Re: Yucca Mountain

[bflood@SLAC.Stanford.EDU (Bob Flood)]

>QUESTION: Is a time span of 10,000 years realistic?  Why should it be 
>designed to last for such a long and unforeseeable time period?


I've heard it said, but I have never tried to verify by my own calculations,
that a standard mix of spent fuel (mixed fission products) will decay to
about the same total activity per unit volume as the original uranium ore in
about 300 years. Has anyone done this calculation? If this is true, wouldn't
it be reasonable to require protection only until the radioactivity levels
are no worse than when they started?

Bob Flood
Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are mine alone.
(415) 926-3793
bflood@slac.stanford.edu