Status of HLW disposal in the USA and rational, progressive, paths forward based upon lessons learned in the USA and abroad since 1973 - 15103

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2015

OSTI ID:22822663

Eriksson, Leif G. ^[1]; Dials, George E. ^[2]

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1. Retired Nuclear Waste Dispositions Consultant, Winter Park, Florida 32789 (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Laboratory - LANL, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87506 (United States)

The development of the USA's only candidate (since 1987) HLW-repository at the Yucca Mountain (YM) site, Nevada, was halted by the Obama administration in 2009. Four years later, the Obama administration proposed a new strategy for the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle that would open a consent-based HLW repository 'by 2048'. At the end of 2014, both the YM HLW repository and the new HLW-disposition (storage and disposal) strategy remain on hold due to lack of enabling legislation. With this as background, and based upon our active involvement in, monitoring of, and reporting on HLW management programs in the USA and abroad since 1973, we submit that: 1. Politics, political will, and legal actions and outcomes will continue to govern progress. 2. Public acceptance and sustained support (PASS) may influence politics and political will. 3. PASS is time-dependent and governed by: a. Ideologies; b. Perceived benefits and risks; c. Level and equity of radiation protection provided by applicable regulations; d. Perceived robustness/safety of the proposed disposition concept; and e. Perceived credibility and competency vested in the involved organizations and their respective leaders (= TRUST). We therefore recommend that the USA concurrently pursues at least two, 'centralized' HLW-storage and -disposal solutions based upon best-available relevant knowledge and majority-PASS at facility-host locations. Furthermore, safe(r) and more secure disposal of defense/government-generated HLW could probably commence at least 15 years earlier than 'by 2048' in/at: 1. The YM repository/site. 2. The WIPP repository/site. 3. 'Local' deep boreholes. (authors)

• Research Organization: WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
• OSTI ID: 22822663
• Report Number(s): INIS-US--19-WM-15103
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
BOREHOLES
FUEL CYCLE
HAZARDS
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LEGAL ASPECTS
LEGISLATION
NEVADA
PUBLIC OPINION
RADIATION MONITORING
RADIATION PROTECTION
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
SAFETY
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
WIPP
YUCCA MOUNTAIN