Partnerships under pressure. Managing commercial low-level radioactive waste

Technical Report · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:7037709

Gibbons, J H

The report provides an overview of progress made by nine compacts and the remaining unaffiliated States in developing disposal facilities. Disposal costs have more than tripled while LLW volumes have dropped by more than half over the last decade. Since many costs associated with developing and operating a disposal facility are fixed, unit disposal costs will increase substantially as new facilities open, leading States to consider the economics of cooperative arrangements, which would permit them to trade waste services and construct fewer full-service disposal facilities. A small percent of LLW is labeled mixed LLW because it also contains components classified as hazardous under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Jurisdiction over mixed LLW disposal falls jointly to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. Unfortunately, some regulations aimed at mixed LLW are unattainable, inconsistent, or duplicative. Unless current regulations are revised, generators of mixed LLW (e.g., industries, hospitals, nuclear power plants, and laboratories) are left with three options: stop producing the waste (which can mean going out of business), illegally store the waste or illegally dispose of the waste. The report presents options on how the dilemma may be addressed.

• Research Organization: Office of Technology Assessment (U.S. Congress), Washington, DC (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7037709
• Report Number(s): PB-90-159534/XAB; OTA-O--426
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052000 -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Management
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290300* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Environment
Health
& Safety
DISPERSIONS
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MIXTURES
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
REGULATIONS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES