The U.S. DOE strategy for permanent disposal of commercial LWR, spent nuclear fuel

The present U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) policy for disposal of spent fuel from commercial light water reactors (LWRs) is based on direct disposal of unprocessed, Zircaloy-clad spent fuel rods within metallic canisters in a geologic repository. This strategy has serious technical flaws that may result in unacceptable long-term proliferation risks and radiological consequences. The proposed multi-purpose, canister-based system will result in an even greater commitment to this flawed strategy and should not be pursued seriously at the present time. Instead, efforts should be focussed on developing and evaluating alternative strategies that address in a responsible manner all of the issues regarding permanent disposal of LWR spent fuel. A promising alternative is based on the RAPD (Reactor/Accelerator Plutonium Destruction) system, which produces a final waste form that is highly resistant to proliferation and contained effectively by ceramic coatings for very long time periods.