The Yucca Mountain Repository for Nuclear Waste
April 23, 2007
Edward F. Sproat III
Director
Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management
U.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
License toLicense toReceive & PossessReceive & Possess
WasteWaste
ConstructionConstructionAuthorizationAuthorizationConstructionConstructionAuthorizationAuthorization
LicenseLicenseApplicationApplicationJune 2008June 2008
LicenseLicenseApplicationApplicationJune 2008June 2008
CongressCongressApproved SiteApproved Site
20022002
CongressCongressApproved SiteApproved Site
20022002
PresidentPresidentRecommendedRecommended
Site 2002Site 2002
PresidentPresidentRecommendedRecommended
Site 2002Site 2002
SecretarySecretaryRecommendedRecommended
Site 2002Site 2002
SecretarySecretaryRecommendedRecommended
Site 2002Site 2002
ViabilityViabilityAssessmentAssessment
19981998
ViabilityViabilityAssessmentAssessment
19981998
YM only site toYM only site tobe characterizedbe characterized
19871987
YM only site toYM only site tobe characterizedbe characterized
19871987
Nuclear WasteNuclear WastePolicy ActPolicy Act
19821982
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 PortalNorth Portal
South PortalSouth Portal
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Yucca Mountain Subsurface Overview
South PortalSouth Portal
North PortalNorth Portal
RepositoryLevel
RepositoryLevel
1,000Feet
1,000Feet
Water TableWater Table
1,000Feet
1,000FeetSurfaceSurface
Transporting Containers by Rail
Transporting Containers by Rail
Access TunnelAccess Tunnel
Permanent Waste Packages
Permanent Waste Packages
Mechanical Support Inner Barrier
Mechanical Support Inner Barrier
Protective Outer Barrier
Protective Outer Barrier
Various Permanent Waste Packages
Various Permanent Waste Packages
Remote Control Locomotive
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