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

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205<br />

GROWTH SCENARIOS<br />

1. Present inventory (equivalent to industry shutdown).<br />

2. Present capacity to retirement (equivalent to licensing no new reactors).<br />

3. Installed capacity <strong>of</strong> 250 GWe in year 2000 and declining to zero in year 2040.<br />

4. Installed capacity <strong>of</strong> 250 GWe in year 2000 and continuing at 250 GWe to year 2040.<br />

5. Installed capacity <strong>of</strong> 250 GWe in year 2000 and growing to 500 GWe in year 2040.<br />

These scenarios do bound the range <strong>of</strong> nuclear futures which are presently thought to be<br />

reasonable. However, the data are presented in a manner which allows the reader to adjust<br />

for other nuclear industry growth patterns.<br />

Issue<br />

Several commenters noted that the Statement should address the issue <strong>of</strong> not generating<br />

additional waste until nuclear waste can be placed into ultimate disposal in an environ-<br />

mentally acceptable manner. (42, 68, 167)<br />

Response<br />

As noted above, the Statement analyzes a no growth situation in the nuclear industry.<br />

This analysis is conducted from the standpoint <strong>of</strong> waste management impacts and does not<br />

examine the issue <strong>of</strong> macroeconomic impacts caused by the shutdown <strong>of</strong> the nuclear industry<br />

or the environmental concerns related to the accelerated use <strong>of</strong> alternate energy sources.<br />

Issue<br />

Several commenters noted that the growth scenarios examined in the Statement should be<br />

tied to a discussion <strong>of</strong> the dynamics <strong>of</strong> nuclear growth vis-a-vis waste disposal. (40, 62,<br />

113-EPA)<br />

Response<br />

In developing facility requirements for the Statement, DOE is cognizant <strong>of</strong> the con-<br />

straints placed on the waste management system by the differing growth scenarios. The con-<br />

straints have been factored into the system design (e.g., growth vis-a-vis waste disposal<br />

is presented in the support document DOE/ET-0028).

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