First report to the US Congress and the US Secretary of Energy

The disposal of the Nation`s spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste has been studied for many years. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 and the subsequent Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act (NWPAA) of 1987 provide the legislative framework under which the Department of Energy (DOE) must operate when evaluating potential sites for the geologic disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. Additionally, the DOE must comply with regulations published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 40 CFR 191, ``Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Wastes`` and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 10 CFR 60. ``Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Wastes in Geologic Repositories.`` The DOE also operates under its own regulation, 10 CFR 960. ``General Guidelines for the Recommendation of Sites for Nuclear Waste Repositories.`` The DOE has devoted considerable resources to this pro gram, which is managed by the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). Disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste in a geologic repository has never before been done anywhere in the world. Since this is a first-of-a-kind facility, extreme care must be taken to ensure that all environmental and public health standards are met during its required long life. Yucca Mountain was designated by the NWPAA as the sole site to be characterized for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste (see ``Description of the Yucca Mountain Site``). It is important to recognize that Yucca Mountain has not been chosen for a permanent disposal site or repository. Rather, it is the candidate site to be characterized to determine whether or not it meets the myriad requirements set forth in existing regulations for the long-term disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. 8 figs