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May 2008

Key Facts

• The U.S. Department of Energy is preparing a license application to build a federal repository at Yucca Mountain, Nev., for used nuclear fuel and high-level waste, including defense waste. DOE plans to submit an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in June 2008.
• The NRC will use the same proven approach in reviewing the license application for the Yucca Mountain repository that it has used in licensing the nation’s 104 existing commercial reactors for safe and secure operations.
• The NRC is tailoring its approach to suit the licensing of Yucca Mountain and has established a special advisory pre-application presiding officer licensing board to assure that the views of Nevada and other stakeholders are incorporated. Essentially, the parties that will participate in this process are being given a voice in defining how the process will be conducted.
• Nevada state and local government and American Indian tribal officials, as well as other stakeholders, will have an opportunity to participate in the licensing process. These entities may challenge any part of DOE’s application, and any challenges will be reviewed by independent licensing boards and may receive a full trial-type adjudicatory hearing. All proceedings will be fully open to the public.
• To facilitate stakeholder participation, most licensing hearings will be held in Las Vegas at a specially built NRC hearing facility located at 3250 Pepper Lane.
• The NRC will apply the most current safety-focused regulatory principles throughout the repository’s multi-step licensing process. If the repository is approved for construction and built, the agency will conduct long-term monitoring and performance studies of its operations.
• The first step in this process, DOE’s application to the NRC for a construction authorization, is set to begin in summer 2008. The NRC expects to make a decision on whether or not to authorize construction within three to four years.
• The NRC’s independent licensing review provides an impartial and objective means of decision-making on Yucca Mountain.

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