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

Resp-nse
Various spent fuel storage methods and associated
storage periods are examined in Section 4.4 of the final
Statement. The initial storage interval permits decay of
short-lived radionuclides which results in a lower heat gen-
eration component. This Statement examines initial storage
periods from 20 years up to 100 years. However, the time
period for which spent fuel will require storage prior to
disposal ultimately depends on issues such as environmental
considerations, storage capacity and respository
availability.
The DOE Position Paper to the NRC rulemaking hearings
3. SCMHEDULES NrD MNG on nuclear waste storage and disposal(a) places the first
repository availability date between the years 1997 and 2006
The Statement should make consistent and clear the estimated time durin_ depending on the outcome of future decisions.
or at which certain events will occur.
Section 3.4.1 of the final Statement examines risk and
oaw o long will il spent spent fuel
fuel be stored before disposal? How long does it
take take for radioaetive radioactive waste aste to becoto become a "nominal" risk? There should be a
risk perspectives. For this issue "nominal" risk is assumed
be the
be the
risk
to
risk represented by the original uranium ore used
the
5onsistent use of half-lves or time intervals (not a variation among
consstent use of the haproduce
fuel. Spent fuel's relative toxicity index
decreases by 550-fold in the first 500 years from reactor
fro, radioatiy.d 10,000 years, or example) when evalating hazards discharge and then decreases 20-fold in over 999,000 years
remaining to one-million years out of reactor. The toxicity
of spent fuel ,can be compared to that of the original uranium
ore that was mined to produce the fuel. A typical ore con-
tains 0.2% U 30 8 ; some 3400 tons (or 1200 m 3 ) is mined to
produce one ton of fuel. The toxicity of Spent fuel is 14-
fold above this at 1000 years. The HLW toxicity equals the
toxicity of the ore that produced it at 1500 years.
The text has been thoroughly revised with attention paid
to such consistency. The "500 year" and "700 year" numbers
are from the referenced work of other authors. The value
used in this Statement is 1000 years.
(a) Department of Energy Statement of Position to the NRC
Rulemaking on Nuclear Waste Storage and Disposal, April
1980.