Current U.S. nuclear waste law and policy is bankrupt. The 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) set a 1998 deadline for opening a deep geologic repository to receive spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) from reprocessing. In 1987, Congress amended the Act to designate Yucca Mountain in Nevada as the only potential site, and severely restricted the development of any federal facility for consolidated storage of nuclear waste. Nevada’s unrelenting opposition to the Yucca repository eventually succeeded with the election of Barack Obama as President.

EPA held a 90-day public comment period for the proposed radiation protection standards for Yucca Mountain (August 27, 1999 through November 26, 1999). Sixty-nine (69) sets of written comments were submitted to EPAÕs Air Docket regarding the proposed standards, although some commenters submitted more than one set of written comments. In addition, the Agency received oral testimony on the proposed standards from 28 speakers during public hearings that were held in Washington, DC; Las Vegas, NV; Amargosa Valley, NV; and Kansas City, MO.

We, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are promulgating public health and safety standards for radioactive material stored or disposed of in the potential repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Section 801 of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (EnPA, Pub. L. 102Ð486) directs us to develop these standards. Section 801 of the EnPA also requires us to contract with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct a study to provide findings and recommendations on reasonable standards for protection of the public health and safety.

In the early 1970s the federal government selected an area in southeastern New Mexico containing large underground salt beds as potentially suitable for radioactive waste disposal. An extensive site characterization program was initiated by the federal government. This site became the "Waste Isolation Pilot Plant," better known as WIPP. It is now 1997, over two decades after the initial selection of the New Mexico site as a potential radioactive waste repository.

In 1986, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Project<br/>Office (WPO) (DOE-WPO) prepared a strategy _ for complying with the Environmental<br/>Protection Agency&#39;s (EPA&#39;s) Standards for the management of transuranic (TRU) waste. 2<br/>Section 3.2.2.2 of the DOE&#39;s report addressed compliance with the Assurance<br/>Requirements found in 40 CFR § 191.143 . One of the Assurance Requirements addresses<br/>the selection of repository sites that contain recoverable natural resources.

This paper is about the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) &quot;Environmental Standards for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Wastes, &quot; 40 CFR 191. These standards regulate the disposal of radioactive wastes in geologic repositories.

This document provides environmental input for certain decisions in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program for managing the transuranic radio-active waste generated in the national defense program. This final environ-mental impact statement was preceded by a draft statement published by the DOE in April 1979. Large quantities of radioactive waste have resulted from the production of nuclear weapons and the operation of military reactors in national defense programs. This waste includes both high-level waste (HLW) and transuranic (TRU) waste.

This document provides environmental input for certain decisions in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program for managing the transuranic radio-active waste generated in the national defense program. This final environ-mental impact statement was preceded by a draft statement published by the DOE in April 1979. Large quantities of radioactive waste have resulted from the production of nuclear weapons and the operation of military reactors in national defense programs. This waste includes both high-level waste (HLW) and transuranic (TRU) waste.