Too Hot to Touch

by Alley, William M.; Alley, Rosemarie

• ISBN13: 9781107030114
• ISBN10: 1107030110
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2013-01-07
• Publisher: Cambridge Univ Pr

Summary

Today, the issue of waste management is as prominent as reactor safety in the controversies surrounding nuclear power and is particularly topical in the US since the 2010 closure of the Yucca Mountain repository project. William and Rosemarie Alley provide an engaging and authoritative account of the controversies and possibilities surrounding disposal of nuclear waste in the US, with reference also to other countries around the world. The book tells the full history from the beginnings after World War II up to today, bringing to life the pioneering science, the political wrangling and media drama, and the not-in-my-backyard communities fighting to put waste elsewhere. Written in down-to-earth language, by an expert with key involvement in the Yucca Mountain project, this is a timely book for public interest groups, affected communities, policymakers, environmentalists and research scientists working in related fields and anyone interested in finding out more about this important issue.

Table of Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

List of units

List of abbreviations

The Problem

The awakening

Brainstorming

The ocean as a dumping ground

Radioactivity and atomic energy

The Cold War legacy

The peaceful atom and its wastes

Recycling

Dry cask storage

Interim storage

A can of worms

WIPP

The Mountain

The search for a geologic repository

Nevada wins the lottery

The Nevada test site

Yucca mountain

How long is long?

Leaving almost no stone unturned

Surprise

Shake and bake

The project gets into hot water

No Solution in Sight

A new president, new policies

Nuclear waste and our energy future

Appendix:discussion questions

References

Index

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