Why is radioactive waste disposal less of a problem in Canada than in the United States? Include in ...

The Canadian CANDU reactors, in contrast to most of the other reactors in the world, use only uranium-238, which leaves less waste that can be temporarily stored on site. Regardless of the type of fuel used, the half-lives of the isotopes that make up the fragments of fission are physical constants and cannot be manipulated or shortened. Because uranium has a long half-life, waste emits dangerous levels of radiation for thousands of years. It must be placed in a stable and secure location where radiation will not escape and harm the public. It also must be protected from terrorist attack or from plate tectonic events (earthquakes or volcanic eruptions). In Canada, the proposed site is in northern Manitoba, deep within the ancient and stable rocks of the Canadian Shield. After years of searching, the United States has found a nuclear waste storage deep underground at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Regardless of the location, the spent fuel must be transported to the site. In the United States, the fuel would have to travel a long route, exposing a large population to radioactivity. In Canada, with its smaller population, there would be less exposure when transporting radioactive material to the site in Manitoba.