Development, Security, and Cooperation

Office for Central Europe and Eurasia (OCEE)

Scientific Aspects of an International Spent Fuel Repository

Statement of Task The NRC will establish a committee to work with the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) to organize a conference in Moscow on scientific aspects of an international radioactive disposal site in Russia. The NRC committee and staff will collaborate with the RAS on establishing the conference agenda; selecting U.S., Russian, and international participants; and assembling the workshop proceedings, which will be released as an NRC publication pending standard institutional review. Among the topics of special interest to the sponsor are the environmental aspects of the general location and characteristics of the site, transportation to and within the site, containers for transportation and storage, inventory and accountability, audits and inspections, and handling technologies.

NRC Committee on Scientific Aspects of an International Spent Fuel Repository

Project Activities In May 2003, a workshop on the scientific aspects of the proposed international spent fuel repository was held in Moscow, Russia, with participants in attendance from Russia, the United States, Switzerland, Japan, and South Korea. Following the workshop, several participants visited one of the proposed sites for the repository in Krasnokamensk, Russia.

In June 2005, the Workshop on Setting the Stage for International Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facilities was held at the Vienna International Center in Austria, with participants in attendance from Austria, Russia, France, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States.

Publications The 2003 workshop proceedings is available online—view An International Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility—Exploring a Russian Site as a Prototype: Proceedings of an International Workshop.

Responsible Staff Officer: Glenn E. Schweitzer, Director, Office for Central Europe and Eurasia

For more information about this project, contact Chelsea Sharber at csharber@nas.edu.