Institutional and Jurisdictional Issues in Nuclear Waste Management

The fragmentation of existing responsibility governing the storage and disposal of nuclear wastes between the Energy Research and Development Agency (ERDA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and questions concerning the proper role of federal/state relations dealing with nuclear waste management can potentially hinder the orderly development and implementation of a national nuclear waste management program. ERDA, NRC, agreement states, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are the principal agencies involved with regulating and managing nuclear materials to protect the public and the environment from harmful radiation. NRC has relinquished regulatory authority over certain types and quantities of radioactive materials to some states by entering into formal agreements with them. Before approving an agreement state, NRC must determine that the state's radiation control program is compatible with NRC's regulatory program and is adequate to protect public health and safety. Currently, there are 25 agreement states. ERDA facilities for military weapons and nuclear research programs are not regulated by NRC. EPA is responsible for establishing overall environmental standards to protect the environment from radioactive hazards.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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