India, Dec. 4 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
managed/disposed under the provisions of "The Atomic Energy Act, 1962", subsequent amendments and the Atomic Energy (Safe Disposal of Radioactive Wastes) Rules, 1987.
As a waste management philosophy, no waste in any physical form is released/ disposed to the environment unless same is cleared, exempted or excluded from regulations. Low and intermediate level waste generated from operation and maintenance of a nuclear power plants are managed at plant site itself. These wastes are treated, concentrated, compacted, immobilised in solid like cement and disposed in specially constructed structures such as reinforcement concrete trenches and tile holes located at the site. The disposal facility is kept under constant surveillance to confirm effective containment of radioactivity present in the disposed waste.
Slightly enriched uranium (SEU) is considered as potential fuel for proposed Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Systems have been planned to handle spent fuel and its in- situ storage. In case of domestic fuel, it is proposed to carry out reprocessing of spent fuel to recover valuable nuclear materials and reduce the overall nuclear waste burden. Broad philosophy of nuclear waste management remains same to reduce the overall nuclear waste burden i.e. recovery of useful radioisotopes, if any, volume reduction followed by vitrification of waste in stable glass matrix and storage in engineered facilities kept under surveillance at par with internationally accepted practices.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
