Expert Discusses Nuclear Waste Dangers and Disposal Options

Blog by Deep Isolation Staff, June 10, 2020

Expert Discusses Nuclear Waste Dangers and Disposal Options

We’re proud to present the debut episode of Nuclear Waste: The Whole Story, an interview with Dr. Arjun Makhijani, an electrical and nuclear engineer with decades of experience in the nuclear waste field. 

We hope this series will help demystify some of the issues surrounding nuclear waste because we know it’s not something everyone understands or is comfortable discussing. Nevertheless, we have a social responsibility to foster a dialogue that touches upon all sides of the story.  

In this episode, “Nuclear Waste Disposal Difficulties Plague the Industry,” Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and Deep Isolation Advisor David Hoffman talks to Makhijani, President of Science Matters, LLC, to frame the problem and explore solutions.

Arjun Makhijani a Widely Respected Expert

We chose to lead off the series with Makhijani’s interview because of his extensive knowledge and because he speaks so candidly about why one should care about permanently disposing of nuclear waste.

Nuclear waste expert Arjun Makhijani.
Dr. Arjun Makhijani

In fact, Deep Isolation commissioned an in-depth report from Makhijani that culminated in a more than 130-page analysis of the history of U.S. nuclear waste disposal that explores even the most far-fetched options for disposing of spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste.

While Makhijani doesn’t believe there’s a completely “safe” solution for permanently containing nuclear waste, he agrees with the general scientific consensus that the best option is deep geologic disposal.

“Decades of analysis, review, research, and real-world events have shown that deep geologic disposal poses risks that are orders of magnitude smaller than any other approach for long-term spent-fuel management,” he wrote in his paper.

You can listen to this interview and others on our website or subscribe to the series on your favorite player. Watch the videos on our YouTube playlist.

The opinions of the subjects interviewed do not represent Deep Isolation’s position on the matters discussed. Have a suggestion for someone we should interview? Email us at podcast@deepisolation.com. Learn more at deepisolation.com/nuclear-waste-podcast.

Exchange Monitor, June 5, 2020

Deep Isolation Eyes EMEA

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By John Stang California-based radioactive waste disposal company Deep Isolation is increasing its focus on business opportunities in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. On Tuesday, executives conducted a webinar to introduce their company to potential clients…

Titans for Nuclear, June 02, 2020

Titans for Nuclear

This video interview was film at an earlier date: CEO Elizabeth Muller is a guest on the Titans for nuclear podcast with Jadwiga Najder.

Nuclear Engineering International, June, 2020

Safety In Depth

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the long-term safety of nuclear waste disposal in a generic horizontal drillhole repository is evaluated using numerical simulations, Hydrogeologist Stefan Finsterle explains the results.

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Efforts to explore whether it is feasible to permanently dispose of high-level nuclear waste in deep horizontal boreholes under next-generation nuclear reactor sites got a boost in late April as nuclear waste technology rm Deep Isolation signed its first contract with industry.

Spent Fuel, May 29, 2020

Deep Isolation schedules two webinars

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This Article is behind a pay wall: Deep Isolation announced this week that it will host two webinars to discuss the company’s solution for storing or disposing of nuclear waste in deep horizontal drillholes. These sessions will also cover the content of the company’s latest white paper, which provides a cost-benefit analysis that compares drillholes to larger, mined repositories. The paper evaluates safety, costs, and time of implementation (SF No 1311, May 15, 2020). Deep Isolation noted that these webinars will be well suited for policy and decision makers around the world who are seeking to explore nuclear waste solutions who are not yet familiar with the company.
The webinar will be offered June 2 and June 16, 2020. Interested parties can register for a preferred date on the at Deep Isolation website.

“Without listening and respect there can be no solution.” — Elizabeth Muller, Deep Isolation CEO

At Deep Isolation we believe that listening is one of the most important elements of creating a successful nuclear waste disposal program. A core company value is to seek out and listen to different perspectives on the matters of nuclear waste and safe disposal solutions.  

What better way is there to listen than to collect as much wisdom as possible into one place? That is why we created a new podcast and vlog series, Nuclear Waste: The Whole Story. This series features interviews with experts and stakeholders who’ve been intimately involved in many aspects of the nuclear waste management world, representing decades of experience that has given them invaluable insights. We intentionally are choosing interview subjects who may have vastly differing opinions from one another and from us.

This issue really does affect us all.  In the U.S., approximately 1-in-3 Americans live within 50 miles of a nuclear waste storage facility.  Across the globe, roughly 490,000 metric tons of accumulated waste sit waiting for disposal. Such storage facilities were never meant to be a permanent resting place for high-level spent nuclear fuel. While solutions have been pursued for decades, to date one has yet to be operationalized.

Nuclear Waste: The Whole Story Logo

The reasons for this are complex and should be explored because this problem impacts our lives — all of us on this planet now and future generations. I feel it’s important to understand the challenges we all face when it comes to storing and disposing of this radioactive waste, but I also know it’s not an easy topic to talk about. Our goal is to piece together some relevant and sometimes opposing perspectives to bring you a more informed sense of Nuclear Waste: The Whole Story.

Episodes At-a-Glance

“Nuclear Waste Disposal Difficulties Plague the Industry.” Arjun Makhijani, an electrical and nuclear engineer and President of Science Matters LLC, speaks colorfully and candidly about the weaknesses of various nuclear waste disposal and storage methods.

“Disposal Impasse Impacts the Future of Next Generation Reactors.” Rod McCullum,  Senior Director, Used Fuel and Decommissioning, Nuclear Energy Institute, offers an insider’s perspective on commercial nuclear waste disposal and explains why any failure to solve this problem could threaten the development of the next generation of nuclear energy reactors.

“Community Consent is Key to Waste Disposal.” Thomas Webler is a research fellow at the Social and Environmental Research Institute and an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Keene State College. He explains the importance of the concept of community consensus when it comes to issues such as nuclear waste disposal.

“Temporary Waste Storage Costs Keep Rising.” (Coming in July) James Taylor, General Manager of Bechtel’s Environmental Division of the Nuclear, Security, Environmental Global Business Unit, discusses the immense costs of temporary nuclear waste storage.

There are many ways to watch or listen to these interviews: Watch or listen to the first three episodes now on our website or subscribe to the audio on your favorite player through Apple, Spotify, or Google. Or just subscribe to our YouTube channel, where there is a playlist with all of the episodes.

An important note: While, yes, Deep Isolation is producing this series, any opinions expressed by either the interviewers or their subjects do not represent our official position.

In fact, we’d love to hear from you! Who do you think we should interview next? What questions about nuclear waste would you like answered? Let us know by sending an email to podcast@deepisolation.com.

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This article is behind a pay-wall: Muller pointed out that this work is part of a long process of validation for their technology to safely and permanently dispose of spent nuclear fuel. This report, which was extensively reviewed both internally and externally, is a significant milestone for the company, as it will serve to inform what will be needed to undertake site-specific analyses in the future to support a license application.

London, United Kingdom — Deep Isolation, a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal, is expanding to better serve the more than 30 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) that are seeking a safe and cost-effective nuclear waste solution.

The company, which has added to its EMEA team in London, just published a white paper for policymakers new to Deep Isolation to explain its nuclear waste disposal solution using deep horizontal boreholes.

“We have received great interest from both governmental and independent public bodies in the EMEA nuclear waste disposal market,” says Deep Isolation CEO, Elizabeth Muller. “I welcome their commitment to exploring the benefits of alternative options for nuclear waste storage and disposal, and I see this expanded presence as a way to learn about their needs so we can better meet them.”

To help inform EMEA nations about alternative disposal methods, the new white paper offers a benefits analysis comparing boreholes to large mined facilities, which are significantly more expensive and can take nearly a decade to complete. The paper explains how governments and scientists worldwide acknowledge that deep geological disposal is preferable because it is safer and more sustainable for the long-term.  

A Deep Isolation analysis of repositories planned by four governments – Canada, Sweden, the UK and the US – found that they would cost USD 172 billion (EUR 155 billion) in total in in 2020 prices, with construction taking about a decade. 

Deep Isolation’s research suggests that if all EMEA countries with nuclear waste built mined repositories at similar costs to the four countries studied, it would cost taxpayers USD 241 billion (EUR 217 billion). To avoid this, governments are instead paying for temporary storage, which is often in above-ground or near-surface facilities that then end up being used beyond their original planned lifespan. 

The alternative, deep horizontal boreholes, can be deployed in less than a year and provide the benefits of deep geological disposal for a fraction of the cost of a mined repository. Waste cannisters are placed under a billion tons of rock, safely isolated from the biosphere. If storage is the objective, the cannisters can be retrieved for several decades.  

“Our expanded EMEA headquarters allows us to more quickly deliver a safe and cost-effective solution for nuclear waste disposal and storage, says Bill Edwards, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Joint Managing Director, EMEA.

Edwards explains that the research published today looks at a typical scenario: A country with a small inventory of commercial spent fuel stored at two decommissioned nuclear reactors on a site with a shale-like sedimentary rock geology.

“We can deliver a savings of 70 percent compared to traditional means of geological disposal, and we can do it in a fraction of the time,” Edwards says.

Having raised more than USD 14 million, Deep Isolation has gained traction in the industry through the release of its Safety Calculations Report; a public borehole demonstration in Texas in early 2019; collaboration with partners and technical advisors including industry leaders such as Bechtel National, Schlumberger and NAC International; the publication of three technical papers; and receipt of a half dozen Letters of Intent from future customers.

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About Deep Isolation 
Deep Isolation is a leading innovator in nuclear waste storage and disposal. Founded upon values of environmental stewardship, scientific ingenuity, and social license, Deep Isolation offers a solution that leverages directional drilling technology to safely isolate nuclear waste deep underground.

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