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DOE moves to finalize changes to proposed guidelines for
evaluating suitability of Yucca Mountain
The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted to the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) for its review and concurrence a revised
and updated set of draft guidelines for evaluating the suitability
of Yucca Mountain. The draft notice of final rulemaking includes
responses to the major relevant issues arising from the comments and
concerns raised by members of the public.
The NRC conducted a similar review and concurrence of the
original repository siting guidelines in 1984. These early
guidelines were designed to evaluate and compare multiple sites then
under consideration. In 1987, however, Congress directed the
Department to limit its study to Yucca Mountain.
In 1992, Congress directed the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to promulgate a new, dose-based standard for a potential
repository at Yucca Mountain, a standard designed specifically to
further protect public health and safety. Congress also directed the
NRC to revise its licensing regulations to be consistent with the
new EPA standard. Both organizations have since issued their
proposed rules for the Yucca Mountain site, and the NRC has agreed
to modify its rules, as necessary, to the EPA’s standards once the
standards are finalized.
On November 30, 1999, DOE issued a supplemental notice of
proposed rulemaking designed to formally amend the guidelines. The
proposed amendments to the guidelines are specific to Yucca
Mountain, and would establish criteria and a methodology for
assessing site suitability consistent with the latest scientific and
analytical techniques and align the guidelines with the NRC’s
requirements proposed in February 1999 as well as EPA standards
proposed in August 1999. DOE proposed that it would evaluate the
long-term performance capability of a repository at Yucca Mountain
in meeting EPA and NRC standards by using a total-system-performance
(computer modeling) approach. This approach addresses how specific
repository design concepts will work within the natural system at
Yucca Mountain to meet public health and safety standards over
thousands of years. The Department’s supplemental proposal called
for the Yucca Mountain site to be deemed suitable only if DOE could
demonstrate it was likely to meet applicable radiation protection
standards.
The Department’s proposal to amend the siting guidelines opened a
nearly 90-day comment period, during which it held two public
hearings. In response, DOE received a variety of written and oral
comments from state and local officials in Nevada, other Federal
agencies, regulatory and oversight organizations, industry groups,
Native American organizations, and private citizens and citizen
groups.
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Update May 2000 | 
