Abstract
This paper takes a look at a proposal to store nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain in Nevada. It examines the supposed advantages of such a proposal as well as its disadvantages and points out that, while the residents of Nevada may benefit economically from an arrangement with the federal government to bury nuclear waste in their state, the benefits would be negligible, especially in comparison to the potential health risks that such a proposal poses.

From the Paper
"The power of nuclear reactions was demonstrated in the most conclusive and drastic way possible in 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan. But nuclear reactions can be harnessed for peaceful, no-military uses, as well. Namely, nuclear power can be used as a source of energy. One side effect of energy generation by nuclear fission is that waste is produced and this waste is itself radioactive. The storage of the radioactive waste is, therefore, a problem, and one, in fact, with both scientific and political aspects. One state which has been repeatedly mentioned as a place within which radioactive waste could be stored is Nevada. Storing nuclear waste in Nevada has both positive and negative aspects for the state's population. Although Nevada would receive many benefits from storing nuclear waste, in actuality it poses many possible threats to the people living there."

Tags:research, reactions, facilities, fissible, materials, fuel, electricity, generated, weapons

Abstract
This paper examines the problem of nuclear wastes and how it presents a particular dilemma on various fronts including health and security issues. Nuclear energy and technology has become an endemic part of modern society. The paper points out that concomitant with the significant advances in the production of nuclear energy as well as its application to the areas of medicine and defense has been the escalation of the problems of nuclear waste disposal.
Includes several graphs and tables and diagrams.
1. Introduction
2. Classification of Types of Nuclear Waste
3. Sources of Nuclear Waste
3.2. Storage of Low Level Waste
3.3 Long-Term Storage of High Level Waste
3.4. The Storage of Plutonium
3.5. Transmutation
4. Conclusion

From the Paper
"This debate emphasizes the dilemma and the importance of finding a permanent and less environmentally hazardous solution to the problems of nuclear waster. All of the methods discussed above provide some solutions to the problems - but they do not as yet present a permanent and fully acceptable means of waste disposal and many of the methods have significant drawbacks and are often manpower intensive and open to the vicissitudes of human error. The answer to what to do with nuclear waste has not yet been adequately answered."

Tags:disposal, energy

From the Paper
"Although the nuclear waste storage problem has not yet reached crisis proportions, it is a chronic, complex issue that defies societal consensus, even within the scientific community. Each category of nuclear waste--high-level, low-level, and transuranic (TRU)--presents unique challenges for containment. All are potentially dangerous; at issue is the selection of the best options for long-term storage.

High-level nuclear waste is comprised of spent fuel from private sector and military reactors, as well as the liquids remaining from fuel processed for atomic weaponry. Used reactor fuel is considered intensely hot and irradiated. High-level nuclear wastes have long half-lives and are considered permanent hazards. (Half-life describes the amount of time required for 50 percent of a reactor fuel's original radioactivity to decay.)"

Tags:energy

From the Paper
"NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL
Introduction
This research considers the issue of nuclear waste disposal in the United States. The nuclear waste present in the United States is a combination of spent fuel rods from commercial nuclear power generators, high-level liquid radioactive waste from government-owned nuclear reactors uses in the production of nuclear weapons, and miscellaneous low-level nuclear wastes.
While the way in which nuclear waste should be disposed is a volatile issue, one issue that has not been adequately considered is the separation of the spent fuel rods from the commercial reactors from the high-level weapons production-related nuclear waste with respect to disposal of the materials. Currently, policy calls for all nuclear waste to be placed in long-term storage at..."

Abstract
This paper looks at how Yucca Mountain, located in Nye County Nevada, is the result of The Nuclear Waste Policy Act that tasked the U.S. Department of Energy with finding, building, operating, and maintaining an underground facility for the storage of nuclear waste that has been piling up since the 1940s. The paper discusses how the geological makeup that makes Yucca Mountain desirable is ignimbrite created by several eruptions of a now extinct volcano and how the ignimbrite (tuff) has special characteristics that scientists believe will contain the radioactive material for hundreds of thousands of years. TSpecifically, the paper makes the argument that the United States Government should continue to research, develop, and eventually use the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Storage Facility because doing so could increase economy for the state which would include more funding for school, roads, and emergency services.

From the Paper
"The second major argument made for the stop of the storage facility is that the site won't actually maintain the radioactive material. The facility is located 1000 feet below ground and 1000 feet above the water table and the waste will be stored in several layers of stainless steel and nickel alloy material that will act as a container and as a rock shield should a major earthquake occur that would collapse the stone tunnel. Even if the containers should be damaged or break down, tests show that by the time the radioactive material reached the water table it would be inert. Although Nevada is ranked the third highest state in seismic activity there is no evidence that continental plates meet in the area. The risk of volcanic activity has also been pushed as a reason to shut down the site since the area was formed by volcanic activity but science shows that last minor eruption in the area occurred over eighty thousand years ago and the last large eruption that formed most of the mountains in the region occurred over 12 million years ago. "

Tags:ignimbrite, radioactive, material

Abstract
The paper examines the benefit of reviving nuclear power plants. The writer discusses the many alternative options for generating electricity while reducing carbon dioxide emissions. The paper further discusses the potential threat of terrorist attacks and the current problem of nuclear waste storage and the lack of safety in nuclear power plants. The writer concludes that the focus should be put into pursuing other energy options that have fewer safety issues and fewer potential consequences.

From the Paper
"In contrast, storage of nuclear waste and the safety of nuclear power plants is a current problem that already exists for the power plants in operation. Grossman (p. 206) notes that current nuclear power plants were not designed for more than 40 years of use and are considered hazardous. Grossman (p. 207) also notes that the government is currently planning to store nuclear waste in the Yucca Mountains, an area that is near 32 earthquake fault lines and has a high likelihood of both earthquakes and volcanoes."

Tags:weapons, renewable, risk

Abstract
In order to make a judgement of the physics viability of nuclear power as an energy source for Australia, this paper explains how nuclear energy is produced, disposed of, sourced, and maintained in light of Australia's unique environment and population distribution. The paper discusses the efficiency of using nuclear energy as well as Australia's huge availability of uranium and its ample waste storage space. The paper concludes that nuclear energy is definitely a viable method of energy for Australia but recommends that stringent laws and regulations be made to enforce adequate training of nuclear staff to minimise the risk of disasters. The paper includes a diagram of how nuclear power is produced and a map of mining locations in Australia.

From the Paper
"Nuclear energy is generated by the fission of the uranium 235 isotope. U-235 is the ideal fuel for power generation because it is able to sustain a chain reaction and release energy. Uranium for fuelling nuclear generators is mined in Australia as low-grade ore. Only 0.3% of this ore is pure uranium, and after crushing, chemical treatment and concentration, only 0.7% of this residual is the required U-235 isotope. In order to ensure an induced chain reaction is sustainable, this nuclear fuel needs to be enriched (i.e. concentrated) so that the U-235 concentration is approximately 5%. (Rapkins, Rossiter, Walding, 1999)"

Tags:uranium, fission, enrichment, isotope, radioactivity, chain, reaction, atoms, neutrons

Abstract
This ten-page paper looks at the soviet unions response to the environmental issues of nuclear waste and armaments, coupled with the use of biological weapon burying such as anthrax spores. Also discussed is a comparison with the united States of America and areas of there waste productivity.