An old proverb says that necessity is the mother of invention. For NPRE adjunct professor William Roy, his own lecture notes and the changing times led to the publication of his new textbook, Radioactive Waste Management in the 21st Century.
“I started teaching NPRE 442 (Radioactive Waste Management) in 2008,” Roy said. “I began using a textbook for the course that was helpful, but I also began to write detailed lecture notes. With time, the notes became handouts to the students, then they evolved in book chapters.
“I saw the need to create a new textbook that emphasized geology and chemistry. As the scope of the project grew, I also wanted to have material about uranium and decommissioning included. I saw the need to have an international perspective on waste management. My experiences in Sweden inspired me further.”
The intended audiences for this textbook are undergraduate and graduate students in science and engineering, college-level faculty, attendees at waste-management training courses, Federal and commercial waste management/site remediation staff, environmental consultants, and waste management personnel in the military. At the end of each chapter are review questions that are intended to make this textbook ready for immediate classroom use.
“The safe management of radioactive wastes is of paramount importance in gaining both governmental and societal support for nuclear energy. This new textbook provides a comprehensive perspective on all types of radioactive wastes as to how they are created, classified, characterized, and disposed. We know how to manage radioactive wastes, but we need to better educate the public.”
Roy said he plans to use this book in his Radioactive Waste Management classes and is considering using it for his new course, Decommissioning Nuclear Facilities (NPRE 498).