12. Department of Energy and Related Commissions · Minor
Increase use of commercial nuclear waste disposal
Printed page 396 12. Department of Energy and Related Commissions
“Increase the use of commercial waste disposal. Using commercial disposal would reduce capital costs (~ $2 billion) for new disposal sites to accelerate cleanup and reduce local post-cleanup environmental liability at multiple sites.”
What has happened
- Attempted
DOE asked to start using commercial disposal for tank waste: the Waste Treatment Plant permit modification request would route tank-side treated low-activity waste through the Effluent Management Facility into approved tanker trucks for shipment to a licensed commercial treatment facility, and the Tank Farms request would allow the same waste to be shipped offsite for grouting and out-of-state disposal. Nothing has moved yet — both requests are pending with Washington State Ecology.
Research log
What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence
Research notes
A directive or request without effect yet is attempted. EM projects up to a million additional gallons grouted and shipped out of state by the end of 2027 if the permits are granted.
The capital-cost saving the Quote cites — about $2 billion on new disposal sites — is not the figure EM uses; its figures are $1,200 a gallon falling to under $50 a gallon.
- Action
- expand
- Object
- commercial waste disposal for DOE cleanup
- ID
- 1001