Improving the scientific basis for managing DOE's excess nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuel / Committee on Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel through the Environmental Management Science Program, Board on Radioactive Waste Management, Division on Earth and Life Studies, National Research Council of the National Academies.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

National Research Council (U.S.). Committee on Improving the Scientific Basis for Managing Nuclear Materials and Spent Nuclear Fuel through the Environmental Management Science Program.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. Department of Energy.

United States.

Radioactive waste disposal--United States.

Radioactive waste disposal.

Spent reactor fuels--United States.

Spent reactor fuels.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (124 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Managing DOE's excess nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuel

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : National Academies Press, c2003.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The production of nuclear materials for the national defense was an intense, nationwide effort that began with the Manhattan Project and continued throughout the Cold War. Now many of these product materials, by-products, and precursors, such as irradiated nuclear fuels and targets, have been declared as excess by the Department of Energy (DOE). Most of this excess inventory has been, or will be, turned over to DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM), which is responsible for cleaning up the former production sites. Recognizing the scientific and technical challenges facing EM, Congress in 1995 established the EM Science Program (EMSP) to develop and fund directed, long-term research that could substantially enhance the knowledge base available for new cleanup technologies and decision making. The EMSP has previously asked the National Academies' National Research Council for advice for developing research agendas in subsurface contamination, facility deactivation and decommissioning, high-level waste, and mixed and transuranic waste. For this study the committee was tasked to provide recommendations for a research agenda to improve the scientific basis for DOE's management of its high-cost, high-volume, or high-risk excess nuclear materials and spent nuclear fuels. To address its task, the committee focused its attention on DOE's excess plutonium-239, spent nuclear fuels, cesium-137 and strontium-90 capsules, depleted uranium, and higher actinide isotopes.

Contents:

Front Matter

Preface

List of Report Reviewers

Contents

Executive Summary

1 Introduction, Background, and Task

2 The Challenges of Managing DOE's Excess Nuclear Materials

3 Plutonium-239

4 Spent DOE Nuclear Fuel

5 Cesium-137 and Strontium-90 Capsules

6 Depleted Uranium

7 The Higher Actinides

8 Conclusions

References

Appendix A Nuclear Materials Production in the DOE Complex

Appendix B Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

Appendix C Presentations to the Committee

Appendix D List of Acronyms.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-93).

ISBN:

9786610180172

9780309168090

0309168090

9781280180170

128018017X

9780309513234

0309513235

OCLC:

56118398