Safeguards and Security in the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act, as Amended,1 directed the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish an organization for the purpose of managing the disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) and High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) and to follow all requirements of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Department of Transportation in carrying out that mandate. To accomplish this, DOE established the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). As an NRC licensee, OCRWM will be responsible for implementing a Safeguards and Security Program that meets all applicable regulations. The Standard Contract for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and/or High- Level Radioactive Waste (10 CFR Part 961)2 provides the basis for the acceptance and verification of commercial SNF and HLW. Although there are additional categories of radioactive waste that may be placed in the same repository, e.g., defense HLW, this paper examines only Safeguards and Security as it applies to SNF from commercial nuclear reactors. Two particular aspects of Safeguards and Security are addressed. First, this paper examines all of the regulatory requirements, including those stemming from the CRWMS' role as an NRC licensee. The second aspect is the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the implementation of its requirements through NRC's 10 CFR Part 753 to satisfy the IAEA Safeguards Criteria 1991 - 1995, Annex D, \"Special Criteria for Difficult-to-Access Fuel Items\".4