Finland is leading the world when it comes to permanently disposing of spent nuclear fuel in a deep geologic repository. Their Onkalo facility recently completed excavation of the first of five final disposal tunnels, a 1.7 km long tunnel. Ground Engineering magazine has a nice article about the project and the recent milestone, but there is a very cool article by BusinessInsider.com where their science reporter got a tour of the facility and has lots of great photos and videos. If you really want to see how the facility will operate, check out that article. One of the videos is shown below, an animation of how the waste capsules will be stored in vertical shafts extending below the main disposal tunnels.
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New Water Supply Tunnels Underneath New York City
Urban miners have been busy constructing a new water supply tunnel underneath New York City to supply the megalopolis with the water it needs. The miners, or sandhogs as they are known, are about halfway complete with the new tunnel which is expected to be in service by the year 2020. Work on the 60-mile tunnel began in 1970 and the total projected cost is $6 billion and is widely regarded as one of the most complex public works projects in the western hemisphere. When complete, it will help deliver 1.2 billion gallons DAILY to 8 million New Yorkers. The city currently gets its drinking water from two water supply tunnels that were constructed in the early 20th century and have not been inspected or repaired since then. More after the break. (Image credit History.com)