• Title/Summary/Keyword: Nuclear waste

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A Comparative Study of Local Newspapers' News Frame: Focus on Nuclear Waste Site Reporting (지역신문 뉴스 프레임 비교: 핵폐기장 관련 보도를 중심으로)

  • Choi, Nak-Jin
    • Korean journal of communication and information
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    • v.27
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    • pp.283-316
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    • 2004
  • This study examines different news frames of local newspapers reporting the controversial 'Nu[lear Waste Site' issues which deeply split regions showing their intention to bid for the state affair. Three local papers were analyzed for this study, "Gwang-Ju-Il-bo" "Mae-il-sin-mun" and "Jun-buk-il-bo." Overall, the three local papers displayed widely divergent main news frames on the same issue. Firstly, "Gwang-Ju-Il-bo", and "Mae-il-sln-mun" showed the strong tendency of using 'counter frame' while "Jun-buk-il-bo" exhibited 'loral development frame'. Secondly, "Gwang-Ju-Il-bo", and "Mae-il-sin-mun" were frequently headlined 'Nuclear Waste Site', while "Jun-buk-il-bo" carried headlines 'Radioactive Waste Management Facility' overwhelmingly more often than the other two papers, indicating that headline key words are closely associated with the configuration of news frames. Thirdly, the main news frames remained consistent for "Gwang-Ju-Il-bo", and "Mae-il-sin-mun" even after the government's report about the possible connection of 'ion-beam irradiation-accelator' and 'Nuclear Waste Site.' On the other hand, "Jun-buk-il-bo" was significantly less headlined 'Nuclear Waste Site' while significantly more headlined "Radioactice Waste Management Facility." "Jun-Buk-il-bo" which is in stark contrast to the other two papers changed in its tone by increasing the 'local development frame' with decrease in the 'counter frame.' The "Jun-buk-il-bo"'s more frequent use of 'Radioactive Waste Management Facility' as a headline than "Nuclear Waste Management Equipment" is seen as its attempt to minimize negative image of Nuclear Waste and to promote favorable public opinion by highlighting aspects of economic benefits and the local development the construction would brind about. The major findings of this study further support the claim that media overage ends up a reality. The fact that Buan in Jun-buk Province made a successful bid for the construction is not a coincidence.

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Characterization of Glass Melts Containing Simulated Low and Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste

  • Jung, Hyun-Su;Kim, Ki-Dong;Lee, Seung-Heon;Kwon, Sung-Ku;Kim, Cheon-Woo;Park, Jong-Kil;Hwang, Tae-Won;Ahn, Zou-Sam
    • Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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    • v.43 no.3 s.286
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    • pp.148-151
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    • 2006
  • In order to examine the process parameters for the vitrification of Low and Intermediate Level radioactive Waste (LILW) generated from nuclear power plants, measurements of several melt properties was performed for four selected glasses containing simulated waste. Electrical conductivity and viscosity were determined at temperatures ranging from 1123 to $1673^{\circ}C$. The temperature dependences of both properties in the molten state showed a similar behavior in which their values decrease as the temperature increases. The values of the electrical conductivity and viscosity at a temperature of 1423K adopted in an induction cold crucible melter process were $0.27{\sim}0.42$ S/cm and $9.8{\sim}42$ dPas, respectively.

Current Status of Nuclear Waste Management (and Disposal) in the United States

  • McMahon, K.;Swift, P.;Nutt, M.;Birkholzer, J.;Boyle, W.;Gunter, T.;Larson, N.;MacKinnon, R.;Sorenson, K.
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
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    • v.1 no.1
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    • pp.29-35
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    • 2013
  • The United States Department of Energy (US DOE) is conducting research and development (R&D) activities under the Used Fuel Disposition Campaign (UFDC) to support storage, transportation, and disposal of used nuclear fuel (UNF) and wastes generated by existing and future nuclear fuel cycles. R&D activities are ongoing at nine national laboratories, and are divided into storage, transportation and disposal. Storage R&D focuses on closing technical gaps related to extended storage of UNF. Transportation R&D focuses on ensuring transportability of UNF following extended storage, and addressing data gaps regarding nuclear fuel integrity, retrievability, and demonstration of subcriticality. Disposal R&D focuses on identifying geologic disposal options and addressing technical challenges for generic disposal concepts in mined repositories in salt, clay/shale, and granitic rocks, and deep borehole disposal. UFDC R&D goals include increasing confidence in the robustness of generic disposal concepts, reducing generic sources of uncertainty that may impact the viability of disposal concepts, and developing science and engineering tools to support the selection, characterization, and licensing of a repository. The US DOE has also initiated activities in the Nuclear Fuel Storage and Transportation (NFST) Planning Project to facilitate the development of an interim storage facility and to support transportation infrastructure in the near term.

RADIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF DECOMMISSIONING WASTE FROM A CANDU REACTOR

  • Cho, Dong-Keun;Choi, Heui-Joo;Ahmed, Rizwan;Heo, Gyun-Young
    • Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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    • v.43 no.6
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    • pp.583-592
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    • 2011
  • The radiological characteristics for waste classification were assessed for neutron-activated decommissioning wastes from a CANDU reactor. The MCNP/ORIGEN2 code system was used for the source term analysis. The neutron flux and activation cross-section library for each structural component generated by MCNP simulation were used in the radionuclide buildup calculation in ORIGEN2. The specific activities of the relevant radionuclides in the activated metal waste were compared with the specified limits of the specific activities listed in the Korean standard and 10 CFR 61. The time-average full-core model of Wolsong Unit 1 was used as the neutron source for activation of in-core and ex-core structural components. The approximated levels of the neutron flux and cross-section, irradiated fuel composition, and a geometry simplification revealing good reliability in a previous study were used in the source term calculation as well. The results revealed the radioactivity, decay heat, hazard index, mass, and solid volume for the activated decommissioning waste to be $1.04{\times}10^{16}$ Bq, $2.09{\times}10^3$ W, $5.31{\times}10^{14}\;m^3$-water, $4.69{\times}10^5$ kg, and $7.38{\times}10^1\;m^3$, respectively. According to both Korean and US standards, the activated waste of the pressure tubes, calandria tubes, reactivity devices, and reactivity device supporters was greater than Class C, which should be disposed of in a deep geological disposal repository, whereas the side structural components were classified as low- and intermediate-level waste, which can be disposed of in a land disposal repository. Finally, this study confirmed that, regardless of the cooling time of the waste, 15% of the decommissioning waste cannot be disposed of in a land disposal repository. It is expected that the source terms and waste classification evaluated through this study can be widely used to establish a decommissioning/disposal strategy and fuel cycle analysis for CANDU reactors.

Preparation and Consideration of Sample Collection in Undeclared Areas for Denuclearization Verification

  • Kim, Dong Yeong;Kim, Giyoon;Lee, Jun;Lim, Kyung Taek;Chung, Heejun;Seo, Jihye;Kim, Myungsoo
    • Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology(JNFCWT)
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    • v.19 no.4
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    • pp.479-489
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    • 2021
  • The Republic of Korea is expected to participate in the denuclearization verification activities by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in case any neighboring countries declared denuclearization. In this study, samples for the verification of nuclear activities in undeclared areas were selected for the denuclearization of neighboring countries, and the appropriateness of the procedures was considered. If a country with nuclear weapons declares denuclearization, it must be accompanied by the IAEA's verification regarding nuclear materials and weapons in the declared and undeclared areas. The analysis of the process samples or on-site environmental samples and the verification of undeclared nuclear facilities and materials aid in uncovering any evidence of concealment of nuclear activity in undeclared areas. Therefore, a methodology was established for effective sampling and analysis in accordance with proper procedures. Preparations for sampling in undeclared areas were undertaken for various potential scenarios, such as, the establishment of zones according to radiation dose, methods of supplying electricity, wireless communication networks, targets of sampling according to characteristics of nuclides, manned sampling method, and unmanned sampling method. Through this, procedures were established for pre- and post-site settings in preparation for hazards and limiting factors at nuclear inspection sites.