What is Consent-Based Siting?
Consent-based siting is an approach to siting facilities that prioritizes the participation and needs of people and communities and seeks their willing and informed consent to accept a project in their community. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is using a consent-based siting approach to identify one or more sites for federal consolidated interim storage facilities for commercial spent nuclear fuel.
Understanding DOE’s Critical Decision Process: Progress Toward a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility for Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel
The critical decision (CD) process is used by the Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Department’s large-scale, long-term projects, also known as capital projects. CD-0 was recently approved for DOE’s Consolidated Interim Storage Facility project. Learn more about this milestone.
A flyer by the NRC that describes security measures and related logistics applied to spent fuel in transit. It explains the agencies involved and major responsibilities of each as well as notable safety practices required by NRC regulations.
A single-page document by the NRC that consists of detailed diagrams of spent fuel transportation casks. The diagrams show cutaways of generic truck and rail casks which each component is identified and describes the dimensions, weight, and capacity.
A brief document by the NRC that briefly describes the lifecycle of nuclear fuel, focusing on the concept of “burnup.” It explains what burnup is and how it’s evaluated, why it’s important, what storage and transportation implications may be, and what R&D is being done to support working with high burnup fuel.
A brief document by the NRC that broadly describes the usage and storage lifecycle of nuclear fuel. The main focus is on the transition from the spent fuel pool to dry storage and explains why dry storage is necessary, how casks are licensed, and the safety, radioactive, and thermal components of dry cask storage.
A brief document by the NRC explaining the various types and levels of radioactive waste regulated by the NRC. It describes the radiological behavior of nuclear materials and how that influences how the waste is handled and what safety considerations are present. It also describes the responsibilities of the NRC, DOE, EPA, DOT, and DOI are where radioactive waste is concerned.
A brief document by the NRC that gives a slightly more detailed explanation of the physical components of spent fuel storage. This document includes diagrams and photographs illustrating fuel rods and assemblies, a storage pool, the construction of dry casks, and an ISFSI. It describes the safety, radiological, and thermal performance of each storage type.
Consent-based siting consortia support DOE's efforts to facilitate inclusive community engagement and elicit public feedback on consent-based siting, management of spent nuclear fuel, and federal consolidated interim storage. The 12 awardees are comprised of various organizations to help reach communities across the country and remove barriers to participate in DOE's consent-based siting process.
Awardees have made significant progress in carrying out community engagement activities and providing direct grants to communities wanting to learn more.
A document by the American Association of Railroads describing recommended operating practices for railroads carrying hazardous materials. The scope of hazardous materials is not limited to radiological material. Their recommendations include notifications, emergency response information, and other operating best practices.
