The Management of Irradiated Fuel Storage: Siting Options for Interim Storage Facilities

Abstract

The irradiated fuel discharged from Ontario Hydro's nuclear generating stations is presently stored in water-filled pools at the stations. Until the decision is made to either reprocess the fuel to recover the useful fissile material or to dispose of it directly the irradiated fuel will continue to accumulate. Ontario Hydro recently carried out a study that reviewed the options open to it for the interim care of this fuel. This paper briefly reviews the study and discusses the major findings. The main recommendation was that Ontario Hydro continue to store its irradiated fuel in water pools at the station site.