Disposal of Radioactive Waste in Sweden, West Germany and France

摘要

Representatives from Humberside, Lincolnshire and Bedford County Councils have visited radioactive waste disposal sites in Sweden (Forsmak), West Germany (Konrad) and France (Centre de la Manche). The British regions are those in which there are sites which NIREX (Nuclear Industry Radioactive Waste Executive) have been investigating with a view to disposing of low and intermediate level radioactive waste. The sites, methods of disposal, cost and radiation levels are detailed for the three countries visited and compared with the NIREX proposals for shallow trench disposal for wastes at low and intermediate levels. The general findings were that the three countries visited are more advanced in the development of policies and practices for radioactive waste disposal with better technical alternatives to the NIREX proposals. Secondly, that the overall cost may be greater than for a shallow repository but would still be less than 1% of the nuclear electricity generation cost. Thirdly, the need to gain and sustain public acceptance for what was being done was more clearly understood and acted on than in the UK. (ERA citation 13:024156)