Site Suitability - In developing site suitability criteria, technical assistance from the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and data base studies at existing sites will be utilized.

The USGS is conducting a study of existing commercial burial sites to develop geologic and hydrologic criteria for evaluating waste burial sites and to develop predictive waste transport models for buried wastes. USGS has already initiated sampling programs at two burial sites and plans to initiate studies at additional sites in the near future. NRC is assisting USGS in this program by providing analytical services for samples obtained by USGS. BNL is performing the analyses under contract to RES. This program is aimed at determining the processes and underlying principles controlling radioactive waste migration through soil. Both laboratory experiments, using materials and solutions collected at the different burial sites, and comprehensive field investigations are being conducted. The results of this study will be used in the NRC's assessment of present burial practices. The NRC, in cooperation with USGS and EPA, is initiating studies with agencies of the States of New York and Kentucky to model radionuclide migration at the West Valley and Maxey Flats sites. Negotiations have begun to conduct similar studies at the two remaining Eastern sites. These studies are intended to support our efforts to develop analytical models to predict site performance and in the

development of siting criteria. These studies are being funded by RES and we are obtaining technical support from NRR.

Site Design The field data and analysis projects just described will provide the major information base for site design criteria. Input from ERDA technology development will also be included. Technical support in the geotechnical disciplines is being provided by

NRR.

Operation

The information base for development of criteria for site operation includes the technical findings and analyses associated with site suitability and design since the three are inter-related. Technical support being provided by NRR will include operational aspects concerned with the site characteristics and optimum design.

Additional requirements should derive from work planned as an expansion of an OSD study which is already underway. This study is concerned with the safety and cost related to decommissioning nuclear fuel cycle facilities. The study is being performed by Battelle Northwest Laboratories (BNWL) and will include criteria for operating, monitoring, decommissioning, long-term care and funding of low-level waste disposal sites. Record-keeping requirements including inventory data, acquisition/storage methods and quality assurance will be defined. Criteria for formulating and implementing environmental

monitoring programs at disposal sites will be developed. Decommissioning and long-term care criteria will be identified. Finally, financial arrangements such as terms of leases, perpetual-care funds, contingency reserves and financial responsibilities will be incorporated into criteria for evaluating and regulating disposal sites.

Monitoring Criteria for the design and conduct of environmental monitoring programs are needed. All phases of site activities must be covered, i.e., pre-operational, operational, decontamination and decommissioning, and post-operational. Requirements will derive from both short and long-term considerations. The field data and analysis studies at the Eastern sites will provide data and analytical methods for designing and assessing monitoring programs in humid climates. Work being done under contract to ERDA is addressing arid sites. NRR is providing technical assistance. The planned OSD study described earlier will provide additional input.

Post-Operational Maintenance and Funding Requirements - Criteria for these aspects are the primary focus of the OSD decommissioning study. NRR technical support in developing siting, design, and operational criteria will also be employed in developing these post-operational requirements.

THE NRC LOW-LEVEL WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION

Since its inception nearly two years ago, the NRC has recognized that the safe management of nuclear waste is one of the pivotal issues affecting the future role of nuclear power. We also recognize that this is a common objective of the several Federal agencies having jurisdictional or programmatic interests in nuclear waste management. While NRC responsibilities are in the area of regulation, we are working closely with other agencies in scoping and scheduling activities to provide a sound overall national program for managing nuclear

wastes. The Commission's overall nuclear waste management program has been described previously. This paper focuses on the NRC program for management of low-level radioactive wastes which are disposed of in commercial burial grounds.

Preliminary schedules and critical inter-relationships for the elements of the NRC low-level waste program are shown in Figures E-1 through E-5. The program elements can be assigned to seven categories which are discussed in the sections below:

general program and policy development