National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program Role in DOE’s Transformation

1. National Spent Nuclear Fuel Program Role in DOE’s Transformation Barb Beller, Project Manager April 14, 2009

2. NSNFP Role in DOE’s Transformation • Provide options, data, and analysis to support evaluation of alternatives to the baseline, i.e. disposal of HLW and SNF at Yucca Mountain. • Ensure that accurate, consistent and current information is provided. • Evaluate technical, cost and schedule risk associated with options so a reasonable technical outcome for disposition of SNF and HLW is determined. • If requested, assist sites with data for preparation of impacts from new direction and BCP. • But first…

3. NSNFP Role in DOE’s Transformation • Support the NRC Licensing process for SNF and HLW disposal at Yucca Mountain. • Maintain base program e.g. QA, SNF Database, R&D • Complete Requirements Document to manage any future technical change against. • Resource to HQ in support of the Blue Ribbon Panel or DOE re-planning effort. • Highlight time critical issues/decisions that may impact the path forward. • Recommend development of a NSNFP Risk Management Plan – Consolidation of Site Plans HLW and SNF.

4. NSNFP Mission - Background In 1992, following the decision to discontinue reprocessing, the Secretary of Energy directed the EM-1 to develop an integrated, long-term SNF management program. The program would consolidate under EM all DOE SNF and associated facilities not addressed by the DOE Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). The OCRWM mission is to develop and manage a federal system for disposing of all commercial SNF, DOE SNF, and HLW (May 2005). EM is responsible for the management policy and process to prepare DOE SNF and HLW for transport and repository acceptance.

5. NSNFP Background – Questions • Will the disposition path for DOE owned SNF and HLW be the same as commercial fuel i.e. NRC license in our future? • Should DOE-EM disposition all DOE owned fuel? • Is co-disposal specific to Yucca post closure SAR? • Will HLW and SNF have the same disposition path? • In addition to “preparation for transport” should the NSNFP manage cask development?

6. NSNFP Purpose In October 1995, the Idaho settlement agreement between the State of Idaho, and DOE and the U.S. Navy designated INL as the DOE lead laboratory for SNF. The NSNFP is performing this role as stated in the agreement, “DOE shall direct the research, development and testing of treatment, shipment and disposal technologies for all DOE spent fuel, and all such DOE activities shall be coordinated and integrated under the direction of the Manager, DOE-Idaho Operations Office.” In May of 2005, DOE expanded the focus of the NSNFP to activities required to disposition DOE SNF and HLW in the geologic repository at Yucca Mountain.

7. NSNFP Purpose (Refinement) • Change NSNFP assignment to Assistant Manager for Idaho Clean-up Project, Rick Provencher. • R&D activities, maintain baseline to develop welding process, canister basket poison material • Evaluation criteria for funding 1)baseline, 2) long term storage 3) transportation, 4) disposal at alternate site. • Timing to restart regulatory approach for transportation of SNF (moderator exclusion exemption).

8. NSNFP – Project Management Plan • Provide ongoing technical support to review pertinent sections of the license application for the Yucca Mountain repository to ensure that DOE SNF is reflected appropriately in the license application. Maintain baseline Status: Active. • Developing and evaluating the DOE SNF packaging and handling requirements and capabilities. Focus is being placed on ensuring that the interfaces between the DOE SNF packages and the OCRWM receiving facilities are well defined, controlled and optimized. Maintain baseline. Status: Will become inactive. • Preparing information about DOE SNF in support of the OCRWM acquisition of the transportation system to move the DOE SNF to the repository. Maintain Baseline Status?: Inactive

9. NSNFP – Project Management Plan • Support EM in discussions with OCRWM related to information needs emphasizing a cost-effective approach to meet the information requirements. Maintain Baseline Status: Will become inactive. • Support EM in the continuing analysis and development of interim SNF storage and packaging plans. Maintain Baseline and Expect Change…Long Term Storage? • Maintaining the NSNFP Quality Assurance (QA) Program in compliance with DOE/RW-0333P, Quality Assurance Requirements and Description. Maintain Baseline: Tied to LA/NRC. • Fulfilling other waste acceptance obligations as specified in the EM/OCRWM Memorandum of Agreement. Maintain Baseline e.g. 10 CFR Part 21 compliance.

10. NSNFP – Project Management Plan • Provide analysis of the vitrified plutonium waste form Cesium/Strontium capsules, and other potential waste forms that may be accepted at the Yucca Mountain Repository. (Tied to TSPA, likely to change) • Developing plans for optimizing the production of the HLW forms and efficient use of the repository based on insights into the performance needs at the repository (expand evaluation to long term storage; Calcine, SRS canister loading) • Continue to track disposition path for material (HLW and SNF) that is not included in the NRC LA; planned future amendment. Continue.

11. NSNFP – SNF Site Activities • Site Projects maintain all SNF and HLW inventories and facilities in a safe configuration until final disposition of materials. When and how does interim storage become long term storage? • Idaho Spent Fuel Facility (ISFF) • FSV license extension request in 11/2009, 30 vs. 40yrs – Ship to Idaho • SNF • Transfer EM (NE?) SNF to dry storage (Idaho, Richland) • Consolidate SNF on site (Idaho) from 13 to 6 (5/6 at INTEC) • Regionalize fuel by fuel type - fuel exchange ID/SRS (Al clad fuel to SRS and non-Al • Receive and safely store foreign and domestic research reactor fuel (FRR/DRR) • Agreements – Be aware.

12. NSNFP – HLW Site Activities • Site Projects maintain all SNF and HLW inventories and facilities in a safe configuration until final disposition of materials. When and how does interim storage become long term storage? • HLW • SRS Continue Baseline, convert to solid– (Waste loading vs. canister production) • ORP Continue Baseline, convert to solid • Idaho Calcine? • Agreements – Be aware.

13. NSNFP Role in DOE’s Transformation • Maintain current baseline (QA program and data base, RAI response) while providing perspective in transformation based on past experience. • Support sites and HQ by acting as a point of consolidation for data requests required to support new scenarios developed by the Blue Ribbon Panel or DOE. Desired outcome is to “shield” individual sites from the multitude of what “if scenarios” for which data exists allowing sites to implement the baseline. • Provide decision makers with evaluation of impacts (cost, schedule, technical) • Lead SNF Integrated Develop Team to establish a technical basis for long term storage.