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Management of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste - U.S. ...

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37<br />

SCOPE<br />

to alleviate this. The restructured outline devotes a chapter to predisposal systems (Chap-<br />

ter 4) and in Sections 4.4 and 4.5 describes the waste storage and transportation systems.<br />

Sections 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, and 4.10 present the environmental impacts, accident analysis, cost<br />

analysis, and safeguard requirements for storage and transportation operations (as well as<br />

the other predisposal activities). Section 4.2 identifies the relationship between the var-<br />

ious predisposal activites (including storage and transportation) and the disposal concepts<br />

that are analyzed in Chapters 5.0 and 6.0.<br />

In addition, DOE has prepared a separate EIS which addresses the impacts <strong>of</strong> storage<br />

and transportation <strong>of</strong> spent fuel (DOE 1980b).<br />

Issue<br />

Several commenters stated that the Statement should address the implications <strong>of</strong> delay-<br />

ing a decision on the dispostion <strong>of</strong> nuclear wastes (i.e. giving the matter further study or<br />

deferring the decision to select a disposal alternative). (147, 154, 217)<br />

Response<br />

The final document examines three basic waste management program alternatives. The<br />

proposed action is for DOE-to maintain its primary research and development emphasis on<br />

mined geologic disposal with some secondary efforts directed towards other concepts. The<br />

alternative action would be then for DOE to adjust (or reorder) their R&D priorities. Pre-<br />

sumably mined disposal would receive less emphasis and one or more <strong>of</strong> the other diposal con-<br />

cepts would be investigated more vigorously than under the proposed action. The third<br />

program alternative considered was no action, defined as a continuation <strong>of</strong> present action<br />

(water basin or AFR storage) with no steps taken by the Federal government to provide for<br />

final disposal <strong>of</strong> commercial wastes.<br />

Implicit in the structure <strong>of</strong> the proposed action and the alternative action is that the<br />

point at which a geologic disposal facility would become operational would occur earlier<br />

under the proposed action. Chapter 7 examines the trade<strong>of</strong>fs between the various program<br />

alternatives and, as a result, addresses the issue <strong>of</strong> a delay in the decision on the dispo-<br />

sition <strong>of</strong> nuclear wastes.<br />

Issue<br />

Statement.<br />

Several letters noted that the subject <strong>of</strong> decommissioning should be addressed in the<br />

Decommissioning should be discussed thoroughly in this document. (62)<br />

No mention is made <strong>of</strong> cladding <strong>of</strong> nuclear power plants. No mention is made <strong>of</strong> shield-<br />

ing equipment necessary for handling processing, transportation and storage. (144)<br />

Disposal <strong>of</strong> dismantled nuclear plants hasn't been resolved. (155)

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