There is a broad agreement among experts that management and disposal of radioactive waste of all types is technically feasible, does not create undue burden on human health or the environment and is not jeopardizing the competitiveness of nuclear energy. However, radioactive waste, and especially high-level waste disposal, is often quoted as a key issue for nuclear energy and its sustainability.
Whatever method used to manage, store and dispose of the radioactive waste, there will always be a residual risk involved. The balancing of the perception of this risk with the benefit of nuclear power is seen differently by different stakeholders in society. The perception of the risk involved is personal for each individual and is influenced by his/her environment, knowledge base. The influence of the media on how different issues in society are perceived is significant and contributes to creating acceptance or resistance on a particular issue. Achieving acceptance for storage and repository facilities depends heavily on the perception of risk levels by the public and decision makers. The acceptance issue is today one of the most crucial factors when implementing national back-end systems for radioactive waste in the NEA member countries.
Drawing lessons from other industrial sectors has been recommended in the field of nuclear energy at many levels. Regarding waste management and disposal, it is expected that the experience accumulated on toxic, non-radiological waste could be of use for radioactive waste management policy making. Comparisons on the risks involved with the handling, storage and disposal of chemical toxic wastes and how these risks are perceived in society is expected to be of help in this policy making work. The overall objective of this ad hoc group is therefore to provide a comprehensive overview of the similarities and differences between radioactive and other toxic waste. The resulting study will examine hazards, disposal technologies and regulations. The ad hoc group aims to identify lessons learned from hazardous and toxic waste disposal experience and investigate their applicability to radioactive waste.
In the table that follows, the types of waste that will be covered have been ticked:
| Radioactive Waste |
Heavy Metals | Waste from Power Production |
Other Industrial waste |
|
| Solid | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Liquid | ✔ | |||
| Gaseous | ✔ |
The horizontal group covers a wide spectrum of industrial society’s toxic wastes, while the vertical group focuses on wastes from the major electrical power production technologies.
The scope of the study takes in:
The NEA, the IAEA and the European Commission have published several comprehensive studies on all aspects of radioactive waste disposal. The OECD Environment Directorate has published studies on toxic waste management and disposal. The project is carried out in co-operation with the RWMC and the OECD Environment Directorate. The IAEA and the EC have been invited to participate in the work of the ad hoc Expert Group.
Expert group member page (requires password)
Last updated: 23 July 2008