Development of safeguards Requirements for High-Level waste Repositories

This paper describes the methodology used and the results obtained in a study performed for the NRC to establish a technical basis for the resolution of safeguards issues for high-level waste repositories. In the study, safeguards requirements were derived for future geologic high-level waste repositories accepting wastes from any one of several commercial light water reactor fuel cycles. The safeguards requirements are based primarily on the potential threat to public health and safety due to dispersal of radioactive material at the repository site. Theft was also considered.