NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competence and with regard for appropriate balance.
Support for this study was provided by the U.S. Department of Energy under cooperative agreement number DE-FC01-99EW59049. All opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Energy.
Additional copies of this report are available from:
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Printed in the United States of America.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Bruce Alberts is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Wm.A.Wulf is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Kenneth Shine is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and of advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Bruce Alberts and Dr. Wm.A.Wulf are chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
COMMITTEE ON THE CHARACTERIZATION OF REMOTE-HANDLED TRANSURANIC WASTE FOR THE WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT
EULA BINGHAM, Chair,
University of Cincinnati, Ohio
SANFORD COHEN,
SC&A, Inc., McLean, Virginia
MILTON LEVENSON, Independent Consultant,
Menlo Park, California
KENNETH MOSSMAN,
Arizona State University, Tempe
ERNEST NIESCHMIDT,
Idaho State University, Idaho Falls
JOHN PLODINEC,
Mississippi State University, Starkville
ANNE E.SMITH,
Charles River Associates, Washington, D.C.
Consultant
HEINO NITSCHE,
University of California, Berkeley
Liaison to the Board on Radioactive Waste Management
ALEXANDER MACLACHLAN,
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (retired), Wilmington, Delaware
Staff
BARBARA PASTINA, Study Director
ANGELA TAYLOR, Senior Project Assistant
DARLA THOMPSON, Research Assistant
BOARD ON RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
JOHN F.AHEARNE, Chair,
Sigma Xi and Duke University, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina
CHARLES MCCOMBIE, Vice Chair, Consultant,
Gipf-Oberfrick, Switzerland
ROBERT M.BERNERO,
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (retired), Gaithersburg, Maryland
ROBERT J.BUDNITZ,
Future Resources Associates, Inc., Berkeley, California
GREGORY R.CHOPPIN,
Florida State University, Tallahassee
RODNEY EWING,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
JAMES H.JOHNSON, JR.,
Howard University, Washington, D.C.
ROGER E.KASPERSON,
Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
NIKOLAY LAVEROV,
Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow
JANE C.S.LONG,
Mackay School of Mines, University of Nevada, Reno
ALEXANDER MACLACHLAN,
E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (retired), Wilmington, Delaware
WILLIAM A.MILLS,
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (retired), Olney, Maryland
MARTIN J.STEINDLER,
Argonne National Laboratory (retired), Downers Grove, Illinois
ATSUYUKI SUZUKI,
University of Tokyo, Japan
JOHN J.TAYLOR,
Electric Power Research Institute (retired), Palo Alto, California
VICTORIA J.TSCHINKEL,
Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida
Staff
KEVIN D.CROWLEY, Director
MICAH D.LOWENTHAL, Staff Officer
BARBARA PASTINA, Staff Officer
GREGORY H.SYMMES, Senior Staff Officer
JOHN R.WILEY, Senior Staff Officer
SUSAN B.MOCKLER, Research Associate
TONI GREENLEAF, Administrative Associate
DARLA J.THOMPSON, Senior Project Assistant/Research Assistant
LATRICIA C.BAILEY, Senior Project Assistant
LAURA D.LLANOS, Senior Project Assistant
ANGELA R.TAYLOR, Senior Project Assistant
JAMES YATES, JR., Office Assistant
LIST OF REPORT REVIEWERS
This interim report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their participation in the review of this report:
Robert Bernero, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, retired
Gregory Choppin, Florida State University
Gerhart Friedlander, Brookhaven National Laboratory, retired
B.John Garrick, Garrick Consulting
Kimberlee Kearfott, University of Michigan
Werner Lutze, The Catholic University of America
George P.Roberson, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Martin J.Steindler, Argonne National Laboratory, retired
D.William Tedder, Georgia Institute of Technology
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Harold Forsen, National Academy of Engineering, and Chris Whipple, Environ, Inc. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with NRC procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring committee and the NRC.