IU Professor's findings to be used in proposal to Congress

A report co-authored by IU mineralogy professor David Bish and Los Alamos National Laboratory scientists recently made a case for Yucca Mountain, Nev., as the site for a new federal repository. The repository would serve as a permanent storage location for 70,000 metric tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste. \nPublished in American Mineralogist, the report will serve as the centerpiece for the U.S Department of Energy's proposal to Congress for a license to build the repository. The research itself was funded by the department, more directly by the tax on nuclear power users.\n"The paper was a summary of about 20 years of research by my co-authors and I," Bish said. "It presents the most complete picture yet of the mineralogy of Yucca Mountain in a way that the public can get at it and form their own opinion."\nAbhijit Basu, chair of the IU Department of Geological Sciences, commented on the significance of the research.\n"We cannot just put our nuclear waste anywhere," Basu said. "We will have big problems if we cannot find a way to store it. Yucca Mountain figures to be one of the least unsafe places to contain the waste."\nThe report found that Yucca Mountain is rich in minerals that would assist in containing the waste. Yucca Mountain rocks are rife with zeolites -- soft minerals that easily absorb great amounts water. This water would then absorb the heat generated by the radioactive materials, providing an outlet for that energy.\n"We need to continue to emphasize the natural barriers for the radioactive material, such as the zeolites, as well as the man-made barriers," Bish said. \nThe opportunity to conduct extensive research like Bish's is not what all professors consider the greatest benefit of their profession. However, in most science departments, research is often the best way to apply education. Petrology professor Robert Wintsch stressed the positive impact research has on students.\n"Research in our field allows students to know what significant geological issues are, as well as understanding that environmental issues can be addressed by looking at rocks," Wintsch said. \nBish said his greatest satisfaction comes from the classroom.\n"I enjoy the classroom more than anything, but in research you're able to appreciate why you know certain things. You apply your knowledge, and that's why it's so beneficial to students," Bish said. "If all you did was take classes all your life, it would be pretty dry -- especially in science."\nSome students in the geological sciences department, like graduate student Kat Nell, argue their professors don't get the recognition they deserve. \n"There are a lot of professors working on stuff at the international level," Nell said.\nNell said a group of their seismologists are going to Venezuela to install an array of seismographs. She also said Basu collaborates research with NASA, among others. \n"The main problem is that we're just not very visible to people on campus," she said, "though we're trying to change that."\nThe department chair, however, isn't troubled by the lack of exposure.\n"It's true that our researchers may not garner much publicity, but that's not necessarily a bad thing," Basu said. "University professors do not advertise themselves. They do not want to be misrepresented -- especially to their peers."\nIn the meantime, Basu is pleased with the success of the department's newcomer. Bish has been with IU since August.\n"As a chair, I have very high hopes for professor Bish," Basu said. "He has the potential to receive a great amount of national and international recognition."\n-- Contact staff writer Daniel Castro at dacastro@indiana.edu.