Re: Frontline program

[JMUCKERHEIDE@delphi.com]

Hi Mike,

> The discussion of the French approach to nuclear waste, redefining it as an
> ongoing research lab instead of a graveyard, was interesting. Would this be
> a helpful approach in the US?

You're right. It would. We recommended that as the Utility Waste Management
Group, and others, in the mid-late 70's, though more incremental. It's an
obviously better solution in the context of the technical, policy and politics 
of the time. As stated at the time: a solution that essentially depends on
demonstrating a repository to justify a repository won't work. 

Incremental open public decisions, and storage/monitoring/retrievability, with 
a substantial research component, was the right choice. 

After TMI diverted attention, and the naive reaction of the industry to
Reagan's election, EEI and others thoughtlessly supported "permanent"
solutions that only take "political will", supporting bright "decisions" like
"build WIPP" rather than work on the necessary substantial technical and
institutional solutions (do you think they can drag out the WIPP cash flow to
20 years? :-)  

Plus of course any "solution" to bury fuel as waste starts as... questionable
:-) 

Today, the choice is dry casks, primarily at reactor sites, DOE pays (takes
title?), utilities apply competent management to implement projects/control
costs (DOE won't - either take the fuel or control costs - it's grotesquely
irresponsible to give DOE any more $$, like giving a total drunk lunch money
:-)  DOE could then try to put dry casks at any of hundreds of surplus
well-characterized, strong foundations, facilities, on a regional basis, if it 
can show that it can do it cheaper than the utility storage. 

Sending fuel to Yucca Mountain is just a lightning rod for the anti's, to make 
states and local anti's rabid against this "risk" for the next decade.
Responsible utilities can much more easily explain real facilities and lack of 
risks to their own state and local officials than to other states, or have DOE 
do it, where it's now busy promulgating public fear by sending money to states 
to develop "waste transportation plans" 

> "Shlala gashle" (Zulu greeting, meaning "Stay safe")
> mike (mcnaught@LANL.GOV)

Thanks.

Regards, Jim Muckerheide
jmuckerheide@delphi.com
Radiation, Science, and Health, Inc.