Fitting The Pieces is a 1985 film on managing nuclear waste made by the Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc., which promoted the concept of nuclear waste disposal in an underground repository similar to that proposed for Yucca Mountain. The film covers the steps that are taken to safely dispose of high-level nuclear waste in underground storage facilities located in stable rock bed formations. Former astronaut Alan Bean (01:19) talks about standing on the moon and how it is possible by fitting various pieces together to achieve a single goal, which is the thrust of the film as it shows various science fields’ roles in disposing of nuclear waste (hydrology, nuclear engineering, physics, geology, and more). There are shots of NASA scientists (03:40) working in labs and engineers in control rooms, tests conducted on astronauts, and the launching of a space shuttle (04:08). A number of scientists work together to manage the safe disposal of radioactive waste in underground repositories (04:41). Dr. Richard Wilson (04:52), Chair of Harvard’s Physics Department, explains the production of nuclear fuel rods (05:26), as graphics show how nuclear power is produced and how the spent rods are highly radioactive waste (06:15) called high-level waste. Rods are removed from a commercial plant’s core, then stored in pools of water to diminish the heat and radioactivity levels (06:39). Pharaonic tombs in Egypt (07:22) and the famous pictograph caves at Lascaux, France (08:30) demonstrate that underground rock formations are ideal for preserving manmade materials. Scientists identify potential storage sites in stable underground rock formations (08:52), then test for seismic activity (09:55). Hydrologist study the sites’ water movement, which is crucial for safely storing nuclear waste. Computer models (10:55) study ground water movement and the history of ground water movement to predict suitability. A waste and isolation site (11:23) in the middle of massive salt rock formation with no ground water presence is ideal. Another issue is the transportation of the waste to the disposal facilities. A truck hauls waste on a highway (12:20). Computer models (12:34) are used to test potential transportation accidents and how waste containers will hold up. Scientists conduct a number of tests on containers (13:00), including drops, head-on crashes, and a train engine collision. Animated renderings of a nuclear waste repository (14:58) show how the waste is received and then stored using the multiple engineered barrier approach for maximum protection. Storage testing is conducted at Nevada’s Climax Mine (18:15) site. Scientists in labs in France develop processes to reprocess spent nuclear fuel (20:12) into a type of glass that can safely be stored. In France, chemists investigate isotope levels of uranium at the Oklo Mine in Gabon (21:18) and discover that uranium levels were so high that a natural process of nuclear fission occurred but the clay and shale deposits naturally prevented the nuclear waste from contaminating nearby areas, further solidifying the understanding of storing nuclear waste in underground facilities within stable rock formations.

The Atomic Industrial Forum (AIF) was an industrial policy organization for the commercial development of nuclear power nuclear energy. In 1987 the AIF was reconfigured into the Nuclear Utility Management and Resources Council (NUMARC), which addressed generic regulatory and technical issues, and the U.S. Council for Energy Awareness (USCEA), founded in 1979. In 1994 these two organizations were again reorganized and re-purposed. The Nuclear Energy Institute and the American Nuclear Energy Council (ANEC conducted public affairs, and the nuclear division of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI), was responsible for issues involving nuclear fuel supply and management, and the economics of nuclear energy.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com