ECOSYSTEM THEORY 267
FIGURE 4 Schematic design for a waste management park for the atomic power plant (PP) of the future which is located in a natural
watershed basic (outlined by the dashed lines). Waste heat (i.e., thermal pollution) in the reactor cooling water (CW) flowing from a large
storage reservoir (R) is completely dissipated by evaporative cooling from the network of shallow ponds and spray irrigation systems.
The warm ponds may be used for fish culture, sport fishing, or other recreation purposes. Irrigation of portions of the terrestrial watershed
increases the yield of useful forest or agricultural products, while at the same time water recycles through the “living filter” of the land back
into stream, ponds, and ground-water. Low-level nuclear wastes and solid wastes are contained within carefully managed land fill area (W);
high-level nuclear wastes in spent fuel elements are exported to a special nuclear burial ground located outside of the management part.
Stream flow, ground water, and stack gases are continuously monitored by hydrological weirs (HW), monitoring wells (MW), and stack
gas control systems (SG) in order to make certain that no air or water pollution leaves the controlled area. The chief inputs and outputs for
this environmental system include (see numbered marginal arrows): 1, input of sunlight and rainfall; 2, export of nuclear wastes to burial
grounds; 3, electric power to cities, etc.; 4, input of nuclear and other fuels; 5, output of food, fibres, clean air, etc.; 6. downstream flow of
clean water for agriculture, industry, and cities; 7, public and professional use for recreation, education, and environmental research. The
size of such a complete waste management park will depend on regional climates and topography, and on the amount of electrical or other
energy diverted to power cooling, but something on the order of 10,000 acres for a 2500 megawatt power plant would be the minimum
needed to insure 100% pollution control and allow for accidents and mechanical malfunctions. However, such waste treatment capacity
could also support a certain amount of light industry within the park. Heavy industry should be located within its own waste management
park. (From Odum, 1971).C005_003_r03.indd 267C005_003_r03.indd 267 11/18/2005 10:21:03 AM11/18/2005 10:21:03 AM