ML19207B012
| ML19207B012 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/07/1978 |
| From: | Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Udall M HOUSE OF REP., INTERIOR & INSULAR AFFAIRS |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19207A992 | List: |
| References | |
| SECY-78-256, NUDOCS 7908230199 | |
| Download: ML19207B012 (3) | |
Text
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j # "fC UNITED STATES
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jo, NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMisslON ygn j
8 WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555 3 %.m1
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July 7, 1978 The Honorable Morris K. 'Udall Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment Cemittee on Interior and Insular Affairs United States House of Representatives
' Washington, D.C.
20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The matter of the safe disposal of radioactive wastes is one of concern to the Nuclear Regulatory Comission (NRC).
I would like to inform the committee of the current status of disposal capacity for management of the nation's low-level radioactive utstes and actions we are taking regarding this matter.
Recent developments at the six comercial low-level radioactive waste burial sites have raised-the question of whether adequate regionally distributed disposal capacity for the nation's low-level wastes will be available at currently operating facilities.
Two of the six licensed comercial burial grounds (West Valley, New York, and Maxey Flats, Kentucky) are closed. A third site (Sheffield, Illinois) has reached its licensed capacity and is no. longer accepting waste for disposal (public hearings will be conducted on an application for site expan-n). The State of South Carolina has placed a limit of 135,000 sig/ month (the average conthly rate for 1977) on the volume of waste ft a~q that may be buried at a fourth site (Barnwell, South Carolina).
In addition, an application for a new ccmercial burial site in New fiexico was withdrawn by the applicant earlier this year.
Thus a large frac-tien of the wastes from reactors and other waste generators located in the eastern and mid-western United States must be transported to the burial sites at Beatty, Nevada and Hanford, Washington. shows the volumes of waste buried and the remaining capacities of the six commercia,1 low-level disposal sites. Adequate low-level waste di
... ' capacity presently exists at the Barnwell, South Carolina. Jeatty, Nevada, and Hanford, Washington sites to the mid 1980's assuming these sites continue to operate and no addi'ional limitations are placed on the volumes of wastes received at these sites. We know of no plans by Nevada or Washington to limit the volume of waste received at their sites. Very little flexibility exists in options for icw-level waste disposal if operation problems develop at the re.c 'ning sites.
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a The Honorable Morris K. Udall The NRC believes, in the short term that the present situation can be addressed by the industry cooperatively working out arrangements for use of shielded casks, transport vehicles, interim storage and optimal utilization of the capacity of the three operating sites. However, NRC also believes that additional standby capacity should be available.
There is no prospect of opening new commercial burial grounds in the near future; only Department of Energy (DOE) owned and operated burial
_ grounds could meet this need. Thus, we believe it prudent for the DOE -
to develop a contingency plan which would allow the DOE burial sites to accept cc=mercially generated wastes should the need arise.
I have sent a letter to Dr. Schlesinger requesting 00E to develop such a contingency plan and have initiated discussions between our respec-tive staffs.
I have also requested Dr. Schlesinger to consider' disposing of radioactive wastes from DOE prime contractors at DOE sites rather than at ccmmercial burial sites.
NRC also plans to issue an advance notice of croposed rulemaking to solicit comments on development of a regulatory program for alternative disposal methods to the currently practiced method of shallow land burial.
Such alternatives may offer one means of providing additional disposal capacity.
In the long term, NRC plans to continue to address the issue of safe capacity for managenent of the nation's low-level wa st es. We also know that this issue is among those being addressed by the Presidential Interagency Review Group on Nuclear Waste Management.
I will keep you informed of DOE's response to our request and of further developments that could affect the nation's low-level waste disposal Capacity.
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Sincerely, Original signed Ey Joseph M. Hendrie Joseph M. Hendrie
. Chairman
Enclosure:
Status of Licensed Commercial Low-Level Waste Disposal Sites cc: Rep. Robert Bauman
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.c Status of Licensed Commercial Low-level Waste Disposal Sites i
Volume of Waste Approximate llaste*
Buried Through 1977 Capacity Remaining Current Status 3
3 (ft )
(f t )
Barnwell, SC 5,164,174 50,993,416 OPEN--Limited to 3
ft / month 135,000 Sheffield, IL 3,023,000 0
Licensed Capacity Filled Deatty, flV 2,137,460 16,986,034 OPEN llanford, WA 596,023 44,142,500 OPEN Maxey Flats, KY 4,964,932-15,785,358 CLOSED FOR STUDY West Valley, NY 2,460,000 1,483,188 CLOSED BY~0PERATOR
- Calcdlated based on data-supplied by the States CC C,
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