Year
1989
File Attachment
869.PDF1.89 MB
Abstract
The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (NWPA) established a program for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste in deep geologic repositories, and direc ted the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to develop the necessary components for a waste-management system. The transportation of waste to NWPA facilities will be an important element of the waste-management system. The NWPA provides the DOE with a unique opportunity to develop an innovative transportation system that is uniquely adapted to future shipping needs, meets extensive regulatory safety requirements, and effectively builds on the United States' long and successful history of shipping radioactive materials. The operation of the system will ultimately be contingent on the provision of safe , effic ient and economical shipping services and equipment. It will also be significantly enhanced by a stable institutional environment and by broad-based public understanding and confidence in program activities. Such goals are emphasized in the NWPA; the NWPA includes a Congressional finding that public and private sector participation in the planning and development of the waste-management program is essential to promote better understanding and to foster public confidence in the safety of waste management and disposal .