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| DOE_MRS_Preliminary_Site_Requirements.pdf (751.03 KB) | 751.03 KB |
In the November 1989 Report to Congress on Reassessment of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program (DOE/RW-0247), the Secretary of Energy announced an initiative for developing a monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility that is to start spent-fuel acceptance in 1998. This facility, which will be licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), will receive spent fuel from commercial nuclear power plants and provide a limited amount of storage for this spent fuel. When a geologic repository starts operations, the MRS facility will also stage spent-fuel shipments to the repository. By law, storage at the MRS facility is to be temporary, with permanent disposal provided in a geologic repository to be developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987, which authorized the DOE to site, construct, and operate an MRS facility, establishes two alternative paths for siting the facility: (1) siting by a DOE-directed survey-and-evaluation process and (2) siting through the efforts of the Nuclear Waste Negotiator, whose office was established for that purpose. The Negotiator is to seek to negotiate a proposed agreement with a State or Indian Tribe willing to site an MRS facility at a technically qualified site.<br/>Examination of the applicable Federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, and DOE orders and experience with comparable facilities suggest that many places within the contiguous United States would be technically suitable. Siting through negotiation is the path preferred by the DOE. To provide guidance<br/>in assessing whether potential sites would be suitable, the DOE prepared this report. It presents preliminary site requirements and considerations that are intended as guidance in siting the MRS facility. It has been reviewed by the NRC staff, which stated that this document is suitable for "guidance in making preliminary determinations concerning MRS site suitability." The preliminary requirements and considerations are<br/>not dependent on the approach to MRS development or on details of design and hence should be applicable to a range of design options and concepts for storing and handling spent fuel. There are several proven concepts for handling and storage that could be used at the MRS facility. The concept that is chosen will depend on safety, licensing, cost, and schedule considerations and the preferences of the volunteer host.<br/>The preliminary site requirements are based on specific requirements in the applicable Federal statutes and regulations, including the site-evaluation factors in the regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that will be applied to the MRS facility (Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 72 (10 CFR Part 72),<br/>Subpart E). Unless they are met, these requirements exclude areas from further consideration.<br/>The preliminary site requirements cover the following: <br/>• Colocation with a geologic repository<br/>• Site size<br/>• Single-use protected lands<br/>• Coastal barriers<br/>• Critical habitat for endangered or threatened species<br/>• Hazardous wastes<br/>If a site meets the site requirements, then it should be technically suitable. The next<br/>step is to apply the preliminary site considerations, which identify the enhancing and<br/>favorable attributes of technically qualified sites-attributes that would enhance the ease<br/>with which compliance with applicable Federal regulations can be demonstrated. The<br/>preliminary site considerations, which are based on Federal statutes and regulations<br/>(including Subparts E and F of 10 CFR Part 72) and program preferences, identify<br/>conditions that are preferable, rather than mandatory. They should be especially useful<br/>to a host considering multiple sites for potential negotiations.<br/>The preliminary site considerations are divided into five groups: (1) geologic and<br/>other hazards, (2) environmental factors, (3) socioeconomic factors, ( 4) transportation,<br/>and (5) cost and development time. They cover the following:<br/>• Geologic and other hazards<br/>- Natural seismic hazards<br/>- Induced seismicity<br/>- Surface faulting<br/>- Floodplains<br/>- Ground stability<br/>- Volcanism<br/>- Other extreme natural phenomena<br/>- Human activities<br/>• Environmental factors<br/>- Wetlands and coastal zones<br/>- Preservation of ground-water quality<br/>- Preservation of air quality<br/>- Protected species<br/>- Historical, cultural, or archaeological resources<br/>• Socioeconomic factors<br/>- land use and ownership<br/>• Transportation<br/>• Cost and development time<br/>The preliminary site requirements and considerations are not currently part of the DOE's technical baseline of requirements and are not intended to fully cover all regulatory requirements or to cover requirements for the license application that will be submitted to the Commission. They are intended to provide guidance and have wide applicability. Their purpose is to permit a reasonable determination, on the basis of available information without extensive analysis, that a site is potentially suitable for an MRS facility. However, if sufficient data are not available for analysis, then it may be necessary to gather additional data.<br/>Once a potential MRS site is negotiated, a detailed analysis of the regulatory requirements will be completed to support the design and licensing of the facility. Before the submittal of a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the conditions and characteristics of the site will be determined to demonstrate<br/>compliance with 10 CFR Part 72.
