DOE要求美上诉法院为外国研究堆乏燃料运达美国开绿灯-豆柴文库

您所在位置：网站首页 / DOE要求美上诉法院为外国研究堆乏燃料运达美国开绿灯.docx / 文档详情

在线预览结束，喜欢就下载吧，查找使用更方便

5 金币

下载文档

/ 2

下载提示

如果您无法下载资料，请参考说明：

1、部分资料下载需要金币，请确保您的账户上有足够的金币

2、已购买过的文档，再次下载不重复扣费

3、资料包下载后请先用软件解压，在使用对应软件打开

文本预览

DOE要求美上诉法院为外国研究堆乏燃料运达美国开绿灯
Introduction
TheDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)hasrecentlymadearequesttotheUSAppealsCourttoallowthedeliveryofunspentnuclearfuelfromforeignresearchreactorstotheUSfordisposal.Thisrequesthasraisedasignificantdebateregardingthesafetyoftransportingnuclearwasteanditsimpactontheenvironmentandpublichealth.ThisessayaimstoexaminetheargumentsforandagainstthisrequestandtoassessitspotentialimplicationsfortheUS.
ArgumentsfortheDOE'sRequest
TheDOEarguesthatallowingthedeliveryofunspentnuclearfuelfromforeignresearchreactorstotheUSisnecessarytofulfillthecountry'slegalanddiplomaticobligations.Accordingtothedepartment,theUShassignedagreementswithseveralcountriessuchasAustralia,Italy,andCanadatoacceptthereturnofnuclearmaterialsincludingspentfuel.TheseagreementsensurethattheUShasaccesstovaluableisotopesforresearchpurposesandinexchange,agreestodisposeofthenuclearwastesafely.
SupportersoftheDOE'srequestalsopointoutthatresearchreactorsarecrucialforthedevelopmentofnewmedicaltreatmentsandproducingisotopesthatareusedfordiagnosticpurposes.Byacceptingthereturnofunspentfuel,theUScancontinuetomaintainitsleadershipinmedicalresearchandensurethatpatientshaveaccesstolife-savingtreatments.
ArgumentsAgainsttheDOE'sRequest
Ontheotherhand,opponentsoftheDOE'srequestarguethattransportingunspentnuclearfuelisnotworththerisks.Theypointoutthatevenasmallaccidentduringtransportationcouldleadtoenvironmentaldevastationandlong-termhealthconsequencesforthepublic.TheyalsoarguethatitisdifficulttoensurethatothercountrieshavethesamesafetystandardsastheUSwhenitcomestohandlingnuclearwaste.
Additionally,criticsoftheDOE'srequestarguethatthedepartmenthasfailedtopresentaclearplanfordisposingofthenuclearwasteonceitarrivesintheUS.Therearecurrentlynopermanentdisposalsitesfornuclearwasteinthecountry,whichmeansthatthiswastecouldbestoredindefinitelyintemporarystoragefacilities.
PotentialImplicationsfortheUS
IftheUSAppealsCourtgrantstheDOE'srequesttoallowthedeliveryofunspentnuclearfuelfromforeignresearchreactorstot