Year
1996
Abstract
Sinceearly 1995 therehas been an impasse between Congress andthe ClintonAdmin&mm“onregarding the relative priority of the developmentof central interim storage facilities for apent fiel and the development of a repository for the permanent disposition of spent fuel. Many members of the Congress (and the utility indust@ place a high priority on the development of central interim storage at an early date, i.e., commencing in 1998, on a relatively high rate of acceptance, and a large ultimate storage capacity. The Administration is concerned that such an interim storage program will require most of the ihds available for development of the overall high level waste management system, and that little Ilmding will be left to continue the repository development program -- which it believes is vital to the early deployment of a comprehensive system. This paper presents a review of the current situation and offers suggestions for prospectivesolutionsto the impasse. Included in the solutions are the use of a modified Federal Interim Storage program similar to that contained in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, the minimization of storage costs so that significant fhnds would still be available for repository developmen~ metheds for expediting the availability of a spent fiel storage capability, and the use of a contract vehicle to assure the State in which the storage is to be conductedthat the amount of storage will be limited, that work on the repmitcaywill continue,andthat the spent fuel will be removed by a fixed date.