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

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304<br />

COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT<br />

Draft p. 4.22--The final Statement should identify what the potential ecosystem impacts<br />

are with the management <strong>of</strong> commercially generated radioactive waste and consider the radio-<br />

logical effects on plants and animals in addition to humans. (218-D01)<br />

The comparative assessnent fails to provide reliable data on ecosystem impacts. (167)<br />

The GEIS does not present sufficient information on ecosystem impacts or critical<br />

resource consumption impacts. (217)<br />

Response<br />

The most complete environmental assessment was made for the geologic repositories, and<br />

for salt in particular. To provide what is asked for (the provision <strong>of</strong> more detailed infor-<br />

mation and a more detailed discussion/comparison <strong>of</strong> the environmental impacts <strong>of</strong> alterna-<br />

tives) would require a considerable effort in acquiring site specific data. For ecological<br />

impacts, the site specific kinds <strong>of</strong> baseline information needed for comparing alternative<br />

disposal methods may be lacking; and the generic treatment <strong>of</strong> comparative impacts may not<br />

have much meaning unless one were to develop a set <strong>of</strong> conditions (i.e., a reference environ-<br />

ment) for each alternative. The final Statement includes updates <strong>of</strong> information available<br />

concerning alternatives. However, much <strong>of</strong> the information remains site specific and is not<br />

included.<br />

Draft p. 1.34, Table 1.8<br />

Issue<br />

(218-DOI)<br />

Response<br />

One commenter stated a criteria reflecting internal policy conflicts be included.<br />

Section 6.2 <strong>of</strong> the final Statement includes a criteria called Domestic Political Con-<br />

siderations.<br />

Draft p. 1.34 Table 1.8<br />

Issue<br />

The section entitled Socio-economic Impact mentions that the impacts were not con-<br />

verted to a 1 to 5 scale; refers the reader to Table 4.5.2 and states that the impacts are<br />

small for all options. It would be helpful to discuss why the 1 to 5 scale was not used<br />

and what rationale was used in both tables to conclude that the impacts would be small.<br />

These conclusions appear to be at variance with the statement made on page 1.22 (line 19)<br />

which states: " . . socioeconomic impacts . . . could be either small or significant."

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