Drilling deep under the US to dispose of nuclear waste

Quite reminiscent of the Groom Lake Hazardous Materials Lawsuit. We don't need anymore wasteful and polluting types of energy, CLEAN ENERGY NOW!!

Let's not take radioactive materials from the ground and put them back in to the ground?
I guess the difference, is the materials "before" were spread out and now they're "concentrated"?

Originally posted by TheBloodRed
Quite reminiscent of the Groom Lake Hazardous Materials Lawsuit. We don't need anymore wasteful and polluting types of energy, CLEAN ENERGY NOW!!

It has absolutely nothing to do with anything to do with groom lake. It's more reminiscent of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant that already disposes nuclear materials safely and effectively in the US (salt formations have been stable for 250 million years). Also I think you'll find geological disposal does not meet the definition of polluting simply because it is not being released into the environment. Also if you have something better than Nuclear I think the world would like to hear it.

[edit on 9/4/2010 by C0bzz]

Explanation: Thorium reactors that can burn up nuclear wastes would be a better option!

Thorium [wiki]

Personal Disclosure: Its the freaking 21st century and we are still burying junk??? WTFH???

PLEASE RECYCLE OK!!!

I agree it is something we may look back on and regret, but really, what are the alternatives. Beyond sending all nuclear waste into space, it seems like the least harmfull in the shortrun at least.

It seems like most of you think these guys are drilling a hole and dumping in a bunch of crap. How many of you actually know the amount of work that goes into getting the radioactive waste into the proper form to store in these vaults?

I wonder if you know of the vitrification process involved. Where the waste is enriched with sugar and calcined, turned into a glass that is non-reactive and resistant to water, then placed in a stainless steel cylinder and welded shut, cleaned, an then inspected for any outside contaminants, shipped to the site to be placed in the vaults, cleaned and inspected again, then placed in the vault which is usually in a mountain that is naturally lined with clay which makes about the best moisture barrier that one could hope for, then the site is monitored continuously for change in ambient radioactivity over many years.

I guess in other words, we throw the crap in a hole and cover it in with fill?!?