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

Draft pp 3.1.210-212
Issue
194
COSTS
One commenter noted that costs based on costs of capital of ten percent for privately-
owned facilities and seven percent for federally-owned facilities are low. (154)
Response
The final Statement in Section 3.2.8.2, notes that the costs of capital employed are
constant-dollar weighted-average cost-of-money rates which exclude the inflation premium.
Viewed in this perspective, DOE feels that these rates are conservative (i.e. high) esti-
mates of the actual constant-dollar cost of money.
Draft p. 3.1.211, Table 3.1.82
Issue
One commenter noted that Table 3.1.82 also contains a very interesting number - the
$16.40/kg for the 85 Kr storage facility. This cost was completely ignored by EPA when it
"showed" the separation of 8 5 Kr was "cost-beneficial"--although just barely by EPA's
estimates. This cost, by itself, amounts to $40,000 per man-rem (to the US population).
In other words simply the storage cost is non-cost-beneficial by a factor of 40. EPA ought
to be asked to comment on this cost. (154)
Response
The high cost of krypton separation and storage is noted in the final text in
Section 4.9.2. DOE agrees that this should be taken into account in considering the cost-
benefit trade-offs of krypton recovery.
Draft p. 3.1.229
Issue
One commenter suggested that it should be mentioned that the relative ranking of the
deferred fuel cycle alternative by total cost is significantly different depending on
whether cost Table 3.1.89 or 3.1.90 is used. (113-EPA)
Response
The comments in the third and fourth paragraphs on p. 3.1.229 were intended to draw
attention to the difference in costs of deferred recycle under the 0 and 7% discount cases.
DOE agrees that this difference could have been more clearly emphasized. See Chapter 7.0
of the final Statement.