A Comparison of Hazardous and Solid Radioactive Waste Treatment and Disposal

Comparisons have been frequently drawn between the radioactive and hazardous waste industries. However, they have tended to focus on particular aspects of the industries rather than the totality of waste management practices. In this paper a “cradle to grave” approach is taken, summarising and comparing practices in the two industries at all stages of the waste management cycle in OECD countries. In these countries there has been a convergence of approaches in recent years, with the hazardous waste industry now employing many of the practices which were developed for radioactive waste at a much earlier date. There is increasing emphasis on waste minimisation and volume reduction in both areas, and near surface engineered disposal facilities for the two types of waste now share many common features. The most notable outstanding difference between the two industries is the timescales of concern considered in post-disposal performance assessments. For radioactive waste, the impacts of disposal have been considered for timescales of many thousands, or even millions, of years into the future. The question of whether it is necessary to consider environmental impacts over such extended periods is only now becoming an issue for hazardous wastes.