Category of Content
Siting Experience Documents Only
Publication Date
Subject Matter
Keywords
Screening Analysis of Criticality Features, Events, and Processes for License Application
Screening Analysis of Criticality Features, Events, and Processes for License Application
Overview of the Section 180(c) Program: History, Lessons Learned, and Potential Next Steps
Overview of the Section 180(c) Program: History, Lessons Learned, and Potential Next Steps
The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) is responsible, under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, for the transportation of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste from point of origin to destination at a federal storage or disposal facility. Section 180(c), written into the Nuclear Waste Policy Act Amendments of 1987, requires OCRWM to prepare public safety officials along the routes for these shipments.
Public Beliefs, Concerns and Preferences Regarding the Management of Used Nuclear Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste
Public Beliefs, Concerns and Preferences Regarding the Management of Used Nuclear Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste
US policy for management of used nuclear fuel (UNF) and high level radioactive wastes (HLRW) is at a crossroads, and the success of new policy directions will depend in part on broad public acceptance and support. In this paper I provide an overview of the evidence concerning the beliefs and concerns of members of the American public regarding UNF and HLNW. I also characterize the evidence on American’s policy preferences for management of these materials.
Calculation Method for the Projection of Future Spent Nuclear Fuel Discharges
Calculation Method for the Projection of Future Spent Nuclear Fuel Discharges
This report describes the calculation method developed for the projection of future utility spent nuclear fuel (SNF) discharges in regard to their timing, quantity, burnup, and initial enrichment. This projection method complements the utility-supplied RW-859 data on historic discharges and short-term projections of SNF discharges by providing long-term projections that complete the total life cycle of discharges for each of the current U.S. nuclear power reactors.
Confidence in the Long-term Safety of Deep Geological Repositories
Confidence in the Long-term Safety of Deep Geological Repositories
Confidence in the long-term safety of deep geological disposal, and the ways in which this
confidence can be obtained and communicated, are topics of great importance to the radioactive waste
management community.1
The technical aspects of confidence have been the subject of considerable debate, especially
the concept of model validation. It has, for example, been pointed out that it is impossible to describe
fully the evolution of an open system, such as a repository and its environment, that cannot be
Standards & Regulations for the Geologic Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste
Standards & Regulations for the Geologic Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste
This paper draws on my experience as a reviewer of the scientific programs and performance assessments of the geological repository for transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico and the proposed repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. In addition, I have served on numerous committees of the National Research Council that have addressed many aspects of nuclear waste management.
Nuclear Waste Facility Siting and Local Opposition
Nuclear Waste Facility Siting and Local Opposition
On the historic evidence, but also for the distinctive qualities of the challenge, nuclear waste siting conflicts are assuredly among the most refractory in the large variety of NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) facility siting disputes. Since the president brought the Yucca Mountain process to a halt in 2010 (or, more accurately, issued its death certificate), the search for a permanent waste fuel repository is at the starting line again.
Options for Developing Public and Stakeholder Engagement for the Storage and Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and High Level Waste (HLW) in the United States
Options for Developing Public and Stakeholder Engagement for the Storage and Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and High Level Waste (HLW) in the United States
This report puts forth a number of options and recommendations for how to engage
stakeholders and other members of the public in the storage and management of spent
nuclear fuel and high level waste in the United States. The options are generated from a
scientific review of existing publications proposing criteria for assessing past efforts to
engage publics and stakeholders in decision-making about risky technologies. A set of
nine principles are derived for evaluating cases of public and stakeholder engagement with
Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste
Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste
In the course of producing electrical power in light water.reactors (LWRs), the uranium
fuel accumulates fission products until the fission process is no longer efficient for power
production. At that point the fuel is removed from the reactor and stored in water basins
to allow radioactivity to partially decay before further disposition. This fuel is referred
to as "spent fuel." Although spent fuel as At is discharged from a reactor is intensely
radioactive, it has been stored safely in moderate quantities for decades. Spent fuel could
Report to Congress on Reassessment of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program
Report to Congress on Reassessment of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program
The success of the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program of the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) is critical to U.S. ability to manage and dispose of
nuclear waste safely--and to the reestablishment of confidence in the nuclear energy
option in the United States. The program must conform with all applicable standards
and, in fact, set the example for a national policy on the safe disposal of radioactive
waste.
The Secretary of Energy has recently completed an extensive review of the
Extended Storage and Transportation - Evaluation of Drying Adequacy
Extended Storage and Transportation - Evaluation of Drying Adequacy
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is evaluating the safety and security of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) stored in dry casks for extended time periods before transportation to a location where the SNF is further processed or permanently disposed.
Transportation and Storage Subcommittee Report to the Full Commission DRAFT
Transportation and Storage Subcommittee Report to the Full Commission DRAFT
The main question before the Transportation and Storage Subcommittee was whether the United States
should change its approach to storing and transporting spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level
radioactive waste (HLW) while one or more permanent disposal facilities are established.
To answer this question and to develop specific recommendations and options for consideration by the
full Commission, the Subcommittee held multiple meetings and deliberative sessions, visited several
The Potential of Using Commercial Dual Purpose Canisters for Direct Disposal
The Potential of Using Commercial Dual Purpose Canisters for Direct Disposal
This report evaluates the potential for directly disposing of licensed commercial Dual Purpose
Canisters (DPCs) inside waste package overpacks without reopening. The evaluation considers
the principal features of the DPC designs that have been licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) as these relate to thedesigns of waste packages and as they relate to
disposability in a repository in unsaturated volcanic tuff. Where DPC features appear to compromise future disposability in an unsaturated tuff (e.g., Yucca Mountain) repository
Draft Report for Comment: Identification and Prioritization of the Technical Information Needs Affecting Potential Regulation of Extended Storage and Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Draft Report for Comment: Identification and Prioritization of the Technical Information Needs Affecting Potential Regulation of Extended Storage and Transportation of Spent Nuclear Fuel
he U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulates storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from commercial nuclear power plants. An increasing amount of the SNF in storage is in dry storage systems, mostly at current and decommissioned plants. As directed by the Commission (in SRM-COMSECY-10-0007; December 6, 2010), in expectation of continued use of dry storage for extended periods of time, the NRC staff is examining the technical needs and potential changes to the regulatory framework that may be needed to continue licensing of SNF storage over periods beyond 120 years.
Background Paper on Commingling of Defense and Commercial Waste
Background Paper on Commingling of Defense and Commercial Waste
Since a 1985 decision by President Reagan that a separate permanent repository for disposal of
defense high level waste was not required1, DOE has planned for disposal of all high-level waste
and spent fuel from national defense activities and DOE’s own research activities in a repository
for commercial waste developed under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA). The Commission
has heard recommendations from some commenters2 that this decision be revisited, or even
Nuclear Wastes: Technologies for Separations and Transmutation
Nuclear Wastes: Technologies for Separations and Transmutation
Disposal of radioactive waste from nuclear weapons production and power generation has
caused public outcry and political consternation. Nuclear Wastes presents a critical review
of some waste management and disposal alternatives to the current national policy of
direct disposal of light water reactor spent fuel. The book offers clearcut conclusions for
what the nation should do today and what solutions should be explored for tomorrow.
The committee examines the currently used "once-through" fuel cycle versus different
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982
Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982
An Act to provide for the development of repositories for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, to establish a program of research, de- velopment, and demonstration regarding the disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel, and for other purposes.
Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste
Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste
The objective of this safety requirements publication is to set down the protection objectives and criteria for geological disposal and to establish the requirements that must be met to ensure the safety of this disposal option, consistent with the established principles of safety for radioactive waste management.
Nuclear Waste: Is There A Need For Federal Interim Storage?
Nuclear Waste: Is There A Need For Federal Interim Storage?
About 20,000 metric tons of spent, or used, nuclear
fuel have accumulated since the beginning of commercial
nuclear power prbduction in the United States. At the end
of the currently licensed period of all existing nuclear power
plants and those under construction, the amount of spent
nuclear fuel is expected to total 87,000 metric tons.
Thus far, practically all of the spent nuclear fuel is
stored in water-filled pools at reactor sites. However, space
does not exist in the pools to store all the spent fuel expected
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste: Volume IV—Lessons Learned
EPRI Review of Geologic Disposal for Used Fuel and High Level Radioactive Waste: Volume IV—Lessons Learned
The effective termination of the Yucca Mountain program by the U.S. Administration in 2009
has further delayed the construction and operation of a permanent disposal facility for used fuel
and high level radioactive waste (HLW) in the United States. In concert with this decision, the
President directed the Energy Secretary to establish the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s
Nuclear Future to review and provide recommendations on options for managing used fuel and
Transportation and Storage Subcommittee Report to the Full Commission Updated Report
Transportation and Storage Subcommittee Report to the Full Commission Updated Report
The main question before the Transportation and Storage Subcommittee was whether the United States should change its approach to storing and transporting spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) while one or more disposal facilities are established.
Assessment of Disposal Options for DOE-Managed High-Level Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel
Assessment of Disposal Options for DOE-Managed High-Level Radioactive Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel
This report was prepared for the Secretary of Energy by a team of federal and contractor
personnel led by the Department’s Office of Nuclear Energy. The report assesses the technical
options for the permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel
(SNF) managed by the Department of Energy. Specifically, it considers whether DOE-managed HLW and
SNF should be disposed of with commercial SNF and HLW in one geologic repository or whether there
Application of Spatial Data Modeling Systems, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and Transportation Routing Optimization Methods for Evaluating Integrated Deployment of Interim Spent Fuel Storage Installations and Advanced Nuclear Plants
Application of Spatial Data Modeling Systems, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), and Transportation Routing Optimization Methods for Evaluating Integrated Deployment of Interim Spent Fuel Storage Installations and Advanced Nuclear Plants
The objective of this siting study work is to support DOE in evaluating integrated advanced nuclear plant and ISFSI deployment options in the future. This study looks at several nuclear power plant growth scenarios that consider the locations of existing and planned commercial nuclear power plants integrated with the establishment of consolidated interim spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs).
Disposal Concepts/Thermal Load Management (FY11/12 Summary Report)
Disposal Concepts/Thermal Load Management (FY11/12 Summary Report)
This report is part of study to identify reference geologic disposal concepts for generic studies in the Used Fuel Disposition R&D Campaign. This report summarizes the work on both enclosed and open modes, which has been expanded to include thermal analysis of open modes, a range of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) burnup, additional disposal system description, and cost estimation.