11.27. Chapter 10 was devoted to the management of fuel loaded into the core. We determined that the proper design of reload cores is essential for economical reactor operation. However, for every fuel assembly loaded into the core, one must be discharged and subsequently properly managed. Although discharged fuel no longer affects operation, its high radioactivity necessitates special provisions for temporary storage and shipping to a central facility. In many countries, the fuel assemblies are “reprocessed” to separate the fission products from useful fuel nuclides that can be re­cycled. However, in the United States, this option is not being pursued. Therefore, the assemblies must be stored either temporarily or permanently in a suitable facility. Since the assemblies are highly radioactive, they must be shipped in special shielded containers and if stored permanently, suitably packaged to preserve their integrity for thousands of years.

11.28. The technology of packaging discharged fuel so that it can safely be stored permanently has been satisfactorily developed. However, in the United States, political and legal issues have delayed the implementation of permanent repository arrangements. Unfortunately, the delay has led to some public misconception that the technical challenges have not been met. A related public perception problem has evolved as a result of un­satisfactory provisions made for storage of weapons program waste during World War II and for a decade thereafter. In the late 1980s, the need for cleanup at great expense became evident and received a great deal of publicity. Public confidence in the ability of the government to manage commercial reactor wastes safely was thereby diminished. A related com­plication has been the “NIMBY” (not in my backyard) syndrome. This refers to a general public unwillingness to accept the siting of many types of essential facilities, particularly those involving any form of waste, within their own geographical unit, which may be a city, county, or state.

11.29. An important consequence of the delays is the need to provide temporary storage of spent-fuel assemblies either at the reactor site or
elsewhere. Although there are technical solutions to permanent storage problems, the challenge is to implement them. Our objective is to con­centrate on the technical principles involved and to describe some of the options under consideration.