Controlling the radiological impact in the nuclear fuel cycle: a cost/benefit analysis

Methods that are used to control the radiological impact of the nuclear fuel cycle are discussed. This control is exercised through the application of a series of Federal laws and regulations that are used as the basis for licensing nuclear facilities. These licenses contain technical specifications which define the limits for the release of radioactive materials. The control is exercised more directly in a technical sense by the use of radwaste treatment equipment at the nuclear facilities to limit the release of radioactive materials. The first part of this paper contains a summary of the principal Federal laws and regulations that apply to nuclear fuel cycle facilities and a description of how they are applied in licensing procedures. A detailed discussion is presented of the amounts of radioactive materials that may be released from licensed facilities, and the radiological doses that individuals and populations surrounding these facilities would receive from these releases. These doses are then compared with the radiological doses received from natural background radiation to put them in perspective. Cost/benefit engineering surveys which are being made to determine the cost (in dollars) and the effectiveness of radwaste systems for decreasing the release of radioactive materials from model fuel cycle facilities, and to determine the benefits in terms of reduction in dose commitment to individuals and populations in surrounding areas are described