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

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Draft p. 1.4<br />

Issue<br />

170<br />

WASTE MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS<br />

One commenter suggested using TRU waste containers as heat buffers between high-level<br />

containers in the repository. (181)<br />

Response<br />

It may be possible to design the repository operation so that the TRU waste containers<br />

are dispersed in the high-level waste disposal area. This might indeed provide a more effi-<br />

cient use <strong>of</strong> repository space but the implications <strong>of</strong> this concept have not been fully<br />

analyzed and the more conservative concept.<strong>of</strong> providing separate areas for TRU waste and<br />

high-level waste was used for the conceptual repositories in this Statement.<br />

Issue<br />

Several letters commented on the topic <strong>of</strong> retrievability <strong>of</strong> waste from a repository.<br />

Draft pp. 1.3 and 3.1.53--There are a few technical reasons why retrievability should<br />

be attempted and a number why it should not. Further, over any time period in which main-<br />

tenance <strong>of</strong> retrievability is technically practical there is relatively little in the far-<br />

field which can be learned. The movement <strong>of</strong> radioactivity would be so slow as to produce<br />

little meaningful data. (154)<br />

Draft pp. 3.1.105--The period <strong>of</strong> retreivability should be discussed at an earlier point<br />

in the final statement. (154)<br />

The subject <strong>of</strong> retrievability is not treated in either a systematic or cohesive manner.<br />

More consideration should be given to the period <strong>of</strong> retrievability and the risks associated<br />

with retrievability. (58, 124)<br />

Response<br />

DOE agrees that little far-field data can be collected during a retrievability period<br />

<strong>of</strong> five years. However, the objective is to confirm predictions about behavior in the near-<br />

field in response to placement <strong>of</strong> the waste. It was never intended that there would be any<br />

possibility <strong>of</strong> observing movement or radioactivity which is not expected to even be pos-<br />

sible for several hundred years after placement.<br />

The draft Statement examined retrievability for periods <strong>of</strong> five and up to 25 years fol-<br />

lowing emplacement. The final document contains a discussion <strong>of</strong> retrievability for periods<br />

up to 50 years (see Section 5.3.1.5 and Appendix K). The section on Technology Comparisons<br />

(Section 6.2) uses "Potential for Corrective Action" as one <strong>of</strong> the factors by which dis-<br />

posal options are examined.

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