fukushima nuke crisis - chernobyl on steroids, page-56

Seems almost everyone has an opinion on uranium and nuclear power since the terrible incident in Japan recently?

One fact that concerns me immensly is this;

According to the World Nuclear Association (WNA) there are presently 440 commercial nuclear power reactors operating in 30 countries capable of producing a total capacity of 377,000 MWe. Sounds rather mundane but impressive at the same time doesn't it?

Well here's the scary reality;

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency a typical 1000MWe nuclear power station (sufficient to provide power for a city the size of Amsterdam) produces the following radioactive waste;

300 cubic metres of Low & Intermediate Level Waste (LILW) AND 30 Tonnes of High Level Waste (HLW). (Refer to the IAEA website for more in depth descriptions of the various levels of waste and their management!).

Now extrapolating on the figures we have 300 x 377 = 113,100 cubic metres of (LILW) AND 30 x 377 = 11,310 Tonnes of (HLW) EACH YEAR!

On top of this, according the WNA, a further 60 nuclear power reactors are under construction and this equates to a further incrase of 17% of existing capacity! A further 19,277 cubic metres of (LILW) AND 1,922 Tonnes of (HLW).

The WNA also informs us that a further 150 are 'firmly' planned and this equates to a further 46% of existing capacity! A further 52,026 cubic metres of (LILW) AND 5,202 Tonnes of (HLW).

Bottom line IMO is that nuclear power stations alone are producing an enormous volume of radioactive waste, waste that must be managed for tens and in many cases hundreds of years to come. Who's going to take responsibility for management of this poison?

Hope this urges some to at least reconsider their thoughts/position on this delicate issue.

WC8

Here's a link to a good article on the WCA website for those interested.

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf01.html