Audeen W. Fentiman
Brian K. Hajek
Joyce E. Meredith
A low-level radioactive waste disposal facility must receive a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission before it can operate. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will issue a license only after it is satisfied that the disposal facility and its operators meet all the safety requirements specified in state or federal regulations. This fact sheet summarizes the standards that the disposal facility must meet, outlines the licensing process, and describes some of the information included in a license application. It should be noted that this information is presented in detail in the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 61 (10 CFR 61), "Licensing Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste".
Four Performance Objectives have been established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for the design, operation, and closure of a low-level radioactive waste disposal site. They are:
The stability of the low-level radioactive waste and the disposal site is a major consideration in site selection, design, and operation. Long-term stability helps prevent the migration of radionuclides from the waste disposal facility. Achieving stability requires that contact between water and the low-level waste be minimized until the radionuclides have decayed to the point where they no longer present a significant hazard to humans. The time required for decay, and therefore, the period of time that the waste or its container must remain stable depends upon the activity of the waste. Waste with low concentrations of radionuclides (known as Class A waste) has no stability requirement, while wastes with higher concentrations (Classes B and C) are required to be stable for at least 300 years (10 CFR 61.7(b)).
A disposal facility's operator must submit a license application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission showing how it will meet each of the Performance Objectives. If the Nuclear Regulatory Commission finds that all Objectives will be met and all other required information is provided, then a license to operate a site will be issued. A procedure for evaluating license applications is published in NUREG-1200, "Standard Review Plan for the Review of a License Application for a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility". The procedure is based on 10 CFR 61.23. It should also be noted that license applications are public documents. They can be reviewed by any citizen, and comments are encouraged.
The application must contain specific information on how the Performance Objectives will be met. It will include a detailed description of design criteria, construction plans, operating plans, closure plans, technical analyses, and financial assurances, among other items. A short description of the type of information included under each of these categories is presented in the following paragraphs.
Design criteria are measures against which the regulatory agency reviews and evaluates an application for a license to operate a low-level radioactive waste facility. For example, if the design criteria included a statement that the disposal facility's cover must not collapse under the weight of a 5,000 pound vehicle, the agency would review the construction plans to ensure that the cover will be strong enough to support 5,000 pounds.
Also included is a description of the "design basis natural events" such as tornadoes or earthquakes. The disposal facility must be designed to meet the Performance Objectives even if the design basis natural event occurs.
Details of the methods of construction for the various parts of the disposal facility must be presented in the application. Some of the parts specifically mentioned in the regulations include individual disposal units, intrusion barriers, onsite traffic, and drainage systems.
The license application must include a description of the operating plans. Some of the plans to be discussed include:
The closure plan provided with the license application must include descriptions of:
Several technical analyses must be provided to demonstrate that the proposed facility will meet the Performance Objectives. These analyses will show how each design, construction, operation, and closure feature was selected. They provide a clear road map to the license reviewers and the general public showing how decisions were made for the facility. The technical analyses must cover four topical areas:
In a license application, the applicant must show that it either possesses the necessary funds or has reasonable assurance of obtaining the funds to build, operate, close, maintain, and monitor the disposal facility.
If you want to read more about licensing a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility, some of the references listed below may be helpful.
Code of Federal Regulations, Title 10, Part 61, 1992.
NUREG-1200, "Standard Review Plan for the Review of a License Application for a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility", U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, January 1987.
NUREG-1300, "Environmental Standard Review Plan for the Review of a License Application for a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Facility", U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, April 1987.
(The NUREG references are available from the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161.)
Dr. Audeen W. Fentiman is an Assistant Professor in Nuclear Engineering at The Ohio State University. Brian K. Hajek is a member of the Nuclear Engineering faculty. Joyce E. Meredith is a Graduate Research Associate, Ohio State University Extension.
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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Keith L. Smith, Director, Ohio State University Extension.
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