NRC finds DOE Yucca Mountain data inadequate

Technical information in key Department of Energy documents is inadequate and could stall licensing of the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission warned in a new report. NRC is charged with evaluating DOE's permit application for the high-level radioactive waste repository and has consistently raised questions over the adequacy of technical information provided by the department. In its April 13 report, NRC noted improvements over past DOE technical information but still warned that "if DOE continues to use their existing policies, procedures, methods, and practices at the same level of implementation and rigor, the license application may not contain information sufficient to support the technical positions in the application." As a result, the report says, NRC may need to request large volumes of additional information, delaying the processing of a construction application for the repository beyond the three to four years set in law. The report is available at
http://www.nrc.gov/waste/hlw-disposal/
reg-initiatives/resolve-key-tech-issues.html.