Regulatory Framework for the Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain Nevada, USA

After years of geologic investigations, Yucca Mountain, Nevada has been recommended by the President of the United States and approved by the U.S. Congress for development as a geologic repository for disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. This significant step forward in implementing national policy for the safe and environmentally sound isolation of radioactive waste was made possible, in part, by the finalization of the regulatory framework for the U.S. repository program. The Nuclear Waste Policy Act, passed in 1982 and amended in 1987, established the roles of three federal agencies responsible for interrelated regulatory aspects of radioactive waste disposal: (1) the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (''EPA''; responsible for setting standards for public health and environmental protection); (2) the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (''NRC''; responsible for developing licensing criteria and regulations implementing the EPA's standard); and, (3) the U.S. Department of Energy (''DOE''; responsible for site selection, characterization, recommendation and repository development and operation). These agencies first published their regulations in the 1980's. In the 1992 Energy Policy Act, Congress directed the EPA to develop new public health and safety standards that were specific for Yucca Mountain and directed the NRC to revise its technical requirements and criteria to be consistent with the EPA's new standard. In keeping with this approach, DOE adopted site suitability guidelines to apply to Yucca Mountain. Therefore, with the 2001 finalization of the EPA standard and the NRC and DOE regulations, the regulatory framework for a Yucca Mountain repository is in place.