Low-Level Radioactive Waste Repositories: An Analysis of Costs (Nuclear Development)

Low-level radioactive waste (LLW) arises in the normal operation of nuclear power plants and fuel cycle facilities, as well as from the use of radioactive isotopes in medicine, industry and agriculture. This report sets out the costs of operating disposal sites for LLW in OECD countries, as well as the factors that may affect the costs of sites being developed. This publication will be of special interest to experts in the field of radioactive waste management and economics of the nuclear fuel cycle.

This report shows that costs related to low-level radioactive wastes are low relative to the overvall revenues and costs of nuclear electricity generation. In absolute terms, however, the costs of repositories for low-level waste are high enough to justify seeking ways and means of reducing them. The study explores whether the experience acquired through building and operating low-level waste repositories could be used to reduce the cost of future repositories.