One of the categories of waste for deep geological disposal is ‘DNLEU’, which is depleted, natural and low-enriched Uranium.
The plan is for the DNLEU, deriving from civil fuel enrichment, re-processing and defence programmes, approximately 185,000 tonnes of it, to be ‘converted into a triuranium octaoxide (U3O8) powder, which would be mixed with a pulverised fuel ash / Ordinary Portland cement (PFA / OPC) encapsulant and repackaged into 500 litre drums for disposal.’
Unlike other waste groups, the radiological activity associated with the DNLEU increases with time…The activity of the DNLEU is dominated by that of the U238 and its daughters … after around one million years, it is the DNLEU, the long-lived radionuclides, that makes the largest contribution to the total activity.
photograph on the opening page is from the RWM website
‘the sea cannot be depleted’ is about the MOD dumping 31 tonnes of Depleted Uranium weapons in the Solway Estuary. The nomenclature of ‘depleted’ can have a belittling effect on how the hazards of this Uranium are perceived, and this runs through much of the literature supporting its use. Too, the quantities of DU disposed in the Solway are small relative to the thousands of tonnes of high- and intermediate-level wastes that are being considered for geological disposal. The sea deposits are of singular shells, more delicate to the corroding, dispersing effects of the sea than even a cement-filled barrel, reinforcing a perception that these small, repetitive, incremental deposits are below thresholds of dangerous quantities.
While not considering these views as sufficient reasons not to consider these dumpings as illegal, unethical and hazardous to life, the scale of radiological hazard to humans they represent does differ from the catastrophic.
But, as the proximity to nuclear waste is spread throughout the landscape, these questions at ‘scale’ are ones with which many humans live.
The firings may have stopped in 2013. The UK government published a revised Derived Inventory in 2014, not significantly different to that of 2013:
‘The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), through Radioactive Waste Management Limited (RWM) is responsible for implementing UK Government policy for long-term management of higher activity radioactive wastes. The UK Government’s framework for “Implementing Geological Disposal” is set out in the 2014 Implementing Geological Disposal White Paper and defines the inventory for disposal in a geological disposal facility (GDF) in terms of types of higher activity radioactive wastes (and nuclear material that could be declared as waste). In order to support the implementation of geological disposal RWM has developed a quantified description of this inventory called the ‘Derived Inventory’.’
(note: The Scottish Government policy is for wastes arising in Scotland to be handled in near-surface facilities, not deep geological burial.)
One of the categories of waste for disposal is ‘DNLEU’, which is depleted, natural and low-enriched Uranium, comprising all Uranium with the exception of highly enriched Uranium.
The plan is for the DNLEU, deriving from civil fuel enrichment, re-processing and defence programmes, approximately 185,000 tonnes of it, to be ‘converted into a triuranium octaoxide (U3O8) powder, which would be mixed with a pulverised fuel ash / Ordinary Portland cement (PFA / OPC) encapsulant and repackaged into 500 litre drums for disposal.’
Unlike other waste groups, the radiological activity associated with the DNLEU increases with time.
‘DNLEU is predominantly composed of U238. The activity of the DNLEU is dominated by that of the U238 and its daughters (Th234, half-life 24.1 days and Pa234m, half-life 1.17 minutes). Since the half-life of U238 is very long, the total activity associated with the DNLEU does not change significantly between 2040 and 2200. Instead, it remains relatively constant at 8,370 TBq … but after around one million years, it is the DNLEU, the long-lived radionuclides, that makes the largest contribution to the total activity. The DNLEU and HEU are the only waste groups for which the activity increases with time, and this is a result of the ingrowth of daughter radionuclides.’
I cannot find publicly available evidence that the DU in the weapons used by the MOD is similar to that accounted for the Derived Inventory, and recognise that there may be many qualifying and limiting factors to whether the DU as fired resembles the DU to be stored. Too, the quantities of the material, how and where it is fabricated and assembled, may affect its activity.
But the DU fired was made from DU wastes, and shares its composition. The government considers this waste to be so significant that it cannot be left above ground, and must be sealed in a deep geological burial site, not only for its properties as intermediate-level waste, but for its properties over inconceivable time.
What connects, or disconnects, the sanctioned military use, the dumping at sea and the geological storage of this material? Is there no inventory for cognitive dissonance?
In 1,000,000 years, what human institution will survey the facility? What seas will be shaping this island’s shores?
RWM is, in March and April 2018, conducting a ‘public consultation’, to find a willing community, one that will accept £1,000,000 per year, perhaps £2,500,000 per year, for having the waste buried underneath their land. It is likely that this willing community will be West Cumbria.
UK Government document: CONSULTATION: Working with Communities, Implementing Geological Disposal
From the invitation to submit a response to the Consultation:
‘Your response will be most useful if it is framed in direct response to the questions posed, though further comments and evidence are also welcome … When considering responses to this consultation, the Government will give greater weight to responses that are based on argument and evidence, rather than simple expressions of support or opposition.’
One of the films about geological waste repositories is Into Eternity by Michael Masden (2010) that follows the construction of the Onkalo waste repository at the Olkiluoto Nuclear Power Plant in Finland: on youtube and on gdfwatch.org.uk
GDF Watch is an organisation supporting geological waste disposal.
UK Government sites and documents:
UK Radioactive Waste Inventory
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
Radioactive Waste Management (formerly NIREX)
BEIS, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (a merger between the Department of Energy and Climate Change and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills created by Theresa May in 2016)
Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) for higher-activity radioactive waste
Government Policy on Radioactive and Nuclear Substances and Waste