Safety Evaluation Report Related to Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Wastes in a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

This is the first volume of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff’s “Safety Evaluation Report Related to Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Wastes in a Geologic Repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.” It documents the NRC staff’s review and evaluation of general information the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) provided in its June 3, 2008, license application, as updated on February 19, 2009, that seeks an authorization to begin construction of a repository at Yucca Mountain. In subsequent volumes of the report, Volumes 2-5, the NRC staff plans to present its review and evaluation of the Safety Analysis Report included in DOE’s license application. Consistent with NRC’s requirements for the general information, the NRC staff reviewed the following: (i) a general description of the proposed repository, (ii) proposed schedules for repository activities, (iii) a description of security measures, (iv) a description of the Material Control and Accounting Program, and (v) a description of work done to characterize the site. On the basis of its review and specified DOE commitments, the NRC staff concludes in this volume that DOE has provided information that satisfies the requirements of 10 CFR 63.21(b)(1)-(5) of the NRC’s regulations.