A Holistic, "Rapid-Deployment", Solution for Safe Used Nuclear Fuel Management in the United States of America

Recent political initiatives and increased willingness in the United States of America (U.S. or USA) to consider federal storage and recycling of used nuclear fuel (UNF), augmented by expressed private interest in developing 31 new nuclear power plants, strongly suggest that the U.S. is on the brink of a nuclear-energy renaissance. Unfortunately, the related UNFmanagement and -disposition research, technology, and facility developments have been virtually dormant for 25 years. Fortunately, other countries have pursued safe UNF-management and -disposition solutions during this period that the U.S. now can take advantage of to develop the required UNF-management technologies and facilities in a timely and cost-effective manner. The following criteria/concepts for the timely and cost-effective development of safe and secure nuclear facilities were applied to current and planned UNF-management in the U.S. to formulate a potential, holistic, “rapid-deployment” UNF-management solution at the Nevada Test Site (NTS), referred to as the Nevada National Nuclear Fuel Management Center (3NFMC): • Locate pending UNF-storage and -recycling facilities on the NTS in the vicinity of the Nation’s candidate deep geological disposal system (repository) for UNF and other highlevel radioactive waste (HLW) at the Yucca Mountain (YM) site; • Locate all main UNF-management facilities underground; and • Use best-available technology to site, design, and construct the pending facilities. Three main challenges to the timely and cost-effective development of the 3NFMC are: (1) Statutory restrictions preventing the UNF-storage and -disposal facilities from being co-located and co-developed by federal and civilian/private parties; (2) Long-standing, scientific, localpolitical, key-Congressional, and national-ideological opposition to the YM UNF/HLW repository; and (3) The discouraging track record, and the related lack of trust in, and credibility of the organization currently responsible for developing the UNF/HLW repository. Homeland Security could be the catalyst for mitigating the first two challenges. Infusion of leadership from the nuclear utilities, active involvement by local residents and communities, performance incentives, and accountability in the implementing organization combined with the prompt adaptation of applicable existing domestic and foreign approaches, technologies, and facilities, i.e., leapfrogging, are promising catalysts for mitigating the third challenge. The primary envisioned attributes/benefits embodied in the timely development of the 3NFMC are: (1) Enhanced Homeland Security, including (a) higher levels of control and safeguarding of highly-radioactive materials, and (b) Sustained nuclear renaissance; (2) Reduction in UNF/HLW