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

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TABLE 6.1.7. Long-Term Radiological Impact of Primary Waste Barrier Breach
Waste Type
Spent Fuel HLW
Normal Events (mrem/yr)
Whole Body 7 x 10- 4 7 x 10- 4
Bone 5 x 10- 4 5 x 10- 4
Abnormal Events (mrem/event)(a)
Whole Body Negligible Negligible
Bone Negligible Negligible
(a) Dose is 50-year dose commitment from 1 year intake to the maximum exposed
individual.
Nonradiological Health Effects. Although there are no specific data to evaluate the non-
radiological health impact, it is expected that these impacts would be comparable to those
found in the corresponding industries, e.g., mining, drilling, and excavating.
6.1.1.6 Cost Analysis
All cost estimates are in 1978 dollars based on January 1979 dollar estimates (Bechtel
1979a) less 10 percent.
The estimates are based on preliminary conceptual design data and were developed without
the aid of previous cost estimates for this type of facility. Because of the high uncertain-
ties in the cost of rotary drilled holes as large and deep as are called for in this VDH
concept, the costs given should be considered only as preliminary estimates.
Capital Costs
On the basis of the waste system description, as presented in Section 6.1.1.2, the es-
timate of the capital cost for the spent fuel case is approximately $2.3 billion. For the
HLW case, a capital cost estimate is $290 million (Bechtel 1979a).
Operating Costs
Operating cost estimates for the spent fuel case have been calculated per year for years
1 through 38 and then for phasedown years 39 and 40. These costs, which include VDH rotary
drilling, moving emplacement structures, hole sealing, and receiving facilities operations,
would be about $1.7 billion for each year through the 38th year, $1.6 billion for year 39,
and $0.8 billion for year 40.
For the HLW case for the same time periods, estimated costs would be $210 million for
each year through the 38th year, $200 million for year 39, and $260 million for year 40.
Decommissioning Costs
Total estimated decommissioning cost for the spent fuel case would be $32 million. Total
for the HLW case is estimated at $11 million.