287 



• A facility for tranasuranic waste alone would provide 

 no useful experience relevant either to licensing or to 

 disposal of high level waste. 



• It would also be an inefficient use of funds. 



The site near Carlsbad, New Mexico which was being considered for 

 this project will continue to be evaluated and, if qualified, 

 will be reserved, along with other sites, for possible future use 

 as a licensed repository for high level wastes. The DOE's FY1981 

 budget contains funds in the commercial nuclear waste program for 

 protection of the Carlsbad site and continued characterization 

 activities to determine suitability as a high level waste 

 repository. 



Although mined geologic repositories will be the focal point of 

 the comprehensive national radioactive waste management program 

 the DOE will continue to support a limited program directed 

 toward other disposal alternatives. These include disposition of 

 high level wastes in very deep boreholes and emplacement in ocean 

 sediments in regions where the ocean floor is known to be geo- 

 logically stable. These alternatives are considered to be longer 

 range options to the mined geologic repository strategy. 



3. Interim Storage of Defense and Commercial High Level Wastes. 



The following actions are being taken to ensure safe and adequate 

 care of defense and commercial nuclear waste in the interim 

 period before a disposal facility is available: 



• Adequate technical and financial resources will be made 

 available to maintain defense wastes safely. 



• Research and development at various defense facilities 

 will proceed leading to plans for processing, pack- 

 aging, and ultimate transfer to permanent repositories 

 of transuranic and high level wastes from defense 

 programs. 



• Although spent fuel storage capacity is not an alter- 

 native to a permanent disposal capability, adequate 

 storage must be provided until repositories are avail- 

 able. Primary responsibility for safe storage of 

 commercial spent fuel lies with the utility indi'stry. 

 However, a limited amount of government storage capac- 

 ity for commercial spent fuel would be desirable to 

 provide flexibility to the national waste disposal 

 program and an alternative for those utilities unable 

 to expand their storage capabilities. The President 

 continues to seek early enactment of legislation that 

 would authorize the Department of Energy to: (1) 

 design, acquire or construct, and operate one or more 

 away-from-reactor storage facilities, and (2) accept 

 for storage, until permanent disposal facilities are 



