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

Response
The Statement does not clarify the time frame in which a failure or The basis for the analysis of costs is explained in
inability to implement a "permanent" solution to the waste isolation Section 3.2.8 of this final Statement. The estimates which
problem will begin to alter the environmental consequences of the are intended to represent the ultimate cost to the consumer
present "temporary" isolation by on-site storage. The uncertainty on of electric power are the systems costs given in Section 7.0
this matter left witnesses free to speculate that a long-continued resort of the Statement and summarized in the executive summary.
to on-site storage would have effects ranging from none in the next few These costs are intended to be as comprehensive as is pos-
years to a foreseeable exhaustion of on-site facilities and a consequent sible in keeping with the generic nature of the statement.
shutdown of nuclear power production. For the purpose of clarity, the final Statement presents pre-
disposal cost estimates in Section 4.9 and repository cost
4. COSTS estimates in Section 5.6. Cost estimates for the alternative
concepts are presented in Sections 6.1.1.6 through 6.1.8.6.
-The cost analysis in the Statement should be more comprehensive, andncepts are presented in Sections 6.1.1.6 through 6.1.8.6.
Included in the predisposal and final disposal costs estishould
relate to the whole system of each alternative so as to provide a
mates are land acquisition, construction and decommissioning,
basis for cost comparisons.
labor, encasement and other materials, utilities, vehicles
Costs should be more fully analyzed to take into account the entire and other transportation costs, administration and other over-
system for every viable isolation alternative. They should include head, insurance, taxes (where applicable), permits, licenses,
administration, research and development, interim storage, encasement and financing, and allowances for contingencies. Costs of any
the cost of encasement materials, vehicles, transport, training, labor, continuing repository surveillance that may be required are
negotiations leading to site selection, risks and risk insurance, land, insignificant in relation to the rest of the waste management
construction, final emplacement, institutional surveillance, and eer- costs developed here. Complete waste management system costs
gency preparedness.
are presented in Section 7.6.