Regulatory Issues for the Waste Control Specialists LLRW Facility in Andrews Texas

The design, construction, operation, maintenance, and closure of low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal facilities in the US is regulated by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) or by Agreement States authorized by the NRC to impose equivalent regulatory control and oversight. Those regulations by either the NRC or Agreement States impose conditions contained in 10 CFR 61. The Waste Control Specialists (WCS) facility in Andrews Texas is the first successful disposal facility for Class A, B, and C LLRW to be licensed and constructed in the U.S. in the past four decades. As an agreement state, Texas has imposed additional requirements beyond those of 10 CFR 61. The additional requirements imposed by Texas have resulted in a significantly longer licensing period, more site characterization activities, and more performance assessment calculations than originally anticipated. The result is a more complete knowledge of the site characteristics and greater confidence in the long-term performance of the disposal system. This paper discussed the regulatory issues addressed in the licensing process and their effects on building confidence that the WCS disposal facility will meet the long-term performance objectives.