NRC ISSUES TECHNICAL EVALUATION FOR THE IDAHO
NATIONAL LABORATORY TANK FARM FACILITY
Printable Version

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued its Technical Evaluation Report (TER) for the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm Facility at the Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls, Idaho, that concludes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has met appropriate criteria for determining that the residual waste in the tanks is not high-level waste and clears the way for DOE to clean and stabilize the tanks.

The Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 (NDAA) requires DOE to consult with the NRC when determining that certain wastes associated with spent nuclear fuel reprocessing are not high-level wastes. The NDAA has three criteria for making that determination:

1) The waste does not require permanent isolation in a deep geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel or high-level waste;
2) The waste has had highly radioactive radionuclides removed to the maximum extent practical; and
3) The waste will be disposed of in compliance with NRC regulations for land disposal of waste.

In September 2005, DOE submitted its waste “Determination for the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm Facility” for NRC review as required by the NDAA. Based on this information, NRC staff has concluded in that there is reasonable assurance that the applicable criteria of the NDAA can be met for residual waste associated with the Tank Farm Facility. NRC’s Technical Evaluation Report includes DOE’s disposal strategy, applicable review criteria, and the NRC staff’s review, analysis and conclusions.

This TER marks the successful completion of the consultation under Section 3116 of the NDAA. This is the second TER prepared by the NRC under the NDAA. The first was for the disposal of salt waste at the Savannah River Site.

 A copy of the TER is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) under accession number ML062490108. ADAMS is accessible via the agency’s web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.

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Thursday, February 22, 2007