Consideration of Environmental Impacts of Temporary Storage of Spent Fuel After Cessation of Reactor Operation

Zusammenfassung

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is revising its generic determination on the environmental impacts of storage of spent fuel at, or away from, reactor sites after the expiration of reactor operating licenses. The revisions reflect findings that the Commission has reached in an update and supplement to the 1990 Waste Confidence rulemaking proceeding published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register. The Commission now finds that, if necessary, spent fuel generated in any reactor can be stored safely and without significant environmental impacts for at least 60 years beyond the licensed life for operation (which may include the term of a revised or renewed license) of that reactor in a combination of storage in its spent fuel storage basin or at either onsite or offsite independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs). It also finds reasonable assurance that sufficient mined geologic repository capacity will be available for disposal of spent fuel when necessary.