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

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6.45<br />

TABLE 6.1.9. Estimated Energy Consumption (Bechtel 1979a)<br />

Propane, m 3 1.0 x 106<br />

Diesel, m 3 1.5 x 106<br />

Gasoline, m 3 1.5 x 105<br />

Electricity, kWh 5.7 x 1010<br />

in Table 6.1.10 (Bechtel 1979a). No scarce or otherwise critical material has been<br />

identified as being important for this option.<br />

As noted, the reference concept calls for each rock melting repository site to support<br />

three 6,000 m 3 cavities about 2,000 m below the surface (Bechtel 1979a). Each site would<br />

be able to accommodate waste from 5,000 MTHM/yr for 25 years. Construction <strong>of</strong> these facili-<br />

ties would disturb 1,100 hectares (2,720 acres) <strong>of</strong> land and would require a restricted land<br />

area <strong>of</strong> 4,000 hectares (9,880 acres) (Bechtel 1979a). Most <strong>of</strong> the land disturbed would be<br />

required for processing, encapsulation, and other surface facilities.<br />

International and Domestic Legal and Institutional Considerations<br />

The rock melting concept would have relatively few international implications because<br />

waste transportation activities would occur in the U.S. and emplacement would be achieved<br />

well out <strong>of</strong> range <strong>of</strong> the biosphere. There are, however, important domestic legal and<br />

institutional considerations that would need to be resolved. For example, as noted in<br />

Section 6.1.2.2, retrieval <strong>of</strong> wastes, even before emplacement activities were complete,<br />

would be very difficult. The hot nature <strong>of</strong> the wastes and the type <strong>of</strong> waste packaging that<br />

would be employed would influence the ease with which the waste material could be withdrawn.<br />

Retrieval after the cavity was sealed and the waste was in a molten form would be<br />

impossible. Legal and regulatory implications <strong>of</strong> these restrictions on retrieval would have<br />

to be resolved.<br />

Selection <strong>of</strong> the rock melting concept would also affect certain decisions regarding<br />

interim storage. If waste from the uranium-only recycle, or the uranium and plutonium re-<br />

cycle were stored, it would be necessary to specify the form <strong>of</strong> waste storage that would<br />

have the least environmental and economic impact. Although it is possible that the waste<br />

TABLE 6.1.10. Estimated Material Consumption (Metric Tons)<br />

Carbon steel 300,000<br />

Stainless steel 24,000<br />

Components<br />

Chromium 4,800<br />

Nickel 2,200<br />

Tungsten<br />

Copper 1,900<br />

Lead 2,900<br />

Zinc 600<br />

Aluminum 900

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