Existing hazardous waste management system
A nuclear power generation plant is located in the San Francisco of California state in the USA. This plant is run by the dharma companies which monetize the electricity. The site is widespread and produces tremendous amount of electricity for the region. But, in the nuclear energy generation process, some hazardous elements and chemicals are used and produced. These hazardous substances cannot be disposed off through normal process waste disposal. Uranium and thorium used in the production of electricity are very dangerous (Hamblin, 2008).
They should be buried deep in the earth so that their radioactive reactions do not reach to human as well as animals. These substances can get explode when they come in contact with certain other reactive animals. In addition to the solid waste, nuclear energy generation also produces radioactive waste which is equally dangerous. To handle these wastes suitable technology is used by the owners of plant but there are some lacunae also which are discussed in this report (Checker, 2005).
Under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), hazardous waste can be divided into two types: characteristic wastes and listed wastes. The particular nuclear plant produces both types of waste. Dharma Company has permit to produce this waste under RCRA act so it is producing the waste legally. The company also knows about the regulations framed by United Nations Environmental Protection Agency for disposal of hazardous waste (Marshall, 2005).
Hazardous waste can be generated from different sources like hospitals, generators, houses etc. the physical characteristics of this kind of waste are as follows:
- The nuclear waste look similar to the nuclear fuel but t is produced after the nuclear fission reaction; thus it cannot be used for any other purpose.
- Nuclear waste contains leftover small atoms which are highly reactive and can be the cause of dangerous diseases like cancer and permanent blindness.
- Nuclear waste is composed of many elements like uranium- 234, neptunium-237 and plutonium-238. In addition to this, many other substances are formed and released in the environment. This waste emits very dangerous beta and gamma radiations in addition to alpha particles which are released from actinides.
- There can be three types of nuclear waste viz. low level, intermediate and High-level waste. Some elements or radioactive substances decay with time but some lasts longer in the environment.
- HLW accounts for 95% of total radioactivity in the nuclear reactor. Disposal of this waste needs critical use of technologies.
The nuclear fuel spends almost three years in a nuclear reactor before becoming a waste. The company uses water to cool down the hot radioactive material. Water provides the shielding also. After this, for almost 5 years, this waste is stored in a suitable container. Then it is transported in to dry ventilated concrete containers. The nearby facility is made in which all radioactive substances are stored to prevent exposure to radioactive elements (Harris & Nelson, 2007). The priority is given to high level waste (HLW) as it makes up the large part of radioactivity of waste.
Many protection layers are formed at the suitable site which ensures that waste does not radiate harmful radiations in the environment. This waste can be recycled through available technologies. But even after recycling, the bulk of waste remains there. May be in future, there will be new innovations but till that time, the nuclear waste cannot be taken for granted. The company understands its corporate social responsibility. The policies of the company sync with the environmental principles followed at international level (Shumway & Jackson, 2008).
Financial aspects
The low, intermediate and high level wastes are separated from each other. Then, the low level and intermediate level waste can be disposed by simple handling. But high-level waste is disposed underneath the land. The depth at which it is stored is determined by the radioactivity potential of the waste. So, all technical and non-technical aspects are considered. The high level waste is deposited in depth of land through suitable method. For low level waste disposal, the company uses incineration method. The company has its own commercially-operated incinerator. For high-level waste disposal, the company uses deep burial technique (Kenny, 2011).
Almost 300 tonnes of nuclear waste is produced by the particular nuclear plant in a year. The company has made separate budget allocation for its disposal. The collection, storage and transportation of this waste needs suitable equipments, human resources and land. Thus nuclear waste disposal is an expensive process. Many industrialized countries are transporting their nuclear energy waste to industrializing and undeveloped countries because of higher cost of nuclear waste disposal. This unethical practice is leading to international conflicts. Therefore the Dharma Company is very serious about hazardous waste management. It spends 10% of annual profit on waste disposal mechanisms (Taylor, 2014).
It can use the money it set aside for fulfilling CSR responsibilities. This move will also generate goodwill in the market in addition to providing climate friendly electricity to the people. There can be no alternative to safe disposal of waste. Nuclear waste has potential to remain radioactive for centuries. Managing nuclear waste is not too hard as there are simple techniques available in the world. It is the radioactivity potential of nuclear waste that makes it toxic to all living beings (Burton, 2013).
There are three main approaches to fund the waste disposal
- The company makes provision in the balance sheet itself to cater to the needs of nuclear waste disposal.
- Internal funding is done by investors that lead to accumulation of some amount of capital as special fund which can be easily used to dispose the waste.
- External funds are also there which are held outside the company, within government or Trustee Company.
As the demand for electricity is increasing in the world, the particular nuclear energy plant can be asked by the relevant authority to meet this demand by generating further amounts of electricity. Also, the nearby plants have become too old, they use obsolete technology. These old power plants can either be closed or revamped on the basis of new technology. Until such plants come into existence, California nuclear plant will have to meet the demand of the public. So, the waste generation will be increased in near future. No new technology is available to reduce the quantity of waste as of now (Cragin, 2007).
The nuclear waste produced will be increased. In ideal situation, such a waste should not be produced and we should use alternative methods of electricity generation. But till the time other alternatives are not available, we should try to reduce the waste to minimum amount. Three Rs of reduction, reuse and recycle are kept in mind so that minimum resources are used to provide maximum electricity. The company may get more such projects from the government so it has to be ready for further expansion. Nuclear power plants cannot sustain themselves without suitable provisioning for waste disposal (Gee, 2010).
Prediction of future waste quantities
The nuclear waste is generated at each stage of nuclear fuel cycle. When the uranium is mined lots of radioactive substances are released into environment (Willett, 2003). Then milling of ore of Uranium, its fabrication into nuclear fuel and then its use for electricity generation itself produces nuclear waste. Majority of nuclear waste is produced when uranium is burned to produce electricity. So at each stage of nuclear fuel cycle, the nuclear waste disposal techniques should be used. The nuclear waste can contaminate the air, water and ground so many protective layers are formed for disposal of nuclear waste under land (Tom Latourrette, 2010).
Because of the large amount of waste generation, the suitable landscape is needed for its disposal. There is needed to get permission from the government to use other landscapes for disposal of waste generated by nuclear reactor. This process will take time. In the meantime, the temporary storage facility must be created but it will cost the major amount of profit. If the company does not abide by regulations of national and international laws, it can be closed or even fined heavily.
To identify the suitable land for disposal of waste, various factors need to be considered. The company cannot transport this waste to low-income countries as it works on the basis of some moral values. In addition to this, developing and underdeveloped countries can file the case against the company in international court. Such a grave problem will never arise as company disposes all the waste through the suitable method (Johansen, 2003).
Land acquisition is a problem as the people living in nearby areas may not be ready to vacate the land for developmental purpose. Another issue is the financial cost. The company has to get finance from investors which will not be readily accepted by them because of poor economic growth. Next problem may be related to manpower. Handling hazardous substances can cost someone his or her life, if anything wrong happens. In addition to this, the labour cost is very high in California. So the company needs to follow all the labour rules along with environmental laws (Ferguson, 2011).
Conclusion
The Dharma Company follows all principles laid out by United Nations Environmental Protection Agency (UNEP). It is in sound fiscal situation but because of increased demand, in future, the company need revamp of major policies. There will be need of more human and financial resources. These resources are difficult to gather in the developed country. International attention has been increased on the disposal of radioactive waste since the practice of transportation of such waste to industrializing countries by developed countries is revealed. This immoral means of business must be stopped and everyone should acknowledge his or her environmental responsibility (Johnson, 2012).
Major problems and issues
The company may increase the rates of units of electricity supplied to different groups so as to accommodate the burden of polluter pays principle. Health and environmental protection is cumulative responsibility of public, government, NGOs and corporations. It is the responsibility of every individual to take care of the environment in which we live. After Paris Climate deal, the USA unfortunately moved out of this pact. But there are certain other international rules and regulations which the country should abide by. There can be no further compromise with the environment as humans have only one planet to live. The mother earth should be saved from each environmental hazard, not only nuclear waste. The man has created environmental problems so it is the responsibility of the man itself that it saves the earth from hazardous substances (Shrader-Frechette, 2011).
References
Burton, B. (2013). Nuclear Power, Pollution and Politics. Routledge.
Checker, M. (2005). Polluted Promises: Environmental Racism and the Search for Justice in a Southern Town. New York University Press.
Cragin, S. (2007). Nuclear Nebraska: The Remarkable Story of the Little County That Couldn’t Be Bought. AMACOM.
Ferguson, C. D. (2011). Nuclear Energy: What Everyone Needs to Know. Oxford University Press.
Gee, S. (2010). Making Waste: Leftovers and the Eighteenth-Century Imagination. Princeton University Press.
Hamblin, J. D. (2008). Poison in the Well: Radioactive Waste in the Oceans at the Dawn of the Nuclear Age. Rutgers University Press.
Harris, G., & Nelson, L. (2007). Revisiting a Hazardous Waste Site 25 Years Later. Journal of Environmental Health, 30-34.
Johansen, B. E. (2003). The Dirty Dozen: Toxic Chemicals and the Earth’s Future. Praeger.
Johnson, R. R. (2012). Romancing the Atom: Nuclear Infatuation from the Radium Girls to Fukushima. Praeger.
Kenny, T. (2011). Where to Put It All? Opening the Judicial Road for a Long-Term Solution to the Nation’s Nuclear Waste Problem. Notre Dame Law Review, 56-78.
Marshall, A. (2005). The Social and Ethical Aspects of Nuclear Waste. Electronic Green Journal, 27-30.
Shrader-Frechette, K. (2011). What Will Work: Fighting Climate Change with Renewable Energy, Not Nuclear Power. Oxford University Press.
Shumway, J. M., & Jackson, R. H. (2008). Place Making, Hazardous Waste, and the Development of Tooele County, Utah. The Geographical Review, 35-40.
Taylor, D. E. (2014). Toxic Communities: Environmental Racism, Industrial Pollution, and Residential Mobility. New York University Press.
Tom Latourrette, T. L. (2010). Managing Spent Nuclear Fuel: Strategy Alternatives and Policy Implications. Rand.
Willett, S. (2003). Costs of Disarmament–Disarming the Costs: Nuclear Arms Control and Nuclear Rearmament. United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research.
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