REPORT RELEASED: A NEW PATH FORWARD FOR NUCLEAR WASTE IN THE US
Today a group of nuclear experts released a new report, “The Path Forward for Nuclear Waste in the U.S.,” outlining recommendations to break the current stalemate and address spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste (HLW) management and disposition. The timing of the report is essential: as the country actively pursues new nuclear development at home and to export our advanced technologies abroad, a new strategy is essential to tackle the challenges of the back of the fuel cycle.
The steering group, which includes ECA’s Director of Nuclear Programs, was led by Lake Barrett, the previous head of DOE’s former Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), and Allison Macfarlane, former Chair of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and member of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, addressed key issues including governance, access to funding, siting, the role for states, local governments and Tribes, and debated changes needed to existing nuclear waste legislation in order to make meaningful progress.
Recommendations include:
· Establishing “NuCorp” rather than the U.S. Department of Energy to manage and dispose of SNF and HLW. NuCorp would be a nuclear reactor owner-led corporation – either as an independent public benefit corporation or a non-profit corporation - with a Board of Directors and an independent Advisory Committee to include affected state, local and Tribal representatives; as well as technical and social science experts to provide oversight.
· Fixing the financing through legislation that provides NuCorp initially with access to the interest earned on the existing Nuclear Waste Fund (currently around $1.8 billion per year) to get started, and any monies not used in a given year, moved into an escrow account for future use. Eventually, access to the full corpus will need to be ensured through additional legislation.
· Requiring development of a Mission Plan within one year to provide a roadmap to the ultimate permanent disposal of SNF and HLW, including objectives, planned outreach and collaborative engagement approaches, schedule goals, and conceptual plans for siting, design, licensing, construction, operation and decommissioning of one (or more) geologic repositories and a consolidated interim storage facility as a bridging pathway towards disposal and reducing taxpayer liability costs.
In parallel with the initial first draft of the Mission Plan, DOE must provide NuCorp and Congress with a report on DOE’s legacy waste, including volume and characteristics of waste requiring disposal in a geologic repository. While DOE will not be required to contract with NuCorp should alternative disposal paths be identified, if DOE does choose to use NuCorp, it would be obligated to manage and dispose of DOE’s HLW and SNF.
· Developing updated generic radiation standards and licensing regulations for a repository and requiring, through legislation, that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency work together to do so.
The report also outlines best practices that have led to successful siting efforts elsewhere, including those ECA has identified in the past: ensuring appropriate benefits for a host community, transparency, flexibility, an ability to opt-out and resources for states, local communities or Tribes to hire their own independent experts to do their own analyses of the benefits and challenges.
Ms. Colton noted ECA is pleased to support this renewed effort and to facilitate discussions on how best to collaborate across the nuclear ecosystem to realize the myriad benefits new nuclear development presents.
“There are communities today raising their hands to explore hosting new nuclear projects, not only advanced reactors but also nuclear waste storage or recycling facilities. If the country is to truly support and benefit from deploying advanced nuclear technologies, it is incumbent that the government take these essential steps to finally move forward and demonstrate that we can successfully address the whole nuclear fuel lifecycle – from beginning to end.”
As the report concludes, “…we can do this.”