OCRWM Program and Project Overviews
Edward F. Sproat III, Director; DOE-Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

Ward Sproat, Director of DOE's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM), provided an overview of OCRWM's objectives, and the status of the Yucca Mountain project.  Sproat outlined the current schedule for the project, which includes plans for the submission of a license application (LA) in June 2008, and the first arrival of spent fuel at Yucca Mountain in March 2017. 

In addition to meeting the key milestones, Mr. Sproat described OCRWM's strategic objectives, which include:

• The submission of "a high-quality and docketable LA to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)" by June 30, 2008;
• To "design, staff and train the (OCRWM) organization so it has the skills and culture needed to design, license, and manage the Yucca Mountain Project" in a safe and cost effective manner;
• address the federal government's contractual obligations to accept the spent nuclear fuel (SNF) currently stored on-site at nuclear plants; and
• to develop and implement a national spent fuel transportation plan that takes into consideration "state, local and tribal concerns and input to the greatest extent practicable."

In an effort to accomplish these goals, OCRWM senior management will focus heavily on the development of the LA, structuring the organization in a more effective manner, and providing education and increasing OCRWM's credibility within Congress. 

Ongoing and Planned Activities of the Office of the Chief Scientist - Baseline Program
Dr. Russell J. Dyer, Director; DOE-OCRWM, Office of the Chief Scientist

Dr. Russell Dyer provided an overview of the scientific work underway to support the LA.  Areas of study have focused on infiltration, seismic ground motion, volcanic hazard assessment and chlorine-36 investigations, with the goal of "fostering intellectual continuity from repository licensing to closure."  Models used in the Total System Performance Assessment-Site Recommendation (TSPA-SR) will be updated to support the Total System Performance Assessment-License Application (TSPA-LA), new infiltration models have been developed by Sandia National Laboratories, seismic studies will "reflect additional geotechnical data," and the volcanic hazard assessment will be updated from the 1996 probabilistic volcanic hazard analysis (PVHA) in order to support the LA.  Following 1996 reports from Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers that high levels of chlorine-36 were found in rock samples from the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF), and that there could be pathways for water to move from the surface to the depth of the ESF, numerous studies have been conducted in an attempt to gauge the effect chlorine-36 could have at the Yucca Mountain facility.  Through a sensitivity analysis, it was concluded, "that fast and transient flow paths carry about 1% of the water (primarily through faults and fractures), and do not significantly affect the overall flow paths in the unsaturated zone.

Ongoing and Planned Activities of the Office of the Chief Scientist - Science and Technology
John L. Wengle; DOE-OCRWM, Office of the Chief Scientist

Since 2003, the funding stream for the Science and Technology program has risen substantially, with the majority of the money going toward "advanced technologies."  The Science and Technology Program is driven by the mission to "provide advanced science and technology to continually enhance our understanding of the repository for the OCRWM mission."  The Science and Technology Program uses a variety of "products," usually in the form of reviews and publications aimed at informing "a wide audience including OCRWM principal investigators, external organizations, academia, and the international community."

The program's "source term thrust" is intended to "enhance the understanding of the release mechanisms of key radionuclides from SNF and explore technical enhancements."  This effort includes a set of projects started in FY05-06 to develop higher quality in-drift models.  Efforts will continue over the next two years to consolidate information to improve the understanding of source term processes.

A "materials performance thrust" has also begun to examine the long-term corrosion rates of passive metals like alloy-22, long-term localized corrosion tendencies, and the composition of moisture that will come into contact with waste package metal.    

The Science and Technology program has conducted research examining the natural barriers that would serve to isolate waste packages from the surrounding environment.  The "natural barriers thrust" focuses largely on seepage, the near- and in-drift environment, the drift shadow, and the physical and chemical retardation process in the unsaturated and saturated zones.

Lastly, the "advanced technologies thrust" has yielded information on the interconnected relationship between waste package technology, subsurface operations and surface operations. 

Ongoing and Planned Activities of the Office of the Chief Engineer
Paul Harrington, Acting Director; DOE-OCRWM, Office of the Chief Engineer

Paul Harrington began his presentation on the status of the repository design with a description of the changes made to the waste containers that will be stored at Yucca Mountain.  DOE has adopted plans to use Transportation, Aging and Disposal (TAD) canisters to dispose of waste, which are expected to reduce the handling of waste at Yucca Mountain.  Under the TAD concept, the majority of the canisters will be loaded to be shipped at the utility site, simplifying the design and operations at the site, and reducing the risk involved. 

In addition to the adoption of the TAD concept, facility and system designs are underway, along with an update of the pre-closure safety analysis based on changes to the facility design revisions. 

Waste Management Planning and Integration
Christopher Kouts, Director; DOE-OCRWM, Office of Waste Management

In October, 2005, DOE announced the decision to use TAD canisters for waste management.  The TAD system is intended to standardize the SNF disposal process, simplify handling and operations, reduce the production and handling of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW), and reduce cost and complexity of DOE facilities.  The TAD concept fits in with the Nuclear Waste Policy Act's direction to "use private industry to the fullest extent possible for transportation related activities."  After the concept undergoes a "proof-of-concept" phase, which is expected to be completed around March, the TAD designs will be submitted to the NRC for approval.  Among the TAD canister specifications are a common lifting fixture, a diameter of 66.5 inches, and a "vertical orientation" for handling and aging at the repository.  The TAD specification requirements reflect the pre- and post-closure safety analysis and design requirements.  The use of TAD canisters is an important component of the Total System Model, which addresses waste acceptance and transportation, and activities at the repository. 

Yucca Mountain Transportation Strategic Plan
Gary Lanthrum, Director; DOE-OCRWM, Office of Logistics Management

The Office of Logistics Management (OLM) is responsible for the development of the transportation system, which is divided into the national and Nevada transportation projects. 

The national transportation plan is being developed by OLM and will include requirements, infrastructure development, institutional outreach and operations.  OCRWM currently plans to release a draft of this plan for public comment in 2007. 

In June 2004, Critical Decision-1 approved the acquisition strategy and project definition for the Nevada rail.  The Caliente corridor was originally chosen from five possible routes as the corridor from the Nevada rail line.  However, in 2006, the Walker River Paiute Tribe removed their original objections to studying the Mina route as a potential for the transport of waste to Yucca Mountain.  The Mina route will now be included in the Rail Alignment Environmental Impact Statement to be released in 2007.  Under the current schedule, the Nevada rail is expected to be operational in 2014. 

Under Section 180(c) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, planning grants will be available to states and tribes five years before shipments to Yucca Mountain begin to enhance "emergency preparedness capabilities."  There will also be formula-based training grants available three years before shipments begin.  

Yucca Mountain Site Operations
Scott A. Wade, Acting Director; Yucca Mountain Site Operations Office

The Yucca Mountain repository site includes roughly eight miles of tunnel and support infrastructure, as well as facilities at the north and south portals, and central support area facilities.  As the life spans of the systems at Yucca Mountain have been extended beyond their original projections, the systems have aged and degraded. 

Assessments of the systems have shown that the portable buildings on the property, the rail line, underground electrical system, and ventilation all need repairs or modifications.  The Yucca Mountain Project also shares a water supply system that supports the National Nuclear Security Administration in Area 25.  The amount of water that may be pumped to support current activities is restricted by the State of Nevada, and important features of the system need to be replaced or repaired.  Other improvements need to be made to the gate through which employees enter the site, the access road, the offsite power system, and the communications system.

Transcript available at:
http://www.nwtrb.gov/meetings/2007/jan/070124.doc

Presentations available at:
http://www.nwtrb.gov/meetings/2007/jan/07%20jan%2024.html