[en] Most low-level radioactive waste currently generated by NRC licensees is disposed of at facilities licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission pursuant to NRC regulations. Only a limited number of such facilities exist now, and it will be many years before each region of the US has its own LLW disposal site. Because of limitations on the volume of wastes that will be accepted by the existing facilities, the rising costs of disposal, and the possibility that access to disposal facilities could be cut off completely, licensees have been adopting various waste management techniques. One strategy to reduce the volume of wastes that must be transferred to a licensed disposal facility is to obtain permission from NRC to dispose of very low-level wastes (VLW) by alternative means. The purpose of this study is to establish a step-by-step procedure for preparing 10 CFR 20.302(a) applications. Criteria for application approval are also suggested. The guidelines developed may be appropriate for adoption as NRC regulatory guidance. The initial step in carrying out this project was to interview NRC personnel regarding 20.302(a) applications and to review actual applications for approval of alternative disposal methods filed in recent years. Licensee representatives were also contacted. The data obtained from these sources were combined in this report. Information on alternative paths to regulatory approval was summarized. The documents relating to NRC review of 20.302(a) applications were analyzed and prevalent characteristics were identified. The actual step-by-step guidelines were based on the information summarized above