DISPOSITION OF HIGH-LEVEL WASTE AND SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL: AN EVOLVING CHALLEGE

The year 2002 will be an important milestone in the history of the United States effort to achieve safe disposition of high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel. The positive vote on July 9 in the US Senate overturning Nevada’s veto means the proposed Yucca Mountain site will now proceed towards a Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process. The concept for a repository at Yucca Mountain is evolving from one of disposal to disposition, with the potential for an extended period for altering repository design and even retrieval of waste materials. The societal challenges remain formidable, because further decisions determining the future of this project will span generations. Technical challenges are also considerable. Many uncertainties about the Yucca Mountain geological setting and the long-term behavior of engineered barriers are unlikely to be fully resolved, even with extensive further research. An adaptive management process is needed that can build and retain trust, with the scientific community and with the public. The perspective developed in this paper in large measure reflects the author's experience as chair of the National Research Council committee that produced the 2001 report, "Disposition of High-Level Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel: The Continuing Societal and Technical Challenges."