ML19291A477
| ML19291A477 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/28/1977 |
| From: | Bernie White NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| To: | Rehm T NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| References | |
| FOIA-79-109 NUDOCS 7905160283 | |
| Download: ML19291A477 (7) | |
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UNITED STATES t
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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September.8, 1977 CFFICE OF THE
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NOTE FOR:
Tom Rehm m
FROM:
Bill White, Operations Branch
SUBJECT:
SECY-77-489 - SUBMISSION OF LOW (COMMISSIONER ACTIGt:
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For your informati]n, the fo Kennedy with his. concurrence:llowing coments were receive.d from Com T
'I suggest that the introduction t (Appendix G) and the proposed letter to the Governoo both the Fe
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be expanded.
rs (Appendix H) k*I note that two studies are underway to quantify a
- j. - a for accidental release from nuclear waste management I would like to have a brief description of these studi opera tions.
relationship to work being done by other offices es a_nd their
- The staff should indicate in the F d F
letters that the Commission has taken the Task Force rece er
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under consideration but has not formally a ommendations policy.
im as NRC that there should be incre~ sed Federal control Task Force report. level waste was not universally supported by p questions should be answered and more detailed ana comment on the t,'
the'Comission makes a determination for more Fede
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quired before rL ral control.
In addition to Commissioner Kennedy's concurrence t.,.
concurred in the subject paper.
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, Chairman Hendrie has from Comissioners Gilinsky and BradfordWe are still awaiting comments / con
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-I recommend that you invite the attention of Commis i L'. '
N comment to the appropriate members of NMSS, for immediate acts on.
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scotember 12, 1977
,i SECY-77-489 t
COMMISSIONER ACTION For:
The Commissioners From:
Clifford V. Smith, Jr., Director Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
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Thru:
Executive Director for Operations
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Subject:
SUBMISSION OF LOW-LEVEL W'.STE IMPLEMEtlTATI0tl PLAN
Purpose:
To inform the Commission of the public comments on
!!UREG-0217 and the staff's plan for implementing NRC's lou-level waste program and to obtain Comission approval of a Federal Register nntice and le'ters to Governors, Congressional Committees and Feder.tl Agencies I-f.
summarizing this information.
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Catecary:
This paper covers minor policy matters.
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NRC's role and plans in the manage.ent of commercial c
low-level waste.
Qiscussien:
BACKGROUND y
As part of the reexamination of the technical and L.
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regulatory basis for low-level waste management, the 3,~
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NRC published NUREG-0217, "t:RC Task Force R.eport on I: l*b Review of the Federal / State Program for Regulation of Commercial Low-Level Radioactive Waste Burial Grounds" t l.;,
in March 1977. This report presented the Task Force
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findings and recommendations on the programs of NRC 4/
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and the States for regulating the disposal of commercial low-level wastes.
The body of the report was also i/M published in the Federal Recister (Appendix A) to 4
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solicit public comments wnicn would be considered
$[ c4 in the-Comission's deliberation on the Task Force recommendations and in developing an NRC low-level M
waste management program.
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Contact:
'l'I Michael Bell
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427-4240
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's APPEf: DIX.E THE NRC LOW-LEVEL. WASTE MAllAGEME?!T pRCGRAM INTRODUCTION I
t Since its inception nearly two years ago, the NRC has recognized that i
the safe management of nuclear waste is one of the pivotal istues t
affecting the future role of nuclear power.
We alse-recognize that
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this is a ccmmon objective of the several Federal agencies having jurisdictional or programmatic interests in nuclear waste management
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While NRC responsibilities are in the area of regulation, we are working closely with other agencies in scoping and scheduling activitie
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g' wastes.
The Cc mission's overall nuclear waste management program was t-described previnnsly.
This cacer focuses on the NRC program for x-2.
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management of icw-level radioactive wastes which are disposed of in
,j' cc=mercial burial grounds.
'p Preliminary schedules and critical inter-relationships for the elements
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'n of the MRC icw-level waste program are shown in rigures E-1 throug L' s
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The program elements can be assigned to seven categories which are ig.,
discussed in the sections below:
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general program and policy development k3. 3 W 'J:1 *
- standards development for shallow-land burial y:,
. _. g gg standards development for alternative disposal methods pu regulation development development of analytical models and staff review procedure s
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development of regulatory guides I
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The program elements are shown only in sufficient detail in the figures to provide an overview of the program.
These efforts will provide i
the necessary tools for applicants to prepare license applications
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and for NRC to evaluate the submission and make uniform and timely g
licensing decisions.
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l e-GENERAL PRCGpM AND POLICY ELE.MENTS t
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The schedule fc development of the general elements of the icw-le,'el waste management program is outlined in Figure E-1.
The principal o..
activities in the general program are descrioed beicw.
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Acceatable Risk i;!
lJ Two studies are presently underway to attempt to quantify acceptable t
risk for accidental releases from nuclear waste management operations.
r-The studies are designed to lead to development of accepttble risk n
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criteria which can be used to formulate regulations and/or policy e
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statenents governing disposal of nuclear wastes.
Lawrenca Livermore
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La'coratories (LLL) will coordinate their activities with the "ational 3
Council on Radiation Protection (NCRP) study and with EPA's program cp. 4
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LLL will
.y report their findings to the MRC along with a technical basis for any
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t-reccc=endations in late 1977.
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STATEMENT OF WORX TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WASTE MANAGEMENT CRITERIA NMSS PROJECT A0277-7 f
1.0 Backcround The Nuclear Regulatory Ccmmission's Office of Nuclear Material j
Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) is currently developing a frame-work of regulations, criteria, and standards within which it
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can effectively and efficiently regulate management and 3
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disposal of radioactive wastes.
. As a part of this framework NMSS is currently developing:.
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Performance criteria for high level waste (HLW) solid waste matrices l[0 2.
HLW Repository / Storage facility Design Criteria o a-
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Site selection Criteria t.
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Classification and disposal criteria for radicactive wastcs.
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Under FY 76 NMSS Project A0277 (LLL Project 6617), Lawrence 7.*
Livermore.., Laboratory (LLL) has provided technical support to v
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NMSS in developing such a framework.
This project ( A0277-7) is D'
b a folicw-on to that effort.
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2.0 Work Reauired P
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As the need for regulations, sta.o
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emerges, LLL technical capabilities will be utilized to develop r.
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HLW Recository Sfte Selection Criteria I[.
(a)
LLL will develop site selection criteria for HLW repositories t
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taking into account er.f th science parameters, test boring restrictions, demography, transportation, socioeconcmic factors, natural resource ~s, and other factors pertinent to locating a HLW repository.
LLL will consider potential b-
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.lRC data requirements, including input from the WMP Earth 5
Sciences Task Force, in developing the criteria.
LLL will r
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1 consolidate their preliminary recennendations in a report to the NRC by March 15, 1977.
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LLL will assess the environmental impacts of a regulation c+
based on the criteria in (a) above.
LLL will submit to the b.
NRC an impact statement in a format and fom to be specified by the NMSS TM. The impact statement will be submitted in NH preliminary draft form for NRC review by November 1,1977
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and in camera ready fom by January 5,1978.
LLL, vill k
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coordinate their effor a with the development of HLW t;
repository assessment model at Sandia Laboratories to assure 7_Q a c '-,',
s consistent approaches.
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Acceotable Risk Criteria
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LLL will develop a basis for a criterion setting. forth " acceptable e.
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risk" for use in wa.e management evaluations.
LLL will evaluate
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LLL will coordinate their activities with those of the National
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disposal. LLL will~ submit draft and final reports on July 31,
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Task 5.
Short Term Assistance
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8' LLL will continue to be available to the WMP staff on short y.
p.M notice for aid with solving waste management problems related M,*
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to standards or_ methodology development.
For planning purposes,
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Specific requirements for quick response subtasks will be documented in sg c.' c >
letter fann by the NMSS Technical Monitor 001SS TM)and will reference
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this task.
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3.0 Recorting Recuirements 9
F 3.1 Monthly Ldtter Recort P
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