"Scott Lurndal" wrote in message
...
First off, the waste problem is greatly exagerated. Using reprocessing,
the waste can be turned into useful reactor fuel. The problems with
reprocessing are political, not technical.

The waste is not really waste, anyway. It is a collection of isotopes,
many of which are radioactive at various levels. Generally the level
of radioactivity is inversely coorelated to the length of the half-life,
i.e. isotopes with a longer half-life have relatively low radioactivity.

After extracting the useful isotopes (cesium, etc for medical uses, et.
al.),
the remainder can be reprocessed into useful fuel. The quite small amount
left after reprocessing can be easily sequestered in Yucca mountain or a
salt mine in Kansas until mankind finds a use for it.


I had the misfortune to mention that recycling worked in nuclear material in
a dinner group of artists one night. Should have heard the outcry.

There is also some particle absorption method for accelerating some of the
long-term stuff into stability, if I read it correctly. Just as soon as we
begin to do it, we'll discover a pressing need for what we've transmuted....