Careful data-based explanations are essential for building confidence in the techniques that will be used.
The Nuclear Waste Management Organization of Japan (NUMO), which is responsible for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste, has compiled a "comprehensive technical report."
This report exhaustively explains and evaluates waste disposal techniques and their safety. This is the first such report written by NUMO. The government and operators of disposal facilities should effectively use this report as the nation seeks to select candidate locations for a final disposal site, a process that has had rough going.
Reprocessing spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants creates highly radioactive waste. The planned disposal method involves vitrifying this waste in glass, storing it in metal canisters and then burying it in geological strata at least 300 meters below ground.
It takes at least 10,000 years for the radioactivity of this waste to decline to a sufficient level. Many people feel anxious about whether the safety of this waste can be ensured over such a long period. NUMO was established in 2000. Its failure to compile a technical report until now has been an inadequate response for building widespread understanding of the waste issue.
It is significant that the organization can finally provide information about the current state of underground waste disposal techniques on its own responsibility.
The most closely watched aspect of this report was its detailed explanation regarding the safety of the overall project. The report analyzed the process from the selection of a suitable disposal site to the construction and operation of the facility to the waste's final disposal, and then examined risks that could emerge during a span of at least 100,000 years.
Based on an assessment of a wealth of technical information and the nation's geological conditions, the report concluded that the project was fully possible.
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The report also took into account the actual situation of Japan, which is affected by many natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
For example, the report studied an unexpected situation in which an unknown active fault rips the storage facility to pieces. The report estimated that should a situation occur, there is a risk of radioactivity leaking and exposure to 14 millisieverts of radiation per year above ground.
Given that this facility will operate over a very long period, it was appropriate that the report mentioned the likelihood of such a situation happening was extremely low. Based on this, it is necessary to rigorously select a suitable site and devise safety countermeasures for the disposal facility.
Some geology experts hold the view that "there is no place in Japan where high-level radioactive waste can be safely disposed of." This report, which is based on scientific data, should be useful even in specialist discussions.
Japan enacted the law on final disposal of designated radioactive waste in 2000. After gaining the approval of areas that responded to the appeal for applications, their geological features will be investigated and the candidate sites whittled down. Although some local governments offered to host such a facility, due to intensifying opposition movements, calm discussions could not be held as hoped.
NUMO came under criticism after revelations of a scandal in which students had attended explanatory meetings arranged by the organization only after being promised they would be paid for doing so.
Construction of a nuclear waste disposal facility has started in Finland, and Sweden and France also will build them. Japan cannot afford to delay the selection of a site for its own facility. NUMO's technical report should provide a foothold that helps this project move forward.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 22, 2018)
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