Re: Yucca Mountain timeline

[RuthWeiner@AOL.COM]

A couple of clarifications (from someone who was there).


In a message dated 1/12/02 2:33:16 PM Mountain Standard Time, ncohen12@HOME.COM writes:



> >  (AEC was disbanded in 1974, and
>
> > some of its functions eventually became the responsibility of the Department
>
> > of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental
>
> > Protection Agency.)

Actually, the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 created the NRC as the body to regulate nuclear energy, and five of the seven AEC Commissioners became NRC Commissioners.  The Act also created the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) which, together with the Federal Energy Administration and the Federal Power Commission, were put under the jurisdiction of the new Department of Energy (DOE).  DOE was given  (and has) the responsibility for nuclear weapons research and development.  DOD was given the responsibility for nuclear weapons deployment.  Except in the singular case of spent fuel and high-level waste disposal, NRC does not regulate DOE.  No AEC function became :the responsibility of EPA."  Under the Clean Air Act EPA regulates air emissions of radioactive materials.  Under the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (1992), EPA regulates the WIPP (and the WIPP wasn''t even begun to be investigated until 1978).  Under the!

 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act, EPA sets the standard for, but does not regulate, the high-level waste repoisitory.

>


> > > 1970: The AEC tentatively selects a nuclear waste repository site in salt
>
> > deposits near Lyons, Kan.
>
> >


Project Salt Vault was an experimental project to study the feasibility of such disposal.  It was not intended as a repository site.


> > 1974: The Energy Reorganization Act specifically charges the Energy Research
>
> > and Development Agency (forerunner of DOE) with the responsibility to
>
> > construct and operate a facility for disposal of civilian high-level nuclear
>
> > waste.


Unless I'm very much mistaken, this was actually done by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982.  The purpose of the energy reorganization Act was to spearate the regulatory and R&D functions of the old AEC.


> > 1981: After extensively evaluating numerous alternatives, DOE issues a
>
> > Record of Decision opting for geologic disposal of civilian high-level
>
> > waste.


following an 8-volume Generic EIS on theDisposal of Commercially Generated Radioactive Waste.>


>



Ruth Weiner, Ph. D.

ruthweiner@aol.com