Radioactive Waste Requirements

DOE-STD-6002-96

Under off-normal conditions, the regulatory requirement (evaluation guideline) of

250 mSv (25 rem) is based on siting criteria in DOE Order 6430.1A, General Design

Criteria, and the design basis acceptance criteria for nuclear reactor siting in 10 CFR

100, Reactor Site Criteria. The 25-rem value is used as an evaluation guideline to

determine if a system is important to safety. Systems required to function during off-

normal conditions to prevent an exposure of the maximally exposed individual in

excess of 25 rem would be classified as an item needed to implement safety (see

Section 4.2 of DOE-STD-6002-96). In the calculation of the exposure, conservative

assumptions are used (e.g., conservative meteorology for dispersion, conservative

response of system) based on the precedence set with nuclear facilities.

The fusion requirement of 10 mSv (1 rem) under off-normal conditions is based on

the desire to have no off-site evacuation. The 1-rem value is the lowest EPA protec-

tive action guideline for evacuation of the general population (from PB92-164763,

Manual of Protective Action Guides and Protective Action for Nuclear Incidents,

Environmental Protection Agency, October 1991). Exposures to compare with the

1-rem value are also assessed to the maximally exposed individual. However, a best

estimate approach that considers the most realistic response of the entire facility

over a range of off-normal conditions (including a limited set of events outside of the

design basis) is used for emergency planning purposes.

It is not clear whether this fusion "no public evacuation" requirement will be more or

less restrictive than the regulatory limit because of the differences in the methods

used in estimating doses to the maximally exposed individual.

The "no public evacuation" requirement was strongly endorsed by the U.S. Fusion

Utility Advisory Group (see unnumbered UCLA report, "A Synopsis of Major Issues

Discussed at the Third Meeting of the Utility Advisory Committee, Fusion Power

Plant Studies Program, UCLA, February 10, 1994" and unnumbered UCSD report,

"Report of the Sixth Joint Meeting of the Fusion Power Plant Studies Utility Advisory

Committee and EPRI Fusion Working Group, UC San Diego, February 1617, 1995"

for discussions of this topic4). Members of this group come from the utilities industry

and various groups of fusion developers. It is also endorsed by the U.S. ITER

Steering Committee. It represents a positive step in making fusion facilities more

acceptable to the public.

5. Radioactive Waste Requirements. A long-term fusion goal that will help show the

safety and environmental potential of fusion is the control of waste production in such

a manner that fusion facility radioactive waste can be recycled or disposed of as low

level waste. This area is one with strong interest from the public and from potential

developers. It is a long-term goal because its achievement will depend on expected

developments in materials and design techniques. Further, this is an area in which

quantitative requirements are difficult to specify in view of the general developmental

4Contact Prof. Farrokh Najmabadi, University of California, San Diego, for these documents or for further

information on these meetings.