Unit 3: Test
NAME ______________________________________
REVIEW TEST • UNIT 3
Directions: Circle the letter of the answer
that best completes the statement given.
- Spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste is a national problem because it is:
- a liquid that can soak into the ground
- explosive like a nuclear bomb
- highly radioactive and will remain so for thousands of years
- causing global warming
- Scientific researchers currently favor _________ as the preferred long-term method for dealing with nuclear waste.
- shallow land burial
- deep geologic disposal
- underground tanks
- above-ground barrels
- The two types of nuclear waste that would be sent to a repository at Yucca Mountain are:
- spent nuclear fuel and low-level radioactive waste
- spent nuclear fuel and transuranic waste
- high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel
- low-level radioactive waste and high-level radioactive waste
- An example of a technical issue relating to the disposal of nuclear waste is:
- designing a container that will keep water away from the radioactive material
- responsibility for the costs of the disposal program
- the effects of a repository on the local economy
- increasing local population
- An example of a societal issue relating to the disposal of nuclear waste is:
- effects of earthquakes on repository systems
- concern of local residents for their health and that of their families
- movement of groundwater at the repository site
- porosity of the rock
- Constructing the nation’s first repository for highly radioactive waste is a complex task, which involves all of the following, EXCEPT:
- developing a repository design
- cleaning up obsolete defense sites
- inspecting quality
- testing the safety of the repository system
- Scientists quantify risk by:
- calculating mathematical probabilities
- using common sense
- conducting laboratory experiments
- building computer models
- The probability that you will get “tails” when you flip a coin is:
- .02
- .10
- .20
- .50
- The more a technology seems ____________, the more likely people are to accept the risks associated with that technology. (circle all that apply)
- familiar
- beneficial
- uncertain
- in control
- The Nuclear Waste Policy Act is a law that established national policy for the:
- future of nuclear power generation in the United States
- permanent disposal of highly radioactive waste
- environmental clean-up of our nation’s defense facilities
- disposal of low-level nuclear waste and mill tailings
- The Nuclear Waste Policy Act makes the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for:
- certifying transportation containers and licensing the repository
- establishing health and safety standards for a repository
- siting, designing, constructing, operating, and closing a repository
- evaluating the technical and scientific validity of the studies and findings at Yucca Mountain
- The source of a major portion of the funds that will cover the costs for permanently disposing of commercial spent nuclear fuel is:
- state taxes
- the U.S. Internal Revenue Service
- nuclear power utilities
- income taxes
- All of the following steps are required in the process to develop a deep geologic repository, EXCEPT:
- scientific testing of the repository site
- developing a repository design
- analyzing the current and future impacts of the waste disposal system on people and the environment
- receiving construction authorization and a license to operate the repository from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
- The site characterization studies at Yucca Mountain focused on:
- methods for transporting waste to Yucca Mountain
- features and processes that are important to long-term repository safety
- public attitudes about the repository program
- numbers and types of jobs that will be created or lost
- The Nuclear Waste Policy Act directed the ____________ to establish radiation protection standards for a repository.
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- U.S. Congress
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Department of Energy
- The Nuclear Waste Policy Act requires that any waste transported to a repository must be shipped in special:
- tanks certified by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
- casks certified by the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- barrels certified by the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
- crates certified by the U. S. Department of Energy
- The environmental impact statement for a repository at Yucca Mountain included studies on how the repository would affect:
- Nevada’s economy
- nuclear utilities
- global climate conditions
- future Congressional actions
- The U.S. Department of Energy cannot begin placing waste in a repository until after it receives:
- permission from Congress
- authorization by the Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board
- a license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- acceptance by the Environmental Protection Agency
- Current laws governing the disposal of nuclear waste:
- can never be changed
- can be amended by the U.S. Department of Energy
- can be amended by the state of Nevada
- can be amended by Congress
Answer Key [pdf]
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