Ep 96: Elizabeth Muller, Co-Founder & CEO of Deep Isolation
Today's guest is Elizabeth Muller, Co-Founder & CEO of Deep Isolation. Deep Isolation is a startup, providing a safe and permanent solution for nuclear waste disposal. Applying the technology and methods of directional drilling, the company offers a way to store waste deep below the earth in a way that better safeguards the biosphere, water resources and nearby communities. Prior to founding Deep Isolation, Elizabeth was the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Berkeley Earth, a public benefit organization using modern statistical techniques to study and address major environmental concerns, such as global warming and air pollution. This is a fascinating discussion in which we delve into the decades-long problem of nuclear waste, its many important considerations, and Deep Isolation’s innovative solution. I think you’ll be intrigued by all that we discuss. Enjoy the show! You can find me on twitter @jjacobs22 or @mcjpod and email at [email protected], where I encourage you to share your feedback on episodes and suggestions for future topics or guests.
Inevitable · Elizabeth Muller, Jason Jacobs
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Show Notes
In today’s episode, we cover:
- What is Deep Isolation and how it’s addressing the issue of nuclear waste disposal
- The half-a-century history of nuclear waste
- Genesis of Deep Isolation and Elizabeth’s earlier work founding Berkeley Earth
- Directional drilling as a solution for long-term storage of nuclear waste
- Partnerships with communities
- Pollution studies performed by Berkeley Earth
- The opportunity of using impermeable rock
- The importance of being able to retrieve waste stored in drill-holes
- How the issue of consent by a community underpins the solution
- The pros and cons of Yucca Mountain as a long-term storage plan
- Partnership with Bechtel
- How it serves governments and utilities differently
- The gamut of storage solutions used globally
- Stages of going to market
- Deep Isolation’s funding to date and sources of capital
- Where it sees opportunities in terms of future financial partners
- Stakeholders in the nuclear waste space
- Engagement with environmental groups
Links to topics discussed in this episode:
- Deep Isolation: https://www.deepisolation.com/
- Berkeley Earth: http://berkeleyearth.org/
- Directional drilling: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directional_drilling
- Borehole disposal: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_borehole_disposal
- Yucca Mountain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain_nuclear_waste_repository
- Bechtel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bechtel
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*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant