Brief Description
A fascinating and authoritative account of the controversies and possibilities surrounding nuclear waste disposal, providing expert discussion in down-to-earth language.
Learn More about the Book
Today, the issue of waste management is as prominent as reactor safety in the controversies surrounding nuclear power and is particularly topical in the US since the 2010 closure of the Yucca Mountain repository project. William and Rosemarie Alley provide an engaging and authoritative account of the controversies and possibilities surrounding disposal of nuclear waste in the US, with reference also to other countries around the world. The book tells the full history from the beginnings after World War II up to today, bringing to life the pioneering science, the political wrangling and media drama, and the not-in-my-backyard communities fighting to put waste elsewhere. Written in down-to-earth language, by an expert with key involvement in the Yucca Mountain project, this is a timely book for public interest groups, affected communities, policymakers, environmentalists and research scientists working in related fields and anyone interested in finding out more about this important issue.
About the Author
William and Rosemarie Alley are a husband and wife team, writing for the general public on Earth science issues confronting society. As a leading expert in the field of hydrogeology, Dr William M. Alley has won numerous awards for his work, including the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Shoemaker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Communication and the Meritorious Presidential Rank Award. Dr Alley served as Chief of the Office of Groundwater for the USGS for almost two decades and oversaw the Yucca Mountain Project from 2002 to 2010. Rosemarie Alley has a Master's degree in special education. As a literacy specialist, she has taught young adults with language delays and conducted numerous reading workshops for teachers, administrators and parents.
Review Quotes
1. Coming from a concerned environmentalist perspective, this is an outstanding, well-researched book, containing a wealth of information about the global issue of radioactive waste, and presented in a highly readable style. - Professor Bill Lee FREng, Co-director, Imperial College Centre for Nuclear Engineering
2. This is a fascinating and highly readable book from authors with deep knowledge and a wealth of sharp (and often amusing) insights into the ups and downs of the US radioactive waste management programme. It will appeal especially to geologists, nuclear scientists and technologists with a taste for the lessons of history, particularly those experiencing today the difficulties of implementing solutions to a complex technical problem that is also highly charged, politically and societally. - Professor Neil Chapman, MCM Switzerland and University of Sheffield, UK
3. " I encourage anyone remotely interested in the topic to buy a copy this is a very affordable book. The authors have done a remarkable job of making the scientific information accessible to lay persons. I certainly learned much about national laboratories, the role of the DOE, the National Academy of Sciences, and the amazing and complex ramifications of politics. Woven in are biographies of scientists and lots of side science stories, from ocean currents to the origin of Monte Carlo simulations. Treatment is fair: you get the sense that the authors tried hard to present the facts and all sides of the story. This book would be ideal for using in a seminar class. Overall a fascinating read."
Pierrette Tremblay, Elements, August 2013"
4. "The book is well-written, informative and substantive [with] many fun facts woven into the history an excellent book and a nice technical review for anyone wanting to comprehend why the task of dealing with this trash has been so mired in obstacles."
Robert Hayes, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Physics World, August 2013"
5. "This book offers a well-written, sober account of this sorry, continuing chapter in the development of the U.S. nuclear industry."
Natural Hazards Observer, July 2013
6. " William and Rosemarie Alley weave a powerful and compelling narrative The book is both enlightening and enjoyable to read The relevance of hydrogeology to such a globally critical issue makes Too Hot to Touch a worthwhile and highly recommended read for all hydrogeologists, as well as for a much broader audience with an interest in radioactive waste disposal."
Leonard F. Konikow, Hydrogeology Journal"
7. "Coming from a concerned environmentalist perspective, this is an outstanding, well-researched book, containing a wealth of information about the global issue of radioactive waste, and presented in a highly readable style."
Professor Bill Lee FREng, co-director, Centre for Nuclear Engineering, Imperial College London
8. "This is a fascinating and highly readable book from authors with deep knowledge and a wealth of sharp (and often amusing) insights into the ups and downs of the US radioactive waste management programme. It will appeal especially to geologists, nuclear scientists and technologists with a taste for the lessons of history, particularly those experiencing today the difficulties of implementing solutions to a complex technical problem that is also highly charged, politically and societally."
Professor Neil Chapman, MCM Switzerland and University of Sheffield
9. "With Congress considering plans to restart the search for a burial site Too Hot to Touch lays out some critical questions for the jostling parties to think about."
Matthew Wald, The New York Times"
10. "Well-written, well-organized, even-handed, and extremely well-documented."
WaterWired
11. "I encourage anyone remotely interested in the topic to buy a copy this is a very affordable book. The authors have done a remarkable job of making the scientific information accessible to lay persons. I certainly learned much about national laboratories, the role of the DOE, the National Academy of Sciences, and the amazing and complex ramifications of politics. Woven in are biographies of scientists and lots of side science stories, from ocean currents to the origin of Monte Carlo simulations. Treatment is fair: you get the sense that the authors tried hard to present the facts and all sides of the story. This book would be ideal for using in a seminar class a fascinating read."
Pierrette Tremblay, Elements"
12. " well-written, informative and substantive [with] many fun facts woven into the history an excellent book and a nice technical review for anyone wanting to comprehend why the task of dealing with this trash has been so mired in obstacles."
Robert Hayes, Physics World"
13. " offers a well-written, sober account of this sorry, continuing chapter in the development of the US nuclear industry."
Natural Hazards Observer"
14. "William and Rosemarie Alley weave a powerful and compelling narrative The book is both enlightening and enjoyable to read The relevance of hydrogeology to such a globally critical issue makes Too Hot to Touch a worthwhile and highly recommended read for all hydrogeologists, as well as for a much broader audience with an interest in radioactive waste disposal."
Leonard F. Konikow, Hydrogeology Journal"
15. "This excellent book reviews the never-ending search for a safe, durable solution for storing or disposing of high-level nuclear waste well documented Highly recommended."
R. M. Ferguson, Choice"
16. " [a] masterly account by the former Chief of the Office of Groundwater of the US Geological Survey and his spouse. Bill and Rosemarie Alley's tale documents how politics, litigation, and self-interest can interfere with a technical task of the highest importance."
Richard Jackson, The Geological Society of America"
17. " a fascinating and well-told tale spanning six decades from the immediate post-World War II era to the present day It serves as a primer on the scientific issues and terminology that the reader requires to make sense of the issue "
E. M. Kwicklis, Geofluids"
18. " a thorough history of nuclear waste generation and disposal both engaging and insightful. It is enriched by numerous anecdotes and biographical sketches that are frequently amusing or disconcerting reasonably priced and should be of interest to a broad audience."
Alan E. Fryar, Groundwater"
