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

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Response<br />

403<br />

ALTERNATIVE DISPOSAL CONCEPTS<br />

The revised space disposal section <strong>of</strong> the final Statement discusses both facility<br />

construction environmental impacts and routine operation nonradiological impacts in Sec-<br />

tion 6.1.8.4.. This section does not specifically mention all manufacturing and support<br />

phases required for the additional launchings dictated by the space disposal option, but it<br />

does conclude that environmental impacts from normal operations or nonradiological accidents<br />

from a space disposal option are not expected to be significant.<br />

Draft p. 3.10.26<br />

Issue<br />

The fourth paragraph should be expanded to indicate that all necessary precautions,<br />

including conservative engineering design, will be implemented to ensure that the proba-<br />

bility <strong>of</strong> an accident will be small and the consequences less. (The last statement in that<br />

paragraph can be interpreted as meaning that calculations will be performed to show that the<br />

probability is vanishingly small.) (124)<br />

Response<br />

Several sections <strong>of</strong> the final Statement address various aspects <strong>of</strong> the accident issue.<br />

In Section 6.1.8.3 the final Statement states that the major technology requirements are in<br />

design for safety. This section also points out that initial R&D should include an assess-<br />

ment <strong>of</strong> unique safety and environmental aspects <strong>of</strong> the space disposal concept (e.g., launch<br />

pad fires and explosions affecting the waste package). Section 6.1.8.4 is concerned with<br />

impacts <strong>of</strong> construction and operation (preemplacement), including risks unique to this con-<br />

cept and the types <strong>of</strong> reliability data needed for risk assessments.<br />

Draft p. 3.10.26<br />

Issue<br />

Note this understatement <strong>of</strong> the section: Moreover, legal concerns may lengthen the<br />

amount <strong>of</strong> time needed to actually execute a space disposal option. (154)<br />

Response<br />

Many, likely fordmidable, legal and institutional issues would require resolution<br />

before this concept could be implemented. Currently available information is, however,<br />

insufficent to ascertain the complexity <strong>of</strong> these issues. The statements <strong>of</strong> concern to the<br />

commenter remain in the final Statement to ensure that this important area is addressed.<br />

In addition, Section 6.2 <strong>of</strong> the final Statement presents a comparative assessment <strong>of</strong> the<br />

alternative concepts and the mined repository that compare attributes, including legal and<br />

institutional factors, <strong>of</strong> these concepts.

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