Senate Bill 742

The results of a study concerning a Federal interim spent-fuel storage facility indicate that there is not a need for the Government to provide interim spent-fuel storage. Instead, it is recommended that the Secretary of Energy develop a reasonable timetable for permanent spent-fuel storage. This timetable should include provisions as to whether or not commercial spent-fuel reprocessing should resume. The timetable also should recognize that the date for having a permanent solution for spent fuel may slip and, therefore, should provide that a suitable storage alternative will be available until a permanent solution becomes available. In addition, a program must be developed to permanently dispose of nuclear waste that is accumulating in underground repositories. Any effort to provide an effective and acceptable nuclear waste management program must include: a defensible master plan for developing and implementing long-term management of both Federal and commercial nuclear waste; and an organizational concept which will provide for widespread public participation in policy development, planning, and implementation of such a plan. It is recommended that Congress enact legislation which will create a committee of Federal and State representatives who will develop a national waste management plan. Before a repository site is selected, it should be determined if any of the existing contaminated reservations are acceptable because: using them would avoid contaminating any more areas of the United States with radioactivity; disposal of Department of Energy disposal wastes would be simplified; the sites are already Federally owned and in remote locations; and public acceptance of these locations may be more likely.