Committee made a Reply on Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste [3]
in September 2012.
The Review Committee of SCJ pointed out the following six proposals to search
for a path toward consensus formation: (1) fundamental reconsideration of policies
related to disposal of HLW with extended definition, which includes spent nuclear
fuels as well as vitrified HLW canisters; (2) awareness of the limits of scientific and
technical abilities and securing scientific autonomy; (3) rebuilding a policy framework centered on temporal safe storage and management of the total amount of
HLW; (4) necessity of persuasive policy decision procedures for fairness of burdens; (5) necessity of multiple-stage consensus formation by establishing opportunities for debate; and (6) awareness that long-term persistent undertakings are
necessary for problem resolution.
Considering the SCJ report, the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, however,
expressed its intention to maintain a policy of implementing the geological disposal
on December 2012 with extension of the scope to include the direct disposal of
spent nuclear fuel [4].
24.7 Setting a Moratorium Period by “Temporal
Safe Storage”
Proposals of the SCJ report, particularly, the concepts of temporal safe storage and
management of total amount, triggered many discussions widely concerning the
issue of HLW disposal.
The temporal safe storage is characterized by securing a moratorium period of
several dozen or several hundred years to establish appropriate handling measures
for the problem. It provides the advantages of using this period to refine technological developments and scientific knowledge, guaranteeing the possibility of
creating handling measures that target a longer period; for example, improvement
of the durability of containers, development of nuclear transmutation technology to
reduce volume and toxicity of HLW, and research related to the stability of
geological layers.
In addition, the temporal safe storage makes it possible to keep various options
for future generations to choose for final disposal of HLW.
The concept of safe storage, however, still has a wide range of uncertainties
in technical specifications; for example, duration of storage, location characteristics such as on ground or underground, and number of storage facilities. The
concept ranges from currently available interim storage of spent fuel to retrievable geological disposal. In fact, the response of Japan Atomic Energy Commission mentioned retrievable geological disposal in the context of temporal
safe storage.
SCJ had set up a Follow-up Committee as an extension of the Review Committee in August 2013 to clarify the concept of the temporal safe storage.
24 Issues of HLW Disposal in Japan
285
in September 2012.
The Review Committee of SCJ pointed out the following six proposals to search
for a path toward consensus formation: (1) fundamental reconsideration of policies
related to disposal of HLW with extended definition, which includes spent nuclear
fuels as well as vitrified HLW canisters; (2) awareness of the limits of scientific and
technical abilities and securing scientific autonomy; (3) rebuilding a policy framework centered on temporal safe storage and management of the total amount of
HLW; (4) necessity of persuasive policy decision procedures for fairness of burdens; (5) necessity of multiple-stage consensus formation by establishing opportunities for debate; and (6) awareness that long-term persistent undertakings are
necessary for problem resolution.
Considering the SCJ report, the Japan Atomic Energy Commission, however,
expressed its intention to maintain a policy of implementing the geological disposal
on December 2012 with extension of the scope to include the direct disposal of
spent nuclear fuel [4].
24.7 Setting a Moratorium Period by “Temporal
Safe Storage”
Proposals of the SCJ report, particularly, the concepts of temporal safe storage and
management of total amount, triggered many discussions widely concerning the
issue of HLW disposal.
The temporal safe storage is characterized by securing a moratorium period of
several dozen or several hundred years to establish appropriate handling measures
for the problem. It provides the advantages of using this period to refine technological developments and scientific knowledge, guaranteeing the possibility of
creating handling measures that target a longer period; for example, improvement
of the durability of containers, development of nuclear transmutation technology to
reduce volume and toxicity of HLW, and research related to the stability of
geological layers.
In addition, the temporal safe storage makes it possible to keep various options
for future generations to choose for final disposal of HLW.
The concept of safe storage, however, still has a wide range of uncertainties
in technical specifications; for example, duration of storage, location characteristics such as on ground or underground, and number of storage facilities. The
concept ranges from currently available interim storage of spent fuel to retrievable geological disposal. In fact, the response of Japan Atomic Energy Commission mentioned retrievable geological disposal in the context of temporal
safe storage.
SCJ had set up a Follow-up Committee as an extension of the Review Committee in August 2013 to clarify the concept of the temporal safe storage.
24 Issues of HLW Disposal in Japan
285