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

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6.155<br />

charges to DOE as a Space Shuttle user, as is contemplated for.other Space Shuttle applica-<br />

tions, they would accrue as operating costs to any DOE space disposal program. Therefore,<br />

these costs would be integrated in the per-flight charges under operating costs. One special<br />

facility not usable for other shuttle operations would be the payload preparation facility.<br />

Current estimates for this facility are $29 million (1978 dollars). Other capital costs<br />

might accrue because <strong>of</strong> the need to allow radiation to decay in the HLW for at least 10 years<br />

prior to space disposal. Costs for such interim storage facilities have not been identified<br />

at this time.<br />

Operating Costs<br />

Operating costs for the space disposal alternative would be calculated on a per-flight<br />

basis, as they are for other participants in the Space Shuttle program. The per-flight cost<br />

would be approximately $39 million in 1978 dollars.<br />

The breakout <strong>of</strong> this estimate is:<br />

* Uprated Space Shuttle - $16 million<br />

* Orbit transfer vehicle - $1.6 million<br />

* Solar orbit insertion stage - $1.6 million<br />

* Reentry vehicles -$5 million.<br />

Decommissioning Costs<br />

Decommissioning costs associated with Space Shuttle waste disposal operations would<br />

probably be limited to the facilities for waste processing and packaging, the only facilities<br />

at which contamination might be anticipated. Those decomissioning costs have been estimated<br />

at 10 percent <strong>of</strong> the initial capital costs, i.e., approximately $3 million. Costs for decom-<br />

missioning other facilities associated with the space disposal alternative are assumed to be<br />

similar to those for decommissioning facilities associated with other waste disposal<br />

alternatives.<br />

6.1.8.7 Safeguard Requirements<br />

Safeguards would be considered for both space disposal and the associated terrestrial<br />

disposal. For space disposal <strong>of</strong> HLW, the risk <strong>of</strong> diversion would be short-term. Once the<br />

waste had been successfully disposed <strong>of</strong> in accordance with the design, the probability <strong>of</strong> an<br />

unauthorized retrieval would be very low. Physical protection <strong>of</strong> the sensitive facilities<br />

and transportation operations would be the most effective way to deny access for the short<br />

term. Note that if this alternative were chosen for the once-through fuel cycle, despite the<br />

very high throughput required, on a purely safeguards basis it would compare favorably with<br />

many other alternatives because <strong>of</strong> the difficulty <strong>of</strong> retrieving material once it is success-<br />

fully deployed. See Section 4.10 for further details on safeguards for applicable predis-<br />

posal operations.

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