Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 03/2012

Standards & Regulations for the Geologic Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Waste

Rodney C. Ewing

March 2011

Center for International Security and Cooperation

Abstract

This paper draws on Ewing's experiences as a reviewer of the scientific programs and performance assessments of the geological repository for transuranic waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico and the proposed repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. He has served on numerous committees of the National Research Council that have addressed many aspects of nuclear waste management. Ewing identifies multiple recommendations for the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future and details each one, such as licensing of geologic repositories, site selection and risk management.