Ocean networks canada is an oceanographic research and monitoring arm of the university of victoria. A partnership between canada s nuclear waste management organisation and ocean networks canada has carried out its first six month underwater experiment to better understand the behaviour of elements of the engineered barrier system it plans to use in a deep geological repository. These casks are designed for.
When cool enough that it no longer needs to be stored underwater typically for 2 to 5 years after removal from the reactor used fuel is transferred and stored in dry casks which are large steel reinforced concrete containers. Nuclear waste or used nuclear fuel is much different from what you might think. Similar increasing level of radionuclide also founded on north east pacific ocean and north west pacific atlantic ocean dump sites.
This research was done by a joint expedition of russia and norwegia from 1992 to 1994. The nuclear waste on the arctic ocean in particular showed signs of elevated level of radionuclide. Deep geological disposal is widely agreed to be the best solution for final disposal of the most radioactive waste produced.
Storage of used fuel is normally under water for at least five years and then often in dry storage. Disposal of low level waste is straightforward and can be undertaken safely almost anywhere. It is designed for military nuclear waste rather than civilian but many of the challenges are related.
The us does have an operational nuclear waste repository in a massive salt formation in new mexico at a site called the waste isolation pilot plant. Yucca mountain nuclear waste repository under construction photo by the nrc. Since 1993 ocean disposal has been banned by international treaties.
From 1946 through 1993 thirteen countries used ocean disposal or ocean dumping as a method to dispose of nuclear radioactive waste the waste materials included both liquids and solids housed in various containers as well as reactor vessels with and without spent or damaged nuclear fuel.
