Q: With the explosion inside a French nuclear facility being in the news, how do the French secure and dispose of their nuclear waste?
—David Matheny, Rome
A: The French manage their waste like the U.S., Germany and other countries with a nuclear industry, Andrew Sherry, a professor and director of the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester in England, told Q&A on the News in an e-mail. "The wastes are classified according to their radioactivity characteristics and content, and will be disposed of in line with what is accepted as best practice internationally," he said. Very low level waste is buried at Morvilliers, Sherry said. Higher activity waste is immobilized, mainly in cement or glass, and is being stored while a deep geological disposal facility is being constructed. "There is an underground laboratory (in Meuse/Haut-Marne) in which experiments are being carried out in support of deep geological disposal," Sherry said. No leak resulted from the Sept. 12 explosion that killed one person.
Q: Why are dump trucks allowed on Georgia roads without a license plate? Are dump trucks exempt from registration and compliance with safety rules?
—Pavittar Safir, Roswell
A: No vehicle is exempt from registration and compliance with safety rules, Georgia Dept. of Revenue officials told Q&A on the News. Dump trucks must display the license plate on the front of the vehicle, according to rules set by the Georgia Dept. of Revenue.
Lori Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or e-mail q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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