Introduction

11.44. A systematic approach to the management of spent fuel was provided in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), which became effective

Fig. 11.3. Heavy-isotope buildup in thorium. (Unless otherwise indicated, the nuclides are alpha-particle emitters.)

(n,7) (n,7) (n 7)

231 у 232 у —► 233 у ________ ► 234 у

(n,2n) a (n, 2n)

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231 Pa —- 232Pa ^ 233Pa ► 234Pa -­і (n,2n) . 1

0| , t 0| 0|

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231Th^ 232Th — ~

(n, 2n)

in 1983 and was amended in 1987. Provisions were made for “character­izing” a permanent repository, and the need for interim storage was rec­ognized. The Act provided for the establishment of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) to implement the program and a Nuclear Waste Fund to cover all storage and disposal costs. A charge of 1.0 mill/kWh of nuclear electricity is paid into the fund. This amounts to approximately $300 million per year.

11.45. A detailed timetable was specified which has not been met. For example, the law directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to begin ac­cepting spent fuel from utilities in 1998 to be placed in a monitored re­trievable storage (MRS) facility until an underground repository is available in 2010. Should the MRS facility not be ready to accept fuel in 1998, as appears likely, an alternative plan provides for the storage of spent-fuel assemblies at federal sites in standardized dry canisters. Since many aspects of the program remain uncertain, we will limit our discussion to the basic approaches planned. Let us first make the distinction between interim storage, monitored retrievable storage, and disposal. An interim storage facility provides short-term temporary storage to accommodate fuel assem­blies until more permanent facilities are available. A monitored retrievable storage facility is intended as an alternative to a geological repository for long-term storage. However, the assemblies could be retrieved for disposal elsewhere or perhaps for future reprocessing. In the disposal option, stor­age would be permanent with no possibility of retrieval.