Estimates of relative areas for the disposal in bedded salt of LWR wastes from alternative fuel cycles

Land use requirements for the disposal of light-water reactor radioactive wastes in a hypothetical bedded-salt formation are estimated. Five waste types from alternative fuel cycles were considered. The relative thermal response of each of five different site conditions to each waste type were determined. The fuel cycles considered are the once-through (no recycle), the uranium-only recycle, and the uranium and plutonium recycle. Waste types which were considered include: (1) unreprocessed spent reactor fuel; (2) solidified waste derived from reprocessing uranium oxide fuel; (3) plutonium recovered from reprocessing spent reactor fuel and doped with 1.5% of the accompanying waste from reprocessing uranium oxide fuel; (4) waste derived from reprocessing mixed uranium/plutonium oxide fuel in the third recycle; and (5) unreprocessed spent fuel after three recycles of mixed uranium/plutonium oxide fuels. The relative waste-disposal areas were determined from a calculated value of maximum thermal energy content of the geologic formations.