Radioactive waste will continue to be generated for as long as nuclear technologies, including nuclear reactors, are employed. Large amounts of spent nuclear fuel have been reprocessed during the past 80 years in various countries, and various other forms of radioactive waste have been generated and stored in tank farms and other engineered storage facilities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations classify radioactive wastes into six categories according to the specific radionuclides and their concentration present in the waste—with categories requiring more stringent management being those that pose the greatest risk to humanity and the environment (International Atomic Energy Agency 2009). Specific delineation of these categories is up to the individual IAEA member countries.
This article was written by Daniel Gregg, John McCloy, John Vienna, Allison Macfarlane, William Weber, Gregory Lumpkin, and originally published by The Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists.
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