4 ms·
What does a spill of cesium and strontium at a research site have to do with nuclear power generation?
by junofan 3y ago
What does a spill of cesium and strontium at a research site have to do with nuclear power generation?
- nikanj 3y ago[flagged]
- perihelions 3y agoThe research that caused the spill was in support of nuclear power generation—for testing vitrification of spent nuclear fuel for geologic burial. From OP: - "In the 1980s one of the building’s six hot cells was being used to prepare concentrated radioactive cesium and strontium from Hanford plutonium-production waste for Germany to use for testing of a repository for radioactive waste." (And speaking generally, it's a type of work that's representative of closed nuclear fuel cycles: a type of work that'd you want to see a lot *more of*, if you want seriously to expand the nuclear fission economy. I'm no flavor of anti-nuclear; but let's not reflexively dismiss interesting discussions of technological risk—let's not fall into that polarization trap).
- junofan 3y agoI mean, it’s research. Expect fuckups.
- nebalee 3y agoI think the poster is very clear that their objection is about how nuclear waste is handled, not where it came from.
- flaminHotSpeedo 3y agoI think the reply was very clear that it's not a given that the way a research site handles nuclear waste would be the same way as an actual power plant
- explaininjs 3y agoThe same government is responsible for managing the nuclear waste at both of them, and they’ve clearly demonstrated they are unwilling and/or unable to do so. I don’t support giving the government any more nuclear waste to manage until it can finish what is already on its plate, so to speak.