Radioactive Waste Management Business

INTRODUCTION

STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The production of nuclear weapons and power in the U.S. has left a 50-year legacy of unprecedented volumes of radioactive waste and contaminated subsurface media and structures. An accelerated environmental cleanup strategy will be implemented in the next several years that will rely on privatization and use of private-sector technology, and on the deployment of innovative technologies. This comprehensive Business Communications Co., Inc. (BCC) report analyzes the trends and developments of the U.S. market for radioactive waste management. The report provides an overview of the radioactive waste management business, including history, important regulations, types and characteristics of the wastes, types of radioactive waste management technologies. This report also presents an examination of the nuclear waste industry structure and future trends. Market forecasts are presented by major technology type, technology subcategory within the major technology type, and waste type.

REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY

This Business Opportunity Report is intended to be the most complete, technical, economic, and business document of its type on the radioactive waste management industry, and is designed to provide information of a professional nature. The technical data are dependent on the accuracy of the manufacturers and technical sources that help make up the BCC database. This report is not intended to constitute a legal or accounting document, nor is it an endorsement of any given company or technology. The author and BCC, as publisher, assume no liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on this material.

AUDIENCE FOR THE REPORT

This report will be valuable to those involved in all aspects of radioactive waste management, from generators to vendors. Nuclear waste generators include the national laboratories, industrial research facilities, educational and medical institutions, electrical power utilities, medical diagnostics facilities, and various manufacturing processes. The report will also be of interest to government agencies regulating radioactive waste management activities, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Energy (DOE). The report will be invaluable to vendors and consultants who are seeking solutions to the difficult problems of radioactive waste management. The report will also prove useful to organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency, whose member countries face radioactive waste management challenges similar to those in the U.S. Valuable information is also provided for investors, insurance investigators, legislators and policy makers, stakeholders, underwriters, researchers, and educators.

SCOPE AND FORMAT

This report provides an analysis of the market for radioactive waste management technologies and services. The eight technology types analyzed are: characterization, monitoring, and sensors; containment and storage; compaction and size reduction; treatment; stabilization and encapsulation; remediation; decontamination and decommissioning; and waste transportation and disposal. Markets are also analyzed for waste transportation and disposal, and for waste management infrastructures, and for research and support services.

The report describes types of radioactive wastes and their characteristics. The history, structure, and key regulatory drivers of the industry are provided, along with an analysis of future trends that will affect the industry. Prominent domestic and foreign companies in the industry are profiled. The report also provides a detailed analysis of the current (2002) market and forecasts the market through the year 2007 by major technology type and subcategory, and by waste type. An assessment of technology needs for each technology category at Department of Energy field offices is also provided. International aspects of radioactive waste management are covered through market forecasts and profiles of countries with substantial radioactive waste inventories. The Appendices provide additional data on patents, products and services, agencies and organizations, references (including published, online, and Internet sources of information), and technology needs.