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

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FOREWORD<br />

In his February 12, 1980, message to Congress, the President <strong>of</strong> the United States<br />

announced a comprehensive program for management <strong>of</strong> radioactive waste. With regard to waste<br />

disposal, the President said:<br />

. . . for disposal <strong>of</strong> high-level radioactive waste, I am adopting an interim<br />

planning strategy focused on the use <strong>of</strong> mined geologic repositories capable <strong>of</strong><br />

accepting both waste from reprocessing and unreprocessed commercial spent fuel.<br />

An interim strategy is needed since final decisions on many steps which need to<br />

be taken should be preceded by a full environmental review under the National<br />

Environmental Policy Act. In its search for suitable sites for high-level waste<br />

repositories, the Department <strong>of</strong> Energy has mounted an expanded and diversified<br />

program <strong>of</strong> geologic investigations that recognizes the importance <strong>of</strong> the interac-<br />

tion among geologic setting, repository host rock, waste form, and other engi-<br />

neered barriers on a site-specific basis. Immediate attention will focus on<br />

research and development and on locating and characterizing a number <strong>of</strong> potential<br />

repository sites in a variety <strong>of</strong> different geologic environments with diverse rock<br />

types. When four to five sites have been evaluated and found potentially suit-<br />

able, one or more will be selected for development as a licensed, full-scale<br />

repository."<br />

In an accompanying Fact Sheet issued by the White House Press Secretary it was noted<br />

that the President will reexamine this interim strategy and decide whether any changes need<br />

to be made following completion <strong>of</strong> the necessary environmental reviews as required by the<br />

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Issuance <strong>of</strong> this environmental impact statement<br />

(EIS) is intended to serve as a basis for that reexamination.<br />

In keeping with the mandate <strong>of</strong> NEPA, this EIS analyzes the significant environmental<br />

impacts that could occur if various technologies for management and disposal <strong>of</strong> high-level<br />

and transuranic wastes from commercial nuclear power reactors were to be developed and<br />

implemented. This EIS will serve as the environmental input for the decision on which<br />

technology, or technologies, will be emphasized in further research and development activi-<br />

ties in the commercial waste management program.<br />

The action proposed in this EIS is to 1) adopt a national strategy to develop mined geo-<br />

logic repositories for disposal <strong>of</strong> commercially generated high-level and transuranic radio-<br />

active waste (while continuing to examine subseabed and very deep hole disposal as poten-<br />

tial backup technologies) and 2) conduct an R&D program to develop such facilities and the<br />

necessary technology to ensure the safe long-term containment and isolation <strong>of</strong> these wastes.<br />

The Department has considered in this Statement:

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