Sensitivity studies of LLW packaging, transportation, and disposal costs

Several economic factors should be considered in evaluating waste management alternatives. The total life cycle disposal costs for low-level waste and the economic tradeoffs among waste volume, transportation and disposal are examined herein. The present work utilizes the basic facility unit cost data for disposing of low-level waste in a new commercial facility as given by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Additional cost data for transportation, volume reduction and packaging have been included. The total facility life cycle costs are estimated to be $million, with preoperating costs comprising nine percent, direct operating costs equaling 74 percent and postoperating care fund costs comprising six percent of the total. The remaining 11 percent is for income taxes and return-on-investment. Expressed on a per-unit volume basis, the disposal costs are $7.60/ft3. A major fraction of the disposal cost is independent of site capacity; therefore, when the disposal costs are expressed on a unit waste volume basis, the cost per cubic foot is significantly larger for smaller sites than for large ones. Key parameters that influence the total cost of disposal are also varied to determine the sensitivity of the cost estimate for the base case to the variations. The key parameters: the degree of volume reduction, the number of disposal sites, and the number of years of site operation. The results of these sensitivity studies is presented