The fate of the spent nuclear fuel

What is spent nuclear fuel? On the one hand, it is more than 90% of materials suitable for use in industry, and hence is a valuable raw material for production of renewable fuel components and key isotopes. On the other - it contains, albeit in small amounts of potentially hazardous, radioactive substances, which appeared as a result of irradiation in the reactor plant and do not have at the present level of technology sufficient (RW). It is because of this duality of the product and the corresponding contradictory approaches to it (raw-waste), do not stop heated debate among experts - nuclear scientists, ecologists, economists, about the correctness of the choice of a particular method of spent nuclear fuel. It should be emphasized that the problem of disposal of spent nuclear fuel costs for all countries operating a nuclear power facilities. The accumulation of spent nuclear fuel occurs in a variety of geographic regions, decentralized, according to various standards, which represents a potential threat to global security and hardly meets the objectives of nuclear non-proliferation. Because of the spent fuel can be separated plutonium suitable for nuclear explosive device, as well as spent nuclear fuel can be used to create the very radiological "dirty" bomb, in the terminology of the Director General of IAEA, Mr. ElBaradei, formed from a combination of conventional explosives and radioactive source, then there is a political aspect to this problem.          The difference with respect to the spent fuel as a commodity leads to a variation of approaches. Alternative processing of spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plants is a closed fuel cycle. The main argument in favor of recycling is re-engaging in a cycle of raw materials: a sharp increase in the efficiency of using natural uranium and involvement in the fuel cycle of a new energy source - plutonium. Recycling of spent nuclear fuel on an industrial scale is carried out in the UK, France and Russia. Small-power plants operate in Japan and India. Direct disposal of spent nuclear fuel option without reprocessing is an open fuel cycle. Direct disposal of spent nuclear fuel, in practice, has not yet implemented. In countries that have chosen the concept of direct disposal, is actively searching for places to build tombs, constructed or developed "pilot" setting. The leaders in this area are the U.S., Sweden and Finland. Besides the fact that not every country has a suitable geological formations, this work is complicated by the local public opposition. In practice, most countries have implemented interim storage SFA delayed decision in favor of a concept of final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. In the intermediate storage has certain economic advantages, namely low cost manufacturing operation of storage, a small amount of investment in the construction of storage facilities, the rapid development of facilities, preservation of jobs and their own financial resources. Moreover, this approach allows the future to make informed and optimal choices depending on the level of development of science and technology. It must be admitted - quite a reasonable concept, if not eliminate the problem completely. However, speaking about keeping a "delayed decision" should consider how that choice relates to the most advanced approaches in other areas. Let's say in the development of marketing strategies is now the most popular concept of socio-ethical marketing. In the early stages of development, marketing, the main goal is profit. Later, marketers are raised to the rank of the main priority of customer satisfaction.

The concept of social-ethical marketing generated doubts regarding the compatibility of the concept of net marketing our time with it environmental degradation, natural resource scarcity, rapid population growth, global inflation and the running state of social services. She argues that the challenge for any organization today is to not only provide the desired satisfaction more efficient and more productive than their competitors in ways, but while maintaining or strengthening the welfare of consumers and society as a whole. Does the welfare of society is strengthened by the accumulation of spent fuel?