Frequently Asked Questions About Waste Confidence Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). This information has recently been updated, and is now available.
http://www.nrc.gov/waste/The Waste Confidence Rulemaking
What is Waste Confidence?
The Waste Confidence rule codifies the Commission's generic
determination of the environmental impacts associated with the storage
of spent fuel after the end of a reactor's licensed life for operation.
This generic analysis is found in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 51.23. The draft final Continued Storage GEIS
describes the environmental impacts of continuing to store spent
nuclear fuel beyond the licensed life for operation of a reactor, and is
the regulatory basis for the draft final Continued Storage rule.
Why is the NRC changing the name of the rulemaking from Waste Confidence to Continued Storage?
The NRC staff is proposing to change the name of the rulemaking from
Waste Confidence to the Continued Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel. This
proposed change is in response to public comments received on this
topic. See Section D.2.1.4 in Appendix D of the draft final GEIS for more information on this issue.
How can the NRC evaluate the environmental impacts of
the Waste Confidence rule on a generic basis when each reactor/fuel
storage site is unique?
Historically, the Commission has chosen to address Waste Confidence
generically, and this approach was reaffirmed by the D.C. Circuit Court
of Appeals in the same decision that vacated and remanded the 2010 Waste
Confidence update. Examples of other NRC GEISs include nuclear power
plant decommissioning (NUREG-0586), nuclear power plant license renewal (NUREG-1437), and uranium recovery in-situ leach facility licensing (NUREG-1910)
Are research reactors dependent on Waste Confidence?
No. The focus of the Waste Confidence GEIS is a generic assessment of
the environmental impacts associated with the continued storage of
spent nuclear fuel generated by nuclear power reactors. The continued
storage of spent nuclear fuel generated at research reactors, either in
the United States or abroad, is outside the scope of the GEIS and is not
addressed.
Will the Waste Confidence rule authorize the storage of spent nuclear fuel at the reactor near me?
No, the Waste Confidence rule will not authorize the storage of spent
nuclear fuel at any site, and it is not a substitute for site-specific
NEPA and safety analyses for individual licensing actions.
If the Waste Confidence rule allows for extended
onsite storage of spent nuclear fuel, how is that different from onsite
disposal? And further, does NRC support a policy of permanent, onsite
disposal?
The Waste Confidence rule does not allow for onsite disposal. Waste
Confidence assesses the environmental impacts of continued storage after
license expiration pending disposal in a repository.The United States' policy is disposal in a geological repository. The Blue Ribbon Commission (on America's Nuclear Future) reaffirmed the need for and feasibility of geological disposal in its January 2012 report to the Secretary of Energy. Furthermore, the U.S. Department of Energy's January 2013 report in response to the Blue Ribbon Commission's recommendations also reaffirms the national policy of geological disposal. The NRC is responsible for ensuring that the national policy for disposal is carried out in a safe manner.
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