Publications Details
Use of performance assessment in assessing compliance with the containment requirements in 40 CFR Part 191
This report summarizes the role of performance assessment in assessing compliance with the containment requirements in 40 CFR Part 191, the Environmental Protection Agency's Standard for the disposal of spent nuclear fuel, high-level and transuranic radioactive wastes. In 1986, Hunter et al. prepared a similar report (NUREG/CR-4510, SAND86-0121) which provided an overview of the approach to assess compliance with this standard. The present report builds on its predecessor in that it incorporates advances in performance assessment subsequent to Hunter et al.'s report. The main purpose of this report is to serve as a mechanism for transferring to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and its contractors the performance assessment methodologies (PAMs) developed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for high-level radioactive waste repositories. The report starts with a discussion of the requirements in 40 CFR Part 191 and focuses on the containment requirements (Section 191.13). It follows with a discussion of the role of performance assessment and its use in regulatory compliance. The report concludes with a discussion of sources of uncertainty, treatment of uncertainties, and the construction of the complementary cumulative distribution function of summed normalized total releases to the accessible environment for one or more scenarios. Examples are presented of the demonstration of performance assessment methodologies for high-level waste disposal at two hypothetical sites. Consistent with the technology transfer objective, numerous references are made throughout this report to publications related to the SNL PAMs. As such, this is not a stand-alone report and the reader is encouraged to consult those references. 30 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab.