Environmental and Financial Risks of Current Programs

Current repository programs for the permanent disposition of spent fuel, reprocessing wastes, and transuranic wastes encompass two sites -- the WIPP site in New Mexico in which the DOE wants to dispose of some of its transuranic wastes, and the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada. Both sites have been confronted with similar scientific, technical, managerial, and environmental questions specifically in regard to DOE management and conflicts of interest. The WIPP site has been built, but has so far not been able to meet requirements of environmental laws and regulations even for temporary experimental waste emplacement. Despite this, the DOE wants to move ahead with the use of this site, and has sought variances from compliance with environmental laws. The Yucca Mountain site has not yet been characterized.

The status of the DOE program at each of these sites is examined in greater detail below.

This remainder of this section of Chapter 3 is divided into the following topic areas:

• Transuranic Wastes at WIPP
• Yucca Mountain
• Risks of Continued Reliance on the DOE

• A. Spent Fuel, High-Level, and Transuranic Wastes
  • Background on Nuclear Waste Disposal Issues
  • Current Standards and Regulations for Long-Term Management
  • Interim Management for Spent Fuel: MRS and Onsite Storage
  • Environmental and Financial Risks of Current Programs
    • Transuranic Wastes at WIPP
    • Yucca Mountain
    • Risks of Continued Reliance on the DOE
• B. Low-Level Waste
  • History of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal
  • Current Standards and Regulations
  • Current Status and Problems with Disposal Plans
• C. Mill Tailings

• Preface
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 3: Overview and Critique of the Current Approach to Radioactive Waste Management
• Chapter 5: Summary and Recommendations
• Table of Contents to the Full Report
• Bibliography and References
• Ordering Information

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Last Updated October, 1996