Safe Disposal of Nuclear Waste
Category: Regulation | Area of Effect: Safety
The World Assembly,
Knowing that many nations rely on nuclear power plants as a source of energy;
Aware that the production of nuclear energy produces radioactive waste that becomes dangerous if not properly disposed of;
Distraught that no such disposal has been previously regulated by the World Assembly;
Hereby enacts as follows:
- In this resolution:
- “nuclear waste” is defined as the radioactive solid or liquid wastes resulting from nuclear fission, fusion, refinement, or any other process from which nuclear power is derived.
- ”radioactive contamination” is defined as the spread of radiation to any habitats, natural reserves, bodies of water, or atmospheres such that it would pose a significant danger to life or the environment.
- The Nuclear Energy Safety Commission (NESC) must:
- Investigate methods of nuclear waste disposal and determine those considered safe by the following guidelines:
- Disposal methods must have little to no risk of radioactive contamination.
- Methods must include proper solidification, compaction and subsequent treatment of nuclear materials to prevent leaching of waste or radioactivity.
- Inspect prospective nuclear waste storage and burial sites to ensure they are geologically stable and at sufficiently lengthy proximity from areas at risk of radioactive contamination.
- Ensure that decommissioned nuclear reactors are properly dismantled, and any nuclear waste present is removed before said reactors can be demolished.
- Ensure that domestic transport of radioactive materials provides little to no foreseeable risk of leakage, thievery, or any form of radioactive contamination.
- Explore safer and more effective methods of nuclear waste disposal, recycling, reuse, and transmutation. Such studies must be publicly disseminated to member states.
- Member states must:
- Only employ methods of safe nuclear disposal as defined by the NESC. Member states may submit reliable scientific research to the NESC to have a method of nuclear disposal be investigated for future safety standards.
- Ensure that radioactive contamination originating from their nation is reported to any foreign governments that are subject to foreseeable risk of that contamination spreading to or affecting their nation.