According to the International Atomic Energy Agency a nuclear reactor which would supply the needs of a city the size of Amsterdam – a 1000MW(e) nuclear power station – produces approximately 30 tonnes of high level solid packed waster per year if the spent fuel is not reprocessed. In comparison, a 1000MW(e) coal plant produces 300,000 tonnes of ash per year.Sure, the waste needs special handling. The cool thing is that we are dealing with 10,000 less by weight than what the equivalent coal plant produces each year (not to mention the Carbon Dioxide, Sulfur and Mercury emissions that go up the stack.) The coal ash is not benign -- toxic stuff with heavy metals and acids. Good stuff! Posted by DaveH at August 11, 2006 9:42 PM
Typical eastern deep-mine coal ash is more radioactive than the emissions of a nuclear power plant.
Posted by: Al at August 11, 2006 10:50 PM