ABSTRACT
Conventional fuels and explosives release energy by means of chemical reactions. This energy is liberated due to a readjustment of the electronic states in the atoms and molecules. One can get an order of magnitude estimate of this energy from Bohr's theory. All nuclear waste produced so far in the United States could be stored in one salt mine. As the waste from nuclear plants, mainly light water reactors (LWR) is radioactive, the question of the deposition of the spent fuel is an important one, in spite of its limited size. This is also due to the hazards of transportation and an exaggerated public concern about nuclear radiation as compared to other hazards of modern life. As LWR-spent fuel is rich in usable, fissionable materials, reprocessing is a must in the future. The problem of waste disposal is directly connected to the problem of better usage in a fast breeder reactor and also the reprocessing technique.
