Re: High-level MRS (the acceptable political solution)?

["J. Andrew Tompkins" <jatalbq@mindspring.com>]

Jerry,
Seabed disposal has two major problems.  There is already an international
treaty in place that prevents seabed (Oceanic) disposal.  Secondly, people
in general fear disposal paths that "appear" to give up positive control of
hazardous material.  I agree seabed disposal did seem a very attractive
alternative, however I don't believe that alternative is still available.
Which bring us back to "We will still need a geologic repository"
(depository), and the sooner the better.  Until we can overcome the
political obstacles and get our geologic repository working, we do not have
closure on the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle.  The uncertainty in
repository start up is probably the greatest barrier to building additional
nuclear power plants.

Andy Tompkins
Woodstock, GA

jatalbq@mindspring.com

At 06:23 PM 11/24/99 -0600, you wrote:
>I can't agree that we will "need" geologic disposal. Actually, there is an
>alternative nuclear waste disposal method that would be far more economic
>and much more safe. That alternative is oceanic disposal [not subseabed
>disposal, but simply-- solidify the waste, take it out over a deep ocean
>trench (> 10 km depth), and  push it overboard]. Despite many attempts, we
>could find no credible scientific scenario where this method could result
>dire consequnses to either human health or to the environment. Perhaps
>someone else could identify such a scenario. You are certainly welcome to
>try, but it would likely be an excercise in futility. While oceanic disposal
>may be the best technological solution, it is probably the least acceptible
>politically.  Based on the history of nuclear waste policy to date,
>scientific considerations are unimportant  and  politics is overriding.
>Isn't that a shame?         jjcohen@prodigy.net
>
> 

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