U2NESCO 2017 CHAIR REPORT
Committee: Promoting Science
Agenda: Ensuring the sustainable use of nuclear energy specifically focusing on waste
management.
Officer: Chris Kim
Introduction & Overview:
In March 2007, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development had mentioned,
"Three key technologies will be required to deliver sufficient scale of electricity generation and
greenhouse gas reduction: renewables, nuclear power, and clean-coal technology.”
Of the year 2012, nuclear power plants had rendered 10.9 percent of the world’s electricity
production, imprinting itself as one of the most vital sources of energy worldwide. In the year
2015, 13 nation states relied on nuclear energy for over a quarter of their entire energy supply,
where France ranked first, with a 76.3% utilization rate of nuclear energy.
Nuclear energy had become a crucial source of electricity in the 21st century. However it does
entail implications, both expected and unexpected. One significant impact would be waste
management, realizing the perils nuclear waste could bring.
The process of producing nuclear energy is rather simple. Just like many other plants that burn
coal, petroleum, and natural gas, nuclear power plants boil water into steam, spinning turbines
(electromagnets) for the sake of electricity generation. The primary difference between nuclear
power plants and myriads of different energy sources is that nuclear energy does not require
the combustion of an object, but rather requires fission of nuclear fuel. Uranium 235 and
Uranium 238 are the two primary types of fuel used in a nuclear reactor, emitting energy
through fission, resulting in the ignition of water.
There are two major types of nuclear reactors: The boiling water reactor (BWR), and the
pressurized water reactor (PWR). The difference between the two reactors lies in the method
of heating the water up for steam. BWR directly heats the water that encompasses the nuclear
fuel, and explicitly delivers steam into the reactor vessel. Then, the pipes carry the steam to the
turbine, assisting the production of energy. Unused steam travels back to the condenser then
gets reused in the heating process. PWR heats the water that encompasses the nuclear fuel and
keeps it under pressure to prevent water from boiling. Instead, it is transferred to the steam
generator, and the boiling water is used to heat up the second supply of water, generating steam.
The steam then spins the turbine, producing electricity.
The two primary types of fuel employed in the power plant are Uranium 235, and Uranium
238. Uranium is a naturally radioactive element, which the supply of Uranium happens to be
30 times that of silver. Uranium could be easily harvested from topsoil anywhere on Earth and
within the mantle. Due to its abundance, Uranium is the primary fuel for nuclear power plants,
with immense potential energy gained through nuclear fission.
Exclusively, the level of hazard for radioactive wastes diminishes over time. The radionuclide
comprising nuclear waste all possesses a half-life, meaning half of its radioactivity declines
over a certain amount of time.
The major issue of nuclear power plants is the return of high-level wastes (HLW). During the
process of generating electricity from nuclear power plants, uranium is stored in the form of a
ceramic uranium dioxide pellet, placed in rods made of metal. Once the process of nuclear
fission terminates, and the usable uranium depletes, the rods are considered as the HLWs and
must be disposed of.
Each year, it is projected that 12,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste are accumulated. On the
year 2012, it was estimated that 29,000 tons of depleted fuel rods existed worldwide. These
used-up fuel rods reside within power plants, due to the lack of disposal facilities.
Compared to various other wastes, the volume of nuclear waste produced by nuclear power
plants are considerably small, but they happen to comprise 95% of radioactivity for all existing
nuclear waste.
Searching for a suitable disposal site is a difficult task, bearing in mind that no community
prefers residing near a nuclear waste disposal. Moreover, natural disasters such as earthquakes
may ruin the site, leaking radioactive waste, and putting people in high risks.
Major Parties Involved:
Radioactive waste management involves various organizations, which endeavors to look for a
solution for the sustainable use of nuclear energy. Many promote the sustainable use of nuclear
energy since nuclear energy comprises over 10 percent of the global electricity supply, and has
the potential to expand exceedingly.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) – UNESCO
had been providing global efforts through the publication of the EOLSS (Encyclopedia of Life
Support Systems), and many alternate documents regarding the waste management of nuclear
energy.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – The United Nations Environment
Programme had set a basis for action regarding the safe and environmentally sound
managements of radioactive wastes.
World Nuclear Association – The World Nuclear Association is an international organization
found in 2001 by the Uranium Institute that promotes the sustainable use of nuclear energy. Its
members include corporations responsible for uranium mining, uranium conversion, uranium
enrichment, nuclear fuel fabrication, plant manufacture, transport, and the disposition of used
up nuclear fuels. These members are located worldwide, in nations representing 80 percent of
the entire population, and 70 percent of the world’s nuclear power.
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) – An intergovernmental agency organized by the
OECD on 1 February, 1958. The NEA consists of 31 member states around the world, which
accounts for approximately 85% of the world’s use of nuclear power. NEA’s mission statement
is known to be: "Assist its member countries in maintaining and further developing, through
international co-operation, the scientific, technological and legal bases required for the safe,
environmentally friendly and economical use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.”
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – An international organization established in
1957 where member states contribute the promotion the safe and secure use of nuclear
technology.
Definition of Key Terms
Nuclear energy – Energy located in the nucleus of an atom. Controlled and utilized in nuclear
power plants to heat up water for electricity.
Radionuclides – An atom that possesses excess nuclear energy, thus remaining unstable. The
excess nuclear energy is emitted as either alpha, beta, or gamma radiations.
Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) – A type of nuclear reactor used to generate electricity by
heating water in the reactor core, converting it into steam thus spinning the turbine.
Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) – A type of nuclear reactor used to generate electricity
by heating water with pressure to prevent the boiling of water. The water is then sent to the
steam generator, which produces steam to spin the turbine.
Nuclear fission – A nuclear reaction or a nuclear decay process in which the unstable nucleus
splits, emitting vast amounts of energy.
Repository – A place where large amounts of objects are stored. In this case, nuclear waste.
There are four levels of hazard for radioactive waste:
Very Low-Level Waste (VLLW) - waste containing very little radioactive material which is
not considered as harmful to people nor the environment. Some examples include concrete,
plaster, bricks, etc.
Low-Level Waste (LLW) - waste containing small amounts of radioactive material which
happen to have short-lived radioactivity. They comprise 90 percent of the volume, but only 1
percent of radioactivity for all existing nuclear waste. Examples include paper, rags, clothing,
etc.
Intermediate Level Waste (ILW) - waste with generally higher amounts of radioactivity and
comprises 7 percent of the volume, and 4 percent of radioactivity for all existing nuclear waste.
Examples include chemical sludge, metal fuel cladding, etc. Also produced by nuclear power
plants, but more effortlessly dealt.
High-Level Waste (HLW) - waste that arises from the radioactive decay of uranium, which is
also known as ‘fission products.' HLW accounts for 3 percent of the volume, and 95 percent of
radioactivity for all existing nuclear waste.
History
Nuclear energy itself has a broad history until it was exploited for electricity, assisting our
everyday lives.
The history itself ascends to 1789 when a German chemist Martin Klaproth discovered
Uranium, the fuel for most nuclear reactors.
In 1896, the term ‘radioactivity’ was coined by Marie and Pierre Curie, which represented the
emission of alpha, beta, gamma rays, much similar to X-rays. Six years later, in 1902, Earnest
Rutherford discovered that the resultant of nuclear fission leads to the formation of a different
element, along with Fredrick Soddy discovering different isotopes of atoms such as U-235 and
U-238 in 1911.
With the global interest focused on nuclear energy, it triggered several scientists to research
‘radioactivity’ and its exploitability.
In 1939, Hahn and Strassman proved that fission does not only release great amounts of energy,
but it also releases neutrons that may lead to chain reactions with other interfering nuclei.
Shortly, Bohr proved that fission is most likely to occur in the U-235 isotope than the U-238
isotope.
Soon, up to the year 1945, rapid advances in nuclear technology occurred especially in the
United States and the United Kingdom, where most developments centered on the creation of
the atomic bomb. The very first atomic bomb, containing U-235, was dropped on Hiroshima
August 6, 1945, in the midst of the second world war.
In 1951, Admiral Rickover suggested the use of nuclear energy to power submarines,
considering nuclear energy did not require anything to combust within the engine. Three years
later, the USS Nautilus successfully launched the nuclear-powered submarine, initiating the
extensive development of nuclear energy.
Since the initiation of extensive development, hundreds of nuclear reactors were built
worldwide during the 1960s and the 1970s. However, major accidents such as the 1986
Chernobyl accident and the 1979 Three Miles accident slowed the propagation of nuclear
reactors.
Radioactive wastes caused from this era were either stored and accumulated within the nuclear
reactors or stockpiled in a temporary storage which was deemed secure. Thus, Nations began
constructing repositories to empty the temporary storage and safely store radioactive wastes.
Past Action Chart
1980
1992
1994
1997
1997
2011
On March 3, 1980, the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear
Material was adopted in Vienna, which established measures regarding the
prevention, detection and punishment relating to the use of nuclear material.
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development was
undergone in June 1992 (Earth Summit in Rio), which concentrated on
sustainable development.
The Convention on Nuclear Safety was adopted in Vienna, in which the
participating states to maintain a high level of safety in nuclear energy
production by setting international benchmarks.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) published its
progress since the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development, with the document being named as Safe and Environmentally
Sound Management of Radioactive Waste.
The Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety
of Radioactive Waste Management was adopted in Vienna, which became the
very first legal convention to address the issue of radioactive waste
management in a worldwide scale.
The United Nations Environmental Programme Global Environmental Alert
Service published a document on the Decommissioning of Nuclear Reactors
and Related Environmental Consequences.
Possible Solutions
Although nuclear energy does not require the combustion of fuel and the production of
greenhouse gasses, radioactive waste is an inevitable product of the sustainable process.
For the low and intermediate level wastes produced throughout the course of generating nuclear
energy, there are proven technologies to discard low-leveled radioactive waste safely. However,
for high-level wastes, they are accumulated in an area, buried in a geological repository.
The primary objective of managing radioactive waste is ensuring the safety of people and the
environment. Thus, radioactive waste needs to be taken care of in an area remote from
communities and weakening the waste, causing the waste to remain harmless.
The current issue of burying high-level wastes is that no community prefers to live in proximity
of a nuclear dump, and there are many different factors such as political/economical, causing
delays.
Moreover, high-level wastes are deposited in temporary storage facilities for decades, and is
anticipated to be placed in a final disposal facility. However, due to the lack of final disposal
facilities, temporary storages tends to hold significant responsibilities for high-level nuclear
waste, apparently remaining as an unsatisfactory solution.
Another point to consider is that all nuclear wastes possess a half-life, causing their
radioactivity to dwindle over time.
Some solutions to this issue may include:
Constructing repositories up to 500 meters below ground level to ensure such radioactive
wastes to be undisturbed for the next few hundred years, allowing the radioactive wastes to
decay naturally. Additionally, this solution ensures the safety of people, considering that no
radioactivity will be able to reach the Earth’s surface once nuclear wastes are stored 500 meters
below ground level.
This solution may be practical, but it may lead to vast amounts of the financial burden. For
nations that are not willing to bear so much financial burden, the money could either be billed
to the electricity users as a proportion no more than 5% or receive funds from organizations
listed above, which allows the lessening of burden and successfully managing radioactive
wastes for the future.
The resolutions crafted for this issue should address the fiscal burden for unwilling/developing
nations, and should always consider the security of the people and the environment.
Resources Section
http://www.world-nuclear.org/ - World Nuclear Association: The World Nuclear Association
is known to provide the best information regarding the use of nuclear energy, considering its
vast spectrum of membership and the direct information provided by member corporations.
http://www.nei.org/ - Nuclear Energy Institute: A nuclear industry lobbying group in the
United States of America, which provides details on nuclear waste management, safety/security
of nuclear energy, and methods to protect the environment.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ - World Nuclear News: A news service supported by the
World Nuclear Association, that attempts to bring accurate information regarding nuclear
power.
https://www.eolss.net/Sample-Chapters/C06/E6-104-11.pdf - EOLSS (Encyclopedia of Life
Support Systems) Nuclear Waste Management and the Nuclear Fuel Cycle published by
UNESCO.
http://www.unep.org/ - United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – The basis for
action and other documents respecting waste management may be found in this website.
https://www.iaea.org/ - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – Various articles
regarding the secure use of nuclear energy may be found in this platform. The IAEA also
provides documents regarding nuclear technology and the international strategies for nuclear
waste management.
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