Figure 1. Disposal Charges for the Barnwell Facility
Audeen W. Fentiman
Matthew E. Jorat
Ronald J. Veley
Low-Level radioactive waste is produced by nuclear power plants, industries, hospitals, and universities. Because it is radioactive, this waste must be disposed of in facilities specifically sited and designed to isolate the waste from the environment. The cost of a disposal facility is recovered by charging low-level radioactive waste generators for each cubic foot of waste they send to the facility. This fact sheet examines some of the factors in determining the cost of low-level waste disposal, discusses past and present disposal fees, and outlines a possible basis for future disposal fees. The fact sheet addresses only the cost of final disposal and does not include the costs of treating, packaging, or transporting the waste.
The total cost of low-level radioactive waste disposal is the sum of the costs for each of the three periods of the disposal facility's lifetime: pre-operational, operational, and post-operational. The following sections describe some of the activities that contribute to the cost during each period.
Pre-operational costs result from activities that occur before the facility is ready to accept low-level radioactive waste for disposal. Some examples of pre-operational activities are:
Operational costs are expenses that occur while a disposal facility is accepting low-level radioactive waste for disposal. Some examples of operational activities are:
Post-operational costs are expenses that occur after a disposal facility is closed and no longer accepts low-level radioactive waste for disposal. Some examples of post-operational activities are:
Traditionally, low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities have charged waste generators a fee for each cubic foot of waste accepted for disposal. This volume-related fee is known as the per cubic foot charge. Additionally, disposal facilities may place handling surcharges on low-level radioactive waste. The surcharges are based on the characteristics of the waste. Some examples of those characteristics are the level of radioactivity and the type of container used - if special handling is required.
The Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 imposed additional surcharges from 1986 through 1992 on all low-level radioactive waste from compacts that had not yet built their own disposal facilities. Seventy-five percent of the surcharges were given to the state in which the existing disposal facility was located. The remaining 25 percent was returned to the compacts or states that generated the waste, if those compacts or states met specified milestones for development of their own waste disposal facility.
The cost of low-level radioactive waste disposal has increased during the past decade. In 1983, the Barnwell disposal facility in South Carolina charged a base disposal price of $13.20 per cubic foot for low-level waste. In 1987, the price increased to $31.50 per cubic foot. In 1993, the price of low-level waste disposal at the Barnwell facility rose to $59.00 per cubic foot. An additional Southeast Compact charge of $220.00 per cubic foot is being levied for access to the Barnwell facility between January 1, 1993 and June 30, 1994 (the date Barnwell is scheduled to close its doors to states outside its compact region). The various handling surcharges have also increased. The basic per cubic foot charge for the Barnwell facility for the past ten years and those surcharges imposed on all waste are illustrated in Figure 1. Handling surcharges for wastes with special characteristics are not included in the figure.
Figure 1. Disposal Charges for the Barnwell Facility
Low-level radioactive waste compacts as well as unaffiliated states are currently in the process of establishing low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities, but no site has been licensed yet. As a result, specific fees have not yet been determined. The fees will be based on the cost of pre-operational, operational, and post-operational activities as outlined in this fact sheet. Furthermore, fees may reflect priorities of the facility operator , regulatory agencies, or society. For example, a high per cubic foot cost may encourage waste volume reduction, or a high charge on the basis of radioactive characteristics may encourage reduced levels of radioactivity.
Fees for disposal of low-level radioactive waste will be determined for each disposal facility. More detailed information on the fees will become available as a disposal facility nears completion. The National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program, operated by EG&G Idaho, Inc., Idaho Falls, Idaho, published a study entitled "Economics of a Small-Volume Low-level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility" in April 1993 (DOE/LLW-170). This study provides general information on disposal costs.
Dr. Audeen W. Fentiman is an Assistant Professor in Nuclear Engineering at The Ohio State University. Matthew E. Jorat is a Graduate Research Associate in Nuclear Engineering. Ronald J. Veley 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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