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Independent regulatory commissions

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Comments on Yucca Mountain Environmental Impact Statement

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued comments on the United States Department of Energy (DOE) draft environmental impact statements related to the proposed geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The comments focus on the completeness, transparency, and consistency of the analyses presented in the draft documents. The NRC staff identified areas where the DOE could strengthen and improve the clarity and completeness of the final documents, including revising the characterization of certain aspects of the analyses and enhancing the transparency and traceability of the discussions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The NRC staff developed comments consistent with NRC's regulations in Part 51 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and NUREG-1748, Environmental Review Guidance for Licensing Actions Associated with NMSS Programs.
  • The comments do not represent any NRC staff position concerning adoption of an environmental impact statement (EIS) as required by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) or 10 CFR 51.109.
  • The NRC staff observed that an integrated timeline for both the repository and rail proposed actions would enhance the utility of the documents.
  • The comments fall under the following general areas: revisions to enhance completeness and to more fully characterize or bound certain aspects of the analyses, and revisions to enhance transparency and traceability of analyses and consistency of discussions.
  • Clearly stated, traceable technical bases are not provided for certain descriptions of the affected environment and for statements regarding impacts on different resource areas.

Statistics:

  • The NRC staff identified areas where the DOE could strengthen and improve the clarity and completeness of the final documents.
  • The comments focused on the completeness, transparency, and consistency of the analyses presented in the draft documents.
  • The NRC staff observed that an integrated timeline for both the repository and rail proposed actions would enhance the utility of the documents in 7 specific areas of analysis.
  • The proposed geologic repository would have a significant impact on the environment, including the affected environment and potential impacts that would be associated with the proposed actions.

Sources:

  • "Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada" (DOE/EIS-0250F-S1D)
  • "Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada - Nevada Rail Transportation Corridor" (DOE/EIS-0250F-S2D)
  • "Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Rail Alignment for the Construction and Operation of a Railroad in Nevada to a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada" (DOE/EIS-0369D)
  • Letter to E. Sproat from M. Weber, dated: December 13, 2007.

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