Radioactive waste management: A DOE perspective

This paper reviews the status of the DOE nuclear waste management program and highlights the major upcoming activities. The Act outlines a careful and deliberate process for selecting repositories for the disposal of high-level waste and spent fuel. A major objective of the Act is the requirement that the federal government establish a functional waste management system. In order that we may begin accepting waste for disposal by 1998, there are numerous intermediate dates and key milestones laid out in the Act to help us achieve timely success. We are committed to 1998 as the most important date. The greatest emphasis within the U.S. Department of Energy is getting a repository in place and operating. This paper primarily concentrates on repositories. However, a repository alone does not constitute a full waste disposal system. There are many other major elements which are integral parts of the disposal system. In exchange for payments of substantial annual fees which amount to approximately $300 to $400 million, we have a contractual obligation to utilities and to ratepayers throughout the country to deliver a service on a predictable schedule. Yet, successful repository deployment on a fixed schedule cannot be guaranteed unless a credible process founded on technical and institutional excellence is to be maintained