The Secretary of Energy, acting at the direction of the President, is establishing the Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle, including all alternatives for the storage, processing, and disposal of civilian and defense used nuclear fuel, high-level waste, and materials derived from nuclear activities. Specifically, the Commission will provide advice, evaluate alternatives, and make recommendations for a new plan to address these issues, including:
- Evaluation of existing fuel cycle technologies and R&D programs. Criteria for evaluation should include cost, safety, resource utilization and sustainability, and the promotion of nuclear nonproliferation and counter-terrorism goals.
- Options for safe storage of used nuclear fuel while final disposition pathways are selected and deployed;
- Options for permanent disposal of used fuel and/or high-level nuclear waste, including deep geological disposal;
- Options to make legal and commercial arrangements for the management of used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste in a manner that takes the current and potential full fuel cycles into account;
- Options for decision-making processes for management and disposal that are flexible, adaptive, and responsive;
- Options to ensure that decisions on management of used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste are open and transparent, with broad participation;
- The possible need for additional legislation or amendments to existing laws, including the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended; and
- Any such additional matters as the Secretary determines to be appropriate for consideration.
Review the Advisory Committee Charter (pdf - 56kb)
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