as a demal of the permit
Ocean Disposal of Nuclear Waste
NIREX Second Report
A recent special report to the President and the Congress of the United States of America recommends revision of the current U S policy of excluding the use of the ocean for low-level radioactive waste disposal The report, prepared by the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere (NACOA), does not actually recommend that radioactive waste be disposed of in the ocean but, rather, emphasizes the need for research into the ecological effects of radioactivity in the marine environment, the possible pathways for anthropogenlc radioactivity in the sea, monltonng, and delivery and retrieval systems for radioactive waste disposal NACOA stresses ItS concern that the present U S policy of total exclusion of the ocean as a medium for radioactive waste disposal will result in a lowenng of the priority of research and, subsequently, a severely diminishing Federal budget for research A number of advantages of the ocean option over land-based disposal are underscored In NACOA's report These include a lower chance of prolonged direct radioactive exposure to humans and a nullification of the nsk of groundwater contamination The ocean, NACOA suggests, offers an attractive alternative to land-based disposal, given the present concern of many communities about dumpsltes in their areas Furthermore, NACOA argues, climatic change may alter land values and usage, so sites now isolated may become less so Although It IS acknowledged m the report that it would be more difficult, if not Impossible, to rectify a badly chosen site and/or containment strategy at an ocean site than it would be on land, the report asserts that ocean disposal could be designed to prevent unintentional human intrusion with more certainty than could land disposal options Present U S policy prohibits the dumping of both high- and low-level radioactive wastes into the ocean High-level waste disposal (the spent fuel rods and the radioactivity that remains from unprocessed nuclear fuel) must be land-based as established by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 Land-based disposal is also required for all low-level waste (nuclear waste generated by hospitals and research labs) A 1983 amendment to the Manne Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act placed a 2-year moratorium on the ocean dumping of all radloctlve materials (except for small research projects) Upon expiration of the moratorium on 6 January 1985, the U S Congress must pass a joint resolution granting authority for each specific permit before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can issue permits for 394
The Second Report of the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (NIREX) recalls the terms of reference given to NIREX and details progress which has been made during the last year in the identification and assessment of potential sites for the disposal of low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes An initial two sites for land disposal have been identified for detailed study--the Elstow Storage Depot near Bedford, and the disused anhydrlte mine at Blllmgham, Cleveland NIREX wishes to assess the Elstow site's suitability for the disposal of low-level and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste, and the Bllhngham mine for the possible disposal of long-lived intermediatelevel waste Before NIREX can propose that a repository be developed at any particular site, it will need to be confident of demonstrating compliance with the assessment principles of the authorizing departments Comparative studies of other sites will be undertaken and will assist in the assessment of the sites already announced Preliminary work at the Elstow Storage Depot has included soil sampling and the letting of a prehmlnary design contract and preliminary radlologlcal assessment contract Preliminary contracts have also been let for the assessment of existing data on the Bllhngham mine Negotiations are taking place with the Central Electricity Generating Board and potential developers about joint use of the disused North Tees Power Station site that overlays the mine and would give access to the mine should NIREX decide to proceed, and provided the necessary approvals are granted In addition to the development of proposals for land based repositories NIREX is considering, with various private organizations, the possibility of disposal of longlived intermediate-level waste beneath the ocean floor using either North Sea oil exploration techniques or a system of tunnels from a shore-based facility The report draws attention to the studies being carried out by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Contracting Parties to the London Dumping Convention and to the independent inquiry IntO deep ocean disposal currently taking place under the chairmanshIp of Professor F Holhday, CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Durham Umverslty It points out that no deep ocean disposal took place in 1983 or 1984 and draws attention to the fact that existing storage facilities for this type of waste will be full by 1985/86 As additional land facilities cannot be available until
ment orgamzations, environmental scientists, and other interested parties The second product is an archive of preserved marine specimens, such as sediments, fish tissues, and bivalves, statable for future retrospective and corraboratlve analyses This archive will be established under the guidance of the National Bureau of Standards, and will be available for qualified researchers and organIzations both in the U S and internationally
the disposal of low-level waste in the ocean However, Congress will wait for the EPA to develop standards and criteria for regulations governing ocean disposal before it will consider any permit This may take up to 3 years for EPA to complete Failure by Congress to act within 30 days on a permit request results in a legislative veto, serving as a demal of the permit
Ocean Disposal of Nuclear Waste
NIREX Second Report
A recent special report to the President and the Congress of the United States of America recommends revision of the current U S policy of excluding the use of the ocean for low-level radioactive waste disposal The report, prepared by the National Advisory Committee on Oceans and Atmosphere (NACOA), does not actually recommend that radioactive waste be disposed of in the ocean but, rather, emphasizes the need for research into the ecological effects of radioactivity in the marine environment, the possible pathways for anthropogenlc radioactivity in the sea, monltonng, and delivery and retrieval systems for radioactive waste disposal NACOA stresses ItS concern that the present U S policy of total exclusion of the ocean as a medium for radioactive waste disposal will result in a lowenng of the priority of research and, subsequently, a severely diminishing Federal budget for research A number of advantages of the ocean option over land-based disposal are underscored In NACOA's report These include a lower chance of prolonged direct radioactive exposure to humans and a nullification of the nsk of groundwater contamination The ocean, NACOA suggests, offers an attractive alternative to land-based disposal, given the present concern of many communities about dumpsltes in their areas Furthermore, NACOA argues, climatic change may alter land values and usage, so sites now isolated may become less so Although It IS acknowledged m the report that it would be more difficult, if not Impossible, to rectify a badly chosen site and/or containment strategy at an ocean site than it would be on land, the report asserts that ocean disposal could be designed to prevent unintentional human intrusion with more certainty than could land disposal options Present U S policy prohibits the dumping of both high- and low-level radioactive wastes into the ocean High-level waste disposal (the spent fuel rods and the radioactivity that remains from unprocessed nuclear fuel) must be land-based as established by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 Land-based disposal is also required for all low-level waste (nuclear waste generated by hospitals and research labs) A 1983 amendment to the Manne Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act placed a 2-year moratorium on the ocean dumping of all radloctlve materials (except for small research projects) Upon expiration of the moratorium on 6 January 1985, the U S Congress must pass a joint resolution granting authority for each specific permit before the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can issue permits for 394
The Second Report of the Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive (NIREX) recalls the terms of reference given to NIREX and details progress which has been made during the last year in the identification and assessment of potential sites for the disposal of low and intermediate-level radioactive wastes An initial two sites for land disposal have been identified for detailed study--the Elstow Storage Depot near Bedford, and the disused anhydrlte mine at Blllmgham, Cleveland NIREX wishes to assess the Elstow site's suitability for the disposal of low-level and short-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste, and the Bllhngham mine for the possible disposal of long-lived intermediatelevel waste Before NIREX can propose that a repository be developed at any particular site, it will need to be confident of demonstrating compliance with the assessment principles of the authorizing departments Comparative studies of other sites will be undertaken and will assist in the assessment of the sites already announced Preliminary work at the Elstow Storage Depot has included soil sampling and the letting of a prehmlnary design contract and preliminary radlologlcal assessment contract Preliminary contracts have also been let for the assessment of existing data on the Bllhngham mine Negotiations are taking place with the Central Electricity Generating Board and potential developers about joint use of the disused North Tees Power Station site that overlays the mine and would give access to the mine should NIREX decide to proceed, and provided the necessary approvals are granted In addition to the development of proposals for land based repositories NIREX is considering, with various private organizations, the possibility of disposal of longlived intermediate-level waste beneath the ocean floor using either North Sea oil exploration techniques or a system of tunnels from a shore-based facility The report draws attention to the studies being carried out by the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Contracting Parties to the London Dumping Convention and to the independent inquiry IntO deep ocean disposal currently taking place under the chairmanshIp of Professor F Holhday, CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Durham Umverslty It points out that no deep ocean disposal took place in 1983 or 1984 and draws attention to the fact that existing storage facilities for this type of waste will be full by 1985/86 As additional land facilities cannot be available until