The purpose of this study is to assist decision makers in evaluating the centralized interim<br>storage option. We explore the economics of centralized interim storage under a wide variety of<br>circumstances. We look at how a commitment to move forward with centralized interim storage<br>today could evolve over time. And, we evaluate the costs of reversing a commitment toward<br>centralized storage if it turns out that such a decision is later considered a mistake.

The primary task of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) is to provide independent scrutiny of the Government’s and Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s proposal, plans and programmes to deliver geological disposal, together with robust interim storage, as the long-term<br/>management option for the UK’s higher activity wastes. In June 2007 the Scottish Executive announced a policy of near-surface, near-site long-term storage rather than geological disposal.

The UK Government and the devolved administrations_ (for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, from here on referred to as &quot;The Government&quot;) statement of October 2006 made clear there will be strong independent scrutiny of the proposals, plans and programmes to deliver geological disposal of higher activity radioactive waste.

With the first 100 days of the Obama Administration behind us, the Institute for 21st Century Energy presents this nuclear waste policy document that recounts the history of the country’s nuclear waste policy, discusses the mechanics of the issue, and offers specific recommendations to the Obama Administration and the U.S. Congress.

This report has been produced at the request of Congress. The House Appropriations Committee Print that accompanied the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, requests that the U.S. Department of Energy (the Department):<br/>…develop a plan to take custody of spent fuel currently stored at decommissioned reactor sites to both reduce costs that are ultimately borne by the taxpayer and demonstrate that DOE can move forward in the near term with at least some element of nuclear waste policy.

This paper summarises CoRWM’s understanding of:<br><br>The roles and responsibilities of the organisations that are involved in the management of radioactive waste, <br>Decision-making on Government policy, <br>Decision-making on the governance of the NDA, <br>Decision-making on waste conditioning, packaging and storage and <br>Decision-making in the implementation of geological disposal.