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In accordance with Section 222 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, 

 it is the policy of the Department to continue and to 

 accelerate research, development, and investigations of 

 alternative means and technologies for the permanent disposal 

 of high-level radioactive wastes. As stated previously, the 

 Subseabed Disposal Program is the only alternative disposal 

 concept currently funded by the Department. 



Program Objectives 



The primary objectives of the current Subseabed Disposal 



Program are: 



(1) To determine the technical, environmental, and 

 institutional feasibility of the concept of burying 

 high-level radioactive waste in stable clay sediments of 

 the deep ocean; 



(2) To cooperate with other Nations in the assessment of 

 subseabed disposal; and 



(3) If the concept proves to be feasiDle, to keep subseabed 

 disposal open as a potential alternative for the disposal 

 of nuclear waste until at least the second repository is 

 selected . 



Cooperation with the seabed disposal programs of other nations 

 is continuing with the goal to expand multinational support for 

 field experiments through the Nuclear Energy Agency of the 

 Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 

 (NEA/OECD) . 



