ML19345H097

Summary of NRC Regulations & Requirements for Waste Disposal &/Or Storage

ML19345H097
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Issue date:	04/03/1981
From:	NRC
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ML19345H095	List: ML19345H094 ML19345H097 ML19345H098 ML19345H099 ML19345H100 ML19345H101 ML19345H103
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FOIA-81-105 NUDOCS 8104300489
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SUWARY OF IIRC REGULATIONS AllD REQUIREMENTS s

FOR WASTE DISPOSAL AfiD/0R STOPAGE

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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) authority and responsibility with respect to th. disposal of radioactive wastes are provided for in

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the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the Energy Reorganization

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Act of 1974.

These acts together with the National Environmehtal Policy f.jg Act of 1969 include the charge to p.ctect public health and safety and

@.. 3 to give careful consideration to the environmental impacts of its li actions. The NRC regulates those aspects of a licensee's operations

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which involve radioactive materials including storage transfer, or

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disposal of wastes so as to carry out these statutary objectives.

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i; 10 CFR Part 20: All NRC licensees are subject to requirements in 10 CFR

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Part 20 of the Commission's regulations.

Sections 20.301 - 20.305

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specifically deal with waste disposal.

Solid, liquid, and airborne

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wastes are covered. These sections establish standards ano procedures

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governing disposal of wastes by (1) transfer to authorized recipients, j

(2) release to sanitary sewage systems, (3) burial in soil, and (4) other methods approved on a case by case basis., Specific approval is required for disposal at sea and incineration of wastes, as well as for 4

other disposal activities that do not meet the generally prescribed criteria. Generally, wastes discharged.to sewage systems must be soluble Ik==

or dispersable in water and meet the concentration and' quantity limits (e.g.,onecurie/yr)specifiedin20.303.

Burial of'small ciuantities of R

waste in soil is srbject to the 4 foot depth and 6 foot separation and

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quantity limits of 20.304. This provision is for the licensee's own wastes only. Any other methods or deviations from the prescribed limits

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must be approved pursuant to 20.302.

Records of disposal are required

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~"l by 20.401 (b) and " adequate" surveys of disposal are required by 20.201..

In addition to these specific provisions for waste disposal, the regula-tions contain restrictions on the release of radioactive material in

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c effluents to unrestricted areas.

Such releases must be kept as low as reasonably achievable under 10 CFR Part 20.1(c), and within permissible

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concentrations specified in 20.106.

Effluents trom stored wastes are subject to these provisions.

fj STORAGE:

Storage of wastes should normally be within the scope of the

,,ji licensee's operational program. Jhe adequacy of the a;plicant's facilities, F:

!=E equipment, and procedures for use and storage of materials 's routinely evaluated in the review process for the licensing process.

Determination of adequacy would cover aspects such as effluents fro::vastes, radiation I"

levels, security, containment, etc. as required for licensing. No general regulations for storage applicable to all licensees have been implemented.

Requirements for environmental considerations a.nd speci'fic types of licenses will be noted later.

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A11' licensees are subject to a number of other requirements for all licensed materials, including wastes.

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TRANSPORT: The requirements for on-site and off-site transportation and

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\\ packaging are specified in 10 CFR Part 71.

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TRANSFERS:

Requirements for verification of transfers are specified in 7.:f?

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Sections 30.40 of 10 CFR Part 30, 40.51 of 10 CFR Part 40, and 70.42 of 10 CFR Part 70.

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SAFEGUARDS: A number of saf' guards requirements are specified in the

_ ' 5 re' ulations for licensees at chorized to possess H-3, source, and special

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E. E nuclear material (SNM) above certain minimum quantities. For example, M:/

.:.y materials status and transfer reports are required of NRC and Agreement State licensees (Sections 30.54,. 30.55, and 150.19 for H-3; 40.64 and 150.17 for source material, and 70.53, 70.54 and 150.16: for SNM).

Materials controls (. Sections 70.58 and 150.18) and physical protection Z: :

(10 CFR Part 73) are also required in some cases.

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ENVIRONMENTAL.:' Under NEPA, the Commission has a responsibility to give 5

i careful consideration to the environmental aspects of actions and proposed

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j actions which will significantly affect the quality of the environmerit.

ri Environmental impact statements are required for specified activities

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such as the issuance of licenses for nuclear power plants, fuel cycle o

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i faci-lities, and commercial radioactive waste land burial or,ations.

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s (See Section 51.5 (a)). Both radioactive and nonradioactive environ-s = s:

dental aspects are considered.

Information concerning the details of

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and evaluation of expected releases are considt ad in environmental

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2 assessment of nuclear fuel cycle facilities. E nviror. mental information

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is also required of applicants for disposal under 20.302. The data

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required includes relevant topographical, geological, meteorological, i:=

and hydrological characteristics; specific design criteria have not been ihg EL:s specified, however.

If the results of environmental review show the T

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.c 7 need, restrictive license conditions and/or modifications in the appli-

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NRC requirements for specific types of licensee are sursarized below.

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FUEL REPROCESSING PLANTS: The NRC definition of and requirements for

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.:ii high-level wastes (HLW) are specified in Appendix F of 10 CFR part 50.

Cij The basic requirements are that a new fuel reprocessing plant's inventory 5

of high-level liquid radioactive wastes be limited to that produced in the prior five years; converted t.o a dry solid, placed in a sealed container, and transferred to a Federal repository no later than ten N

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years following separation of fit,sion products from the irradiated fuel.

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h fl0CLEA'R POWER PLANTS: ilRC waste management requirements primarily concern

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Design objectives for control of effluents are specified in

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?=Wim 50.34a of 10 CFR Part 50 and criteria for technical specifications for gj_. D h

effluents in 50.36a. ALARA requirements for effluents are specified in.

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Appendix I of 10 CFR Part 50.

General design criteria 60-64 of Appendix t..

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A of 10 CFR Part 50 specify requirments for monitoring and adequacy and

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.113 safety in control of effluents and storage of radwastes and fuel.

=i Standards for system components are specified in 10 CFR Part 50 or NRC Regulatory Guides (RG). The content of safety analysis reports for gij waste management is specified in RG 1.70.27.

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P UF CONVERSION PLANTS AND U MILLS: Acceptable practices for management 6

of liquid and solid wastes for UF Plants are outlined in RG 3.13.

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Materials in tailings piles resulting from milling operations are not regulated by the llRC after operations cease and the license is terminated.

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The tailings contain unimportant (exempt from licensing under 40.13 (a))

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quantities of source material. However, as a result of NRC review of

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f environmental 1siderations (under NEPA), licenses are conditioned to i

require reclamation and stabilization, and establish =ent of suitable

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financial arrangements for long term maintenance on a case by case basis

+i in accordance with NRC interim criteria before licenses may be terminated.

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- 3 Acceptable design stability and stabilization of mill wastes are outlined

. i9 in RG 3.11 and RG 3.23.

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6-k DECOMMISSIONING AND DEC0!!TAMINATION:

General requirements for termina-

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tion of 10 CFR Part 50 facility licenses are in Section 50 82 and Appendix F of 10 CFR Part 50.

Appendix F includes a requirement for transfer of n:

HLW to a Federal repository. Acceptable guidelines for reactor facilities are outlined in RG 1.86.

Similar authority for termination and D/D guidelines exist for other types of licensees.

3 COMMERCIAL LAND BURIAL FACILITIES:

Such facilities must be located on 7

federal or state land (20.302 (b)). The type of information required of Ti applicants for site selection and operation is outlined in NRC's " Licensing Requirements for Establishment of a Land Burial Facility for Burial of Radioactive Wastes."

An annotated listing of NRC Regulatory Guides and siailar documents having waste management information follows:

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'..g NRC REGULATORY GUIDES CONTAINING WASTE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION l

l General - All fuel cycle facilities:

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" Interim Guidelines for Preparing Environmental Information For Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facilities," Preliminary of A> gust 12, 1975.

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RG 3.24 " Guidance on the License Application, Siting, ijj

.o.s Design, and Plant Protection for an Independent Spent fuel Storage-

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Installation"

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Nuclear Power Plants:

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(1) RG 1.26 " Quality Group Classification and Standards ff+9 ti; for Water, - Steam, - Radioactiye Waste Containing Components 5-N of Nuclear Power Plants" (outlines standards for associated

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components of water cooling systems)

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RG 1.70.27 "Information for Safety Aralysis Reports, Radioactive Waste Management" b'

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UF Production:

6 RG 3.13 " Guide for Acceptable Waste Storage Methods at b.

Ei9 UF Production Plants"

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Uranium and Thorium Mills:

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(1) RG 3.11 " Design Stability of Emb,ankment Retention Systems for Uranium Mills" l

(2) RG 3.23 " Stabilization of Uranium-Thorium Milling E.

Waste Retention Systems"

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RG 3.5 " Guide to the Contents of Applications for c' '

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Uranium Milling Licenses"

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s (4) RG 3.8 " Preparation of Environmental Reports for Uranium

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Mills"

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(1) RG 3.10 " Liquid Waste Treatment System Design Guide for Plutonium Processing and Fuel Fabrication Plants"

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(2) RG 5.47 " Control and Accountability of Pu in Waste

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Material" (safeguards document for control, search, and t= g:.i

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Decontamination and Decommissioning:

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RG 1.86

" Termination of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Reactors" 7. ;..

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" Guidelines for Decontamination of Facilities and Equipment Prior to Release for Unrestricted Use or Termination of j

..e-Licenses for Byproduct, Source, or SNM" fj Draft, Dec.1975 (used by all licensing except reactors)

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t Commercial Land Burial:

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"L' censing Requirements for Establishment of a Land Burial Facility for Burial of Radioactive Wastes," Nov. 3,1969

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REPOSITORY LICEllSING PROCEDURES

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Section 202 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 gives t'.e Nuclear Regulatory Commission (flRC) the authority and responsibility to license 55:3

p Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) repositories for 72.

commercial high-level radioactive waste.

ERDA is presently proceeding gi...

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with the development of high level radioactive waste repositories. To 55~

be prepared to give direction concerning licensing requirements and

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procedures to ERDA, and to be prepared to evaluate a license application

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or request for review when received from ERDA, NRC is developing licensing

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procedures and requirements that will meet the particular requirements of licensing a geologic high level waste repository.

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NRC licensing review may include a multistep approach. The procedure may provide for the NRC to review preliminary site selection ano site development plans, and repository development plans. The NRC will be

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These phases are described -in greater detail below.

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i Preliminary Site Review

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l The NRC expects to initiate its formal participation upon receipt of a

.g site description from ERDA. The NRC may either provide comments to ERDA based upon staff review, or may require'that preliminary site selection

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determinations be subject to appropriate licensing procedures.

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s Site Development Plan Approval g.g...,

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Site development is considered to encompass'any significant penetrations

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of the geologic formation which might later affect the performance of

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It includes particularly the sinking of any shafts.

The f4RC review may also include licensing action at this stage.

4 eRepository Development Approval Repository development includes the building of the repository surface y

facilities and the excavation of the underground storage caverns.

In

,5 the absence of comprehensive proceedings at an earlier stage, the f4RC expects, at this point, to require complete information (including an t

environmental report) sufficiently in advance to allow for the i

preparation of an environmental impact statement and for the holding of public hearings.

Upon completion of the hearings, the tiRC could determine whether or not repository development should be pemitted to proceed.

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p. :n Repository License A repository license will be required prior to the receipt of any radio-

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active waste in the repository.

Submittal of an updated license applica-tion and environmental report by ERDA will be required about 15 months prior to the licensing decision.

The f4RC review would include, as appropriate, updating of the environment.al impact statement and applica-p tion evaluations.

Public hearings would be held prior to issua:<_e of a license.

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E"E Rbview of an application to amend the repository license to permit

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irretrievable storage might require similar review and action by the l;[(

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NRC.

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