Book

Shrader-Frechette, K. S. (Kristin Sharon)

Burying uncertainty : risk and the case against geological disposal of nuclear waste / K.S. Shrader-Frechette.

Berkeley : University of California Press, ©1993.

xiv, 346 pages ; 24 cm

"The current policy of the U.S. government is to bury "radwastes" in specially designed deep depositories. Incisively blending geophysical information, risk analysis, and philosophilcal consideratios. K.S. Shrader-Frechette argues that the present policy is profoundly misguided on both scientific and ethical grounds. She focuses her argument on the world's first proposed high-level radioactive waste facility at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, and demonstrates the weaknesses in the professional risk assesors' arguments that the claim site is sufficiently safe for the huge responsibility such a plan entails."

Radioactive waste disposal in the ground -- Environmental aspects.

Radioactive waste disposal in the ground -- Risk assessment.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 253-327) and indexes.

The Riddle of Nuclear Waste -- The Status Quo: Promoting Permanent Disposal -- The Mistakes of the Past -- Understanding the Origins of the Problem -- Radioactive Waste: Technical Background -- Radioactive Waste: Historical Background -- The Current Status of High-Level Radioactive Waste -- Radioactive Waste: Legal and Regulatory Background -- Reliance on Value Judgments in Repository Risk Assessment -- Science and Methodological Value Judgments -- Quantitative Risk Assessment and Value Judgments -- Value Judgments in Estimating Risks -- Value Judgments in Evaluating Risks -- Subjective Estimates of Repository Risks -- Repository Risk Estimates Rely on Questionable Value Judgments -- Value Judgments about Long-term Risks -- Value Judgments about Model Reliability -- Value Judgments about Simplification of the Phenomena -- Value Judgments about Reliability of Sampling -- Value Judgments about Laboratory Predictions -- Value Judgments about Fractured, Unsaturated Media -- Value Judgments that Interpolations Are Acceptable -- Value Judgments that Human Error Is Not Significant -- Problems with Yucca Mountain versus Problems with Permanent Disposal -- Subjective Evaluations of Repository Risks -- Value Judgments that a Given Magnitude of Risk Is Acceptable -- Value Judgments that Risk Reductions Are Sufficient -- Value Judgments that Worst-case Hazards Are Not Credible -- Value Judgments that Average Risks Are Acceptable -- Value Judgments that More Recent Assessments Are More Reliable -- Value Judgments that Utilitarian Risk Theories Are Just.

Table of contents

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description

92035083

0520082443

9780520082441

0520083016

9780520083011

0520083016 (pbk.)

26852168

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