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

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Draft p. 3.5.12<br />

Issue<br />

343<br />

ALTERNATIVE DISPOSAL CONCEPTS<br />

The statement that 85 percent <strong>of</strong> the world's earthquake energy is released in the<br />

Pacific margins should be documented. (208-NRC)<br />

Response<br />

The sentence referred to in the comment was taken from Physics <strong>of</strong> the Earth's Interior,<br />

(Bott 1971). "About 75 percent <strong>of</strong> world-wide shallow earthquakes (focus 0 to 70 km depth)<br />

and 90 percent <strong>of</strong> a world-wide intermediate and deep earthquakes (focus greater than 70 km<br />

depth) occur beneath the circum-Pacific margin belt <strong>of</strong> island arcs, deep trenches and moun-<br />

tain ranges." The reference is included in the Reference List for Section 6.1 <strong>of</strong> the final<br />

Statement.<br />

Draft p.3.5.12<br />

Issue<br />

Figure 3.5.6 does not show major basement rock types. There is a figure showing major<br />

basement rock types in Reference 5 (Bayley and Muehlberger 1968), which has Figure 3.5.6 as<br />

an inset, titled "Principle Basement Provinces." (208-NRC)<br />

Response<br />

Figure 3.5.6 <strong>of</strong> the draft Statement should have been titled "Principle Basement Pro-<br />

vinces Along the Pacific and Atlantic Coast."<br />

Draft p. 3.5.16<br />

Issue<br />

An unequivocal statement that island arcs are completely unsuitable for waste disposal<br />

because <strong>of</strong> seismic activity would be in order. (124)<br />

Response<br />

Some island arcs are seismically inactive. However, before any island were chosen for<br />

the disposal <strong>of</strong> waste thorough evaluation <strong>of</strong> the geology and hydrology would be required.<br />

Islands found to be in geologically active areas would be eliminated for the same reasons<br />

that tectonically active continental areas have been eliminated from consideration for sit-<br />

ing <strong>of</strong> a mined repository. See Section 5.2.1.1 <strong>of</strong> the final Statement for a discussion <strong>of</strong><br />

long term geologic stability.

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