Managing Used Nuclear Fuel

The full text of the Blue Ribbon Commission report that supported the development of initiatives like Consent-Based Siting (CBS). This report was commissioned after the pause on Yucca Mountain.

A document written by the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards detailing the NRC-specific recommendations that stemmed from the Blue Ribbon Commission report on America’s Nuclear Future. 

A document written by the NRC detailing a risk-informed approach for executing its Strategic Plan. It describes the development of the risk-informed activities and lays out implementation plans related to rulemaking, safety procedures, and licensing. It highlights accomplishments related to this plan.

The full text of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), including all amendments to date. The NWPA is the guiding Congressional Act that guides the development of long-term spent nuclear fuel storage.

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.