NRC to Amend Waste Disposal Regulations

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Friday announced it was proposing to amend rules that govern low-level radioactive (LLR) waste disposal facilities. The proposal, published in the Federal Register, requires new and revised site-specific analyses and would permit the development of criteria for waste acceptance based on the results of those analyses.

The proposal follows a preliminary rule published in May, for which the NRC had solicited public comment.

"These amendments will ensure that waste streams that are significantly different in terms of radiological characteristics (e.g., half-life) from those considered in the technical basis for the current regulations can be disposed of safely and meet the performance objectives for land disposal of LLR," the NRC said. The amendments would also increase the use of site-specific information to "ensure that public health and safety would continue to be protected."

The comment period for the new proposal will be closed on Jan. 7, 2013.

Sources: POWERnews, NRC, Federal Register