The Yucca Mountain Repository for Nuclear Waste

April 23, 2007

Edward F. Sproat IIIDirector Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste ManagementU.S. Department of Energy

Presented to:

MIT Student Chapter- ANS

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Agenda

Yucca Mountain Repository – Why Yucca Mountain?– What is Going There?– What is the Process to Get It Open?– Impact on Future of Nuclear Power

Nuclear As a Career

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Geologic Disposal Addresses Multiple Missions

CommercialSpent Nuclear

Fuel

Disposition of Naval

Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel

Support of Nonproliferation Initiatives, e.g.

Disposal of DOE Foreign Research

Reactor Spent Fuel

Defense Complex Clean-Up

Locations of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste

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Spent Fuel Statistics

Or, spent fuel is stored in above-ground dry casks

Spent fuel is stored in large pools of water to shield its radioactive properties

Spent Fuel Assembly

Nuclear power plants are producing about 20% of the electricity in the U.S.– 72 plant sites with spent fuel – 39 states with spent fuel – 53,440 metric tons of spent fuel existed in December

2005 – 119,000 metric tons of spent fuel projected by 2035

Five Department of Energy (DOE) sites with spent fuel

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Congress Created a Legal Obligation to Dispose of Nuclear Waste

1982 - Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) established the national policy for the disposal of commercial spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste

1987 - Congress directed DOE to characterize only the Yucca Mountain site

2002 - The Secretary of Energy and the President recommended, and Congress approved, the Yucca Mountain site for development of a repository

License toLicense toReceive & PossessReceive & Possess

WasteWaste

ConstructionConstructionAuthorizationAuthorization

LicenseLicenseApplicationApplicationJune 2008June 2008

CongressCongressApproved SiteApproved Site

20022002

PresidentPresidentRecommendedRecommended

Site 2002Site 2002

SecretarySecretaryRecommendedRecommended

Site 2002Site 2002

ViabilityViabilityAssessmentAssessment

19981998

YM only site toYM only site tobe characterizedbe characterized

19871987

Nuclear WasteNuclear WastePolicy ActPolicy Act

19821982

Actions CompletedActions Completed Next StepNext Step

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Location of Yucca Mountain, Nevada

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Yucca Mountain Surface at Exploratory Studies Facility Portals

North Portal

South Portal

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Yucca Mountain Subsurface Overview

South Portal

North Portal

RepositoryLevel

1,000Feet

Water Table

1,000FeetSurface

Transporting Containers by Rail

Access Tunnel

Permanent Waste Packages

Mechanical Support Inner Barrier

Protective Outer Barrier

Various Permanent Waste Packages

Remote Control Locomotive

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Best Achievable Schedule Program Key Milestones

License Application Design Complete- Nov. 2007 LSN Certification- December 2007 Supplemental EIS- May 2008 License Application Submittal- June 2008 Start Nevada Rail Construction- October 2009 YM Construction Authorization- September 2011 Operating License Submittal- March 2013 Rail Line Operational- June 2014 Begin Receipt- March 2017

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Nuclear Power’s Future

Current operating civilian fleet of 104 reactors

To date, the licenses of 39 nuclear power plants have been renewed.

The applications of an additional 12 are under review, and the owners of 27 more have expressed the intention to file.

U.S. utilities have announced interest in construction of around 30 new nuclear power plants.

Yucca Mountain is key to nuclear expansion

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Nuclear As a Career

Field is clearly growing Demand for leaders is high

– Operations– Construction

International Opportunities