Articles tagged with "nuclear-waste"
US: Hanford facility starts solidifying nuclear waste into glass
The Hanford Site in Washington state has commenced operations to vitrify nuclear waste at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP), marking a significant milestone in addressing the environmental hazards posed by legacy tank waste. Bechtel, which designed, built, and commissioned the WTP for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), began feeding radioactive waste and glass-forming materials into large melters where the mixture is heated above 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This process transforms the waste into stable glass logs, which are then poured into stainless-steel containers for safe, long-term disposal. The vitrification technique is seen as a critical step in protecting the Columbia River, local communities, and future generations from contamination. The WTP is the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment facility and is expected to process about 5,300 gallons of tank waste daily. The project reflects decades of collaboration among the DOE, state authorities, labor partners, and scientific experts. Despite recent leadership changes within the DOE that
energynuclear-wastevitrificationglass-forming-materialswaste-treatmentenvironmental-protectionDepartment-of-EnergyUS to turn nuclear waste into glass at polluted Hanford site
The Hanford Nuclear Reservation in southeastern Washington, historically a major site for plutonium production, is advancing a critical phase in its long-term cleanup by beginning to convert liquid nuclear and chemical waste into stable glass through vitrification. This process involves extracting waste from aging, leaking underground tanks, mixing it with additives, and heating it to over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit to form solid glass, which is far less likely to contaminate soil or the nearby Columbia River. State regulators recently approved the final permit for this method, marking a significant milestone after decades of environmental and safety challenges at the 600-square-mile site. Hanford’s cleanup addresses the legacy of 177 underground tanks holding 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous waste, many of which have exceeded their intended lifespan and have leaked, threatening groundwater and the Columbia River. The site’s contamination history includes pollution from operational discharges and ineffective containment. With over $30 billion invested and an annual cleanup budget of about $3 billion, vitrification is recognized
energynuclear-wastevitrificationenvironmental-cleanupradioactive-waste-managementDepartment-of-EnergyHanford-siteSmall Modular Reactors and the Big Questions of Cost & Waste - CleanTechnica
The article from CleanTechnica critically examines the claims surrounding Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as a transformative technology for nuclear energy and decarbonization. While SMRs are promoted as cheaper, safer, faster to build, and easier to finance than traditional large reactors, a recent study published in Progress in Nuclear Energy challenges these assertions. Authored by experts Philseo Kim and Allison Macfarlane, the study analyzes both economic and waste management aspects of SMRs. It finds significant uncertainties and structural challenges, particularly highlighting that SMRs may have higher levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) than anticipated, often exceeding $100 per MWh, due largely to the loss of economies of scale inherent in smaller reactors. Real-world projects, such as NuScale’s canceled flagship plant, underscore these cost overruns. On the waste front, the study reveals even more concerning issues. SMRs could produce two to thirty times more spent fuel per unit of energy compared to conventional reactors, with smaller
energynuclear-energysmall-modular-reactorsSMRsnuclear-wastedecarbonizationenergy-policyAustralia is not prepared for AUKUS submarine's nuclear waste
The article highlights growing concerns about Australia's preparedness to manage nuclear waste from its planned fleet of nuclear-powered submarines under the AUKUS agreement. Australia is set to acquire about eight submarines fueled by highly-enriched uranium, which is considered military-grade and can theoretically be used for nuclear weapons. The nuclear waste generated will include intermediate-level radioactive waste (reactor compartments roughly the size of a four-wheel drive) and high-level waste (spent fuel roughly the size of a small hatchback), with the latter remaining dangerously radioactive for hundreds of thousands of years. Under the treaty, Australia is solely responsible for the storage, security, and disposal of this waste and is prohibited from exporting it. Critics emphasize that Australia currently lacks a clear plan, designated site, or cost estimates for handling this nuclear waste. The political challenge is compounded by the mismatch between the long-term environmental risks—spanning millennia—and short political cycles of 4-5 years, raising fears that the issue will be deferred to future generations
energynuclear-wastenuclear-powered-submarinesAUKUSradioactive-waste-managementnuclear-fuelenvironmental-safetyRadioactive wasp nest found at old US nuclear bomb-making site
Workers at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, a former Cold War nuclear bomb production facility, discovered a radioactive wasp nest on July 7, 2025. The nest exhibited radioactivity levels exceeding federal regulatory limits by more than tenfold, measuring about 100,000 disintegrations per minute per 100 square centimeters of beta/gamma radiation. The contamination is attributed to residual radioactive material from the site's historical operations rather than any active leak or loss of contamination control. After discovery, the nest was treated with insecticide, removed, and bagged as radioactive waste, with no radioactive contamination detected in the surrounding soil or environment. The Savannah River Site, operational since the early 1950s, produced plutonium and tritium for nuclear weapons during the Cold War and has since transitioned to environmental cleanup and nuclear material management. The wasp nest was found near underground waste tanks that store approximately 34 million gallons of liquid nuclear waste. Officials emphasized that the wasps
energyradioactive-contaminationnuclear-wasteSavannah-River-Sitenuclear-bomb-productionenvironmental-cleanupnuclear-materials-managementFrance’s uranium waste sparks crisis at Armenia-Azerbaijan flashpoint
The article reports on a controversy involving France’s state-owned nuclear company Orano, which is accused of transferring uranium-containing radioactive waste to Armenia near the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. The waste shipments began in June 2025 and were deposited in Dilijan National Park, a protected area in the Armenian highlands that lies within a seismic zone and is close to the headwaters of rivers flowing into Azerbaijan. Environmental groups, particularly the Environmental Protection First (EPF) Coalition, have condemned the move as an “ecological war against Azerbaijan,” warning that any leakage could severely impact public health, biodiversity, and water security in the downstream Azerbaijani districts. The radioactive waste reportedly originated from Orano’s previous storage partner in Siberia, but geopolitical tensions and sanctions cut access to Russian facilities, prompting France to seek new disposal options. The deal with Armenia allegedly followed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s visit to Paris in early 2025, accompanied by controversial financial donations to a foundation led by
energynuclear-wasteradioactive-materialsenvironmental-impacturaniumwaste-managementnuclear-energyToxic Waste Stored In An Abandoned Mine In France Highlights A Global Problem - CleanTechnica
The article discusses the long-term environmental risks posed by toxic waste stored in the abandoned Stocamine potash mine near Wittlesheim in the Alsace region of France. Historically, the mine was a major employer until its closure in the early 1990s. In 1997, the mine’s extensive underground vaults were repurposed as a temporary storage site for industrial toxic waste, including heavy metals like mercury and arsenic, as well as cyanide. This decision was initially presented as a safe, environmentally friendly solution and a way to provide jobs for unemployed miners. However, the promised technological advances to treat or recycle the waste never materialized, leaving the hazardous materials stored indefinitely underground. The situation is particularly concerning because the mine lies beneath the Alsace aquifer, which feeds into the Upper Rhine aquifer supplying drinking water to millions across France, Switzerland, and Germany. The geological instability of abandoned mines, exacerbated by land subsidence and climate change effects such as soil drying and shrinking
energytoxic-waste-managementenvironmental-impactminingunderground-storagenuclear-wastesustainabilityUS to shrink nuclear waste with compact particle accelerator tech
energynuclear-wasteparticle-acceleratorsuperconducting-materialswaste-transmutationArgonne-National-LaboratoryFermilabUS liquid lead project to cut nuclear waste by 28 times in 30 years
energynuclear-wastetransmutationradioactive-materialsfission-technologyArgonne-National-LaboratoryDOEFinland Could Be the First Country in the World to Bury Nuclear Waste Permanently
nuclear-wasteFinlandpermanent-disposalnuclear-powerspent-fuelenergy-policyenvironmental-sustainability