Texas must have a say in approval of disposal of Greater-Than-Class C (GTCC) low-level radioactive waste in the state, Gov. Greg Abbott said in an April 26 letter to Secretary of Energy Rick Perry and Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Kristine Svinicki.
Proceedings underway at both federal agencies could ultimately open the door for disposal of the nation’s stockpile of GTCC and GTCC-like waste at the Waste Control Specialists’ property in Andrews County, Texas. Those efforts could also “culminate in a reclassification of LLRW, with some or all of the GTCC waste inventory arbitrarily becoming Class C LLRW without Texas having any say in the matter,” Abbott wrote in a letter obtained by Weapons Complex Morning Briefing.
The governor told Perry, his immediate predecessor, and Svinicki that he would oppose boosting the amount or concentration of radioactivity allowed for disposal at Waste Control Specialists.
The Energy Department did not comment on the letter by deadline Wednesday. The NRC said only it would “respond directly to NRC-specific portions of that letter, as appropriate, through our normal process.”
The Energy Department is responsible for disposal of GTCC and GTCC-like waste. The existing stockpile of roughly 6,000 cubic meters of material is ultimately expected to double. Today it is spread around the country at commercial and DOE nuclear sites.
The Energy Department in 2016 designated generic commercial sites and/or its Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico as the preferred disposal method. In an October 2018 environmental assessment, DOE suggested the material could be shipped to Waste Control Specialists’ Federal Waste Facility.
Meanwhile, the NRC is expected in June to issue the draft version of a regulatory basis that could set up a change in regulations to allow disposal of GTCC waste by near-surface or other means. Currently, the NRC must approve any option beyond geologic disposal. The United States does not yet have a geologic repository for its nuclear waste.
