18
Figure 11. U.S. DOE High-Level Waste Inventory in 2010 H AN F O RD
I D AH O
W E ST VAL L E Y
~9,700 Canisters (Projected)
~3,590-5,090 Canisters (Projected)
275 Canisters (2010)
T O TA L ~3,175 Canisters (2010) ~19,865-21,365 Canisters (Total Projected)
SAVANN AH R I VER ~2,900 Canisters (2010) ~6,300 Canisters (Total Projected)
Canisters = HLW Canisters for Disposal
Source: BRC staff using information from DOE and other sources.
To address state concerns about the indefinite storage of spent fuel and HLW at existing federal facilities, DOE has entered into agreements with Idaho and Colorado to remove all spent fuel and other HLW by 2035. Failure to meet this deadline will trigger monetary penalties and restrictions on further shipments of waste material into these states, including the shipment of Navy spent fuel into Idaho (see further discussion of Navy spent fuel in section 3.3.3 below). Finally, DOE has statutory responsibility for disposing of greater than Class C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste. This category of waste includes activated metals from decommissioned power plants, some sealed sources, and nondefense-related transuranic (TRU) waste. The current volume of GTCC waste totals approximately 1,100 cubic meters; future decommissioning of existing nuclear power plants is expected to generate an additional 4,200 cubic meters. GTCC waste may require deep geologic disposal. A path for the ultimate disposal of this class of waste has yet to be identified, although DOE has developed a draft environmental impact statement that evaluates GTCC disposal alternatives and is working toward a final environmental impact statement and record of decision.17 The alternatives being considered include disposal in a deep geologic repository and disposal in boreholes at depths up to 1,000 ft.
3.3.3 Navy Spent Fuel The federal inventory currently includes a relatively small quantity of spent fuel—approximately 27 metric tons—from
naval reactors that power the nation’s fleet of 83 nuclearpowered submarines and aircraft carriers. The inventory of naval SNF is growing slowly, at a rate of 1 to 2 metric tons per year, due to the continued operation and necessary re-fueling of reactors on these ships. The Navy’s current projection is that a total of 65 metric tons will be generated by 2035, all of which would be destined for disposal in a repository (the Navy does not consider reprocessing as an option for its SNF).18 The Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP), an integrated program carried out jointly by the Navy and DOE, manages spent naval reactor fuel, which for many years has been shipped to INL for technical studies and storage pending final disposal. Current practice is to transport the Navy’s SNF from the shipyards where refueling occurs by rail, in specially-designed casks, to the Naval Reactors Facility (NRF) on the INL. At NRF, the spent fuel is placed in a water pool similar to those used for commercial and other DOE spent fuel, examined to confirm that its actual condition is consistent with expectations, and evaluated for other technical studies (e.g., to improve the efficiency of future nuclear fuel). After an appropriate cooling period, the SNF is transferred to specifically-designed multipurpose canisters suitable for dry storage at INL as well as subsequent transportation and disposal; the naval SNF will, under current plans, never be removed from these canisters.19 At present, the Navy has about 50 loaded canisters in dry storage at INL; by 2035, it estimates there will be just over
B l u e R i bb o n C o m m i s s i o n o n A m e r i ca’ s N u c l e ar F u t u r e
