How will we manage the waste from reactor decommissioning?

Abstract

This paper aims to give a brief overview of the issues surrounding the radioactive waste management aspects of reactor decommissioning, concentrating on those aspects which are relevant to the UK's fleet of Magnox reactors. It outlines the UK's reactor decommissioning strategy and describes how the radioactive waste inventory of a decommissioned site, knowledge of which is critical for strategy development, is determined. The routes by which the waste can be disposed of are then reviewed together with current experience of decommissioning waste management on a commercial nuclear power station. Finally, the major challenges in managing radioactive waste from the eventual dismantling of reactors are discussed.