BRC's report suggests changes about nuclear waste

The federally appointed commission charged with recommending a plan for dealing with the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle released its final report Thursday, outlining a series of recommended changes impacting criteria for future siting of a nuclear waste repository, transport and storage of spent fuel and the handling of nuclear waste fees.

The Blue Ribbon Commission spent two years visiting sites across the country, including the Savannah River Site in January 2011, and hearing from experts and stakeholders before delivering the final report to Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu.

"Put simply, this nation's failure to come to grips with the nuclear waste issue has already proved damaging and costly," the commission wrote. "It will be even more damaging and more costly the longer it continues - damaging to prospects for maintaining a potentially important energy supply option for the future, damaging to state-federal relations and public confidence in the federal governments' competence and damaging to America's standing in the world, not only as a source of nuclear technology and policy expertise but as a leader on global issues of nuclear safety, nonproliferation and security."

Among the BRC's recommendations was the creation of a new organization that would oversee licensing, building and operation of facilities for the consolidated storage and disposal of spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste and would arrange for the transport of waste and spent fuel.

The commission recommended the development of one or more consolidated storage facilities that would transfer spent fuel from reactor sites to the facilities, beginning with "stranded" spent fuel from shutdown plants.

The BRC recommended that, while it was not authorized to determine siting, efforts to develop a new, deep geologic disposal facility should be determined promptly.

The commission emphasized that it has not taken a position on the Obama administration's decision to withdraw the license application for the Yucca Mountain repository but that a repository will be necessary.

"We simply note that, regardless of what happens with Yucca Mountain, the U.S. inventory of spent nuclear fuel will soon exceed the amount that can be legally emplaced at this site until a second repository is in operation," the report read.

In some of the meetings held near DOE sites around the country, citizens told the commission that they did not want nuclear waste in their communities, and the BRC recommended that a consent-based approach to siting nuclear waste management facilities be implemented.

"In practical terms, this means encouraging communities to volunteer to be considered to host a new nuclear waste management facility while also allowing for the waste management organization to approach communities that it believes can meet the siting requirements," the report read.

Chu said in a statement that the BRC recommendations are welcomed ones.

"The consensus report they have produced is a critical step toward finding a sustainable approach to disposing of used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste," Chu said. "While the specifics of a new strategy for managing our nation's used nuclear fuel will need to be addressed in partnership with Congress, I believe that the commission's recommendations represent a strong foundation for that effort."

The full final BRC report can be found at www.brc.gov.

Anna Dolianitis is a reporter for the Aiken Standard. She covers the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site, as well as court and legal matters affecting Aiken County. She has been with the Aiken Standard since August 2010.