Rethinking Regulations for Disposal Criticality
- Duke Engineering and Services, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States)
- Framatome Cogema Fuels, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
This paper provides the basis for the position that the current U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) criticality regulation is in need of revision to address problems in implementing it for the post closure period in a geologic high-level waste repository. The authors believe that the applicant for such a facility should be able to demonstrate that postulated post closure criticality events will not cause unacceptable risk of deleterious effects on public health and safety. In addition, the applicant should be expected to take practical and feasible measures to reduce the probability of a criticality occurring, even if (as expected) the consequences of such a criticality for repository performance and public health and safety would be negligible. This approach, while recognizing the probabilistic nature of analyses of events and conditions in the distant future, is also arguably consistent with the defense in depth concept that has been successfully applied to nuclear reactor regulation. The authors believe regulations for post closure criticality control should support this dual approach, rather than require a deterministic prohibition of criticality as does the current rule. The existing rule seems appropriate for the preclosure period, as long as it is clearly specified to apply only to that period.
- Research Organization:
- Duke Engineering and Services, Inc., Las Vegas, NV (United States); Framatome Cogema Fuels, Las Vegas, NV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP); USDOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC01-91RW00134
- OSTI ID:
- 522222
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970926-15; ON: DE97008396; TRN: 97:018473
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Nuclear Society (ANS) Topical Meeting on Criticality Safety Challenges in the Next Decade, Long-Term Geologic Disposal of Fissile Material, Chelan, WA (United States), 7-11 Sep 1997; Other Information: PBD: [1997]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
CRITICALITY
SAFETY
UNDERGROUND DISPOSAL
PUBLIC HEALTH
US NRC
PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION
Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP)
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Fissile Nuclear Waste
Disposal Criticality Regulation