Domestic and international nuclear waste management

Passage of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act in 1982, and subsequent 1987 amendments, allowed Congress to establish the plan to manage the nation's spent nuclear fuel and other high-level radioactive waste. The principal elements in the waste management system include waste acceptance, storage, disposal, and transportation. Interim storage of spent fuel is proposed to be in Monitored Retrievable Storage facility. Studies are being implemented for research and design of multipurpose canisters which will be used for the storage, transport, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel. The potential repository site for permanent disposal is located at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Site characterization activities are currently being conducted. Underground construction has started for the Exploratory Studies Facility; surface based activities are currently under way. Factors considered in this phase include environmental concerns, geologic parameters, public safety, local economic impacts and ease and cost of constructing and operating the facility. The United States is involved in cooperative studies with other countries regarding fundamental aspects of radioactive waste storage and disposal systems for high-level waste. Most emphasize assessment of long-term performance of permanent geologic repositories for spent nuclear fuel and high level waste. By participating in international activities, the United States has been involved in transfer of technological developments and information exchange. Most of the countries which produce electricity with nuclear power plants plan to dispose of the spent fuel within their own countries. The permanent disposal of high level waste for most countries will be in deep geological repositories. This paper will provide the status of the U.S. program in the storage and disposal of its nuclear waste. Strategies for addressing nuclear waste management in the domestic program will be compared to those of foreign countries. 6 refs