Guidance for Conducting Technical Analyses for 10 CFR Part 61, Draft Report for Comment (NUREG-2175)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: January 2015
Date Published: March 2015

Prepared by:
D. Esh, C. Grossman, H. Arlt, C. Barr, P. Yadav

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

This document provides guidance on conducting technical analyses (i.e., performance assessment, inadvertent intruder assessment, assessment of the stability of a low-level waste disposal site, defense-in-depth analyses, protective assurance period analyses, and performance period analyses) to demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 61, "Licensing Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste." This document provides implementing guidance for amendments to 10 CFR Part 61 that are detailed in the proposed rule, "Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal," published in the Federal Register in 2015. As a result, this document is written as if the amendments to 10 CFR Part 61 in the cited proposed rule have been enacted; this document will be revised, if necessary, if the proposed rule is finalized. The guidance in this document is intended to supplement existing low-level radioactive waste guidance on issues pertinent to conducting technical analyses to demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives. This document provides detailed guidance in new areas that are less covered in existing guidance, such as the inadvertent intruder analysis, defense-in depth analyses, and analyses for the three phases of the analysis timeframe (compliance period, protective assurance period, and performance period). This guidance discusses the use of a graded level of effort needed to risk-inform the analyses for the compliance period (1,000 years), the protective assurance period (from 1,000 years to 10,000 years after disposal site closure), and also covers the performance period analyses that should be performed for analysis of long-lived waste beyond 10,000 years.

This guidance should facilitate licensees' implementation of the proposed amendments as well as assist regulatory authorities in reviewing the technical analyses. This guidance applies to all waste streams disposed of at a 10 CFR Part 61 low-level waste disposal facility, including large quantities of depleted uranium and blended waste. Additional topics covered in this document include (1) demonstration that radiation doses are minimized to the extent reasonably achievable; (2) the identification and screening of the features, events, and processes to develop scenarios for technical analyses; (3) the use of the waste classification tables or the results of the technical analyses to develop site-specific waste acceptance criteria; and (4) the use of performance confirmation to evaluate and verify the accuracy of information used to demonstrate compliance prior to site closure.