Unites Slstes EnvinxwiMntil Protection Mr and Radiation EPA4Q2-F-94-QQ? January 1895 ENVIRONMENTAL FACT SHEET for the Pilot (40 CFR Part 194) Introduction The iBnviranmental Protection Agency (EPA) the of radioactivity from the and of in to public and the This feet will one of tie key in EPA's — EPA's of for the or of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant the 1992 Land Act Law 102-579), EPA is required'to activities including, tat not limited to: (1) for (2) criteria for the WffP with the radioactive (3) whether the WIPP with the can if the WIPP is allowed to (4) the WIP P to be in with lie every five of waste for On December 20,1993, EPA issued the final (40 CFR If 1), These on the of from and facilities. EPA's criteria, which are "Proposed Criteria for the Certification and of the WIPFs ' Environmental for the and of Fuel, High-Level and Transwanie Radioactive Wastes," by how the EPA will or non-compliance for the WIPP, The WIPP, which is under development by the of (DOE), is a for radioactive waste, .is long- radioactive waste as by-products (e.g., tools, and sludges) nuclear production. Congress tile of the WIPP in 1979 for the purpose of providing a and facility to the safe of defense waste. The WIPP is in New Mexico the city of CarslbaA It has the excavation of natural salt 2,100 feet the surface, Use of the oFr^.lloactive at the WIPP, DOE that the WIPP facility can with EPA's radioactive waste DOE will to EPA an application for of the The criteria, which are to the WIPP, will serve as a for EPA to the radioactive by clarifying the of the and requiring DOE to of in its to EPA. Like the ------- radioactive waste the criteria include individual, ground- water protection requirements. In addition, the The of EPA's radioactive be to provide a that total of a facility to the environment will not levels for 10S000 The criteria lay out and that cm be for demonstrating with the containment requirements. For the criteria specify a for the and of taman-iEitiated and may affect the repository, such as intrusion from oil driEing,' The an to naturally-occurring and that the WIPP The of the the with provisions. For example,, DOE is to "passive institutional controls" to provide farther the will be met. Passive at the site and to that to the facility is on to future Other types of include active controls, and for the waste.. The criteria the of and justification DOE will to provide to EPA to DOE is properly the requirements. The individual provisions of the radioactive that radioactive be designed to provide a expectation that, for 10,000 disposal, the dose to any not exceed 15 millirems per. year. (This is equivalent to receiving two x-rays per year.) The ground-water protection provisions of the that must be to provide a that the facility does not contaminate underground of drinking water such that radionuelide in this allowed under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The compliance criteria clarify terms in the - and the types of that DOE will to submit to EPA to demonstrate compliance with portions of the The the level of confidence for certification and the of the as the explicit for public participation. The „ establish procedures that will afford EPA to the WIPP and its so EPA can independently the of the facility. Finally, the provide for the Agency to or revoke if necessary. When DOE its to EPA, the Agency will use the compliance as the for making a decision on or not the facility can be certified as in compliance with the radioactive standards. This decision will be a which will public input. A will be for comment, and will be the Agency a final certification decision. If EPA that the WIPP is in compliance with its regulations, the Agency will be for whether the WIPP to be in on a continuing basis. EPA will this every five years. ------- For EPA Is involving the public in this by inviting public comment on the criteria. In EPA will on the criteria within the State of New will provide an opportunity for to views to EPA the rulemaking EPA will notice the and of the will in local In formulating the - of the EPA will into consideration received in writing as well as during the A to Comments" will be available to all EPA to finalize the one year the date. EPA has four on this rulemaking. Three are in -in Albuquerque, Carlsbad, and Fe, New Mexico, and one is in EPA In Washington, D.C, For copies of notice on the proposed compliance criteria, on the EPA's role the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act, the dockets, and/or of this Fact Sheet, contact EPA at the following ' U.S. EPA Office of and Air Criteria and Division Policy & Public (6602J) 401 M Street,,SW Washington BC For the information on the of the and and call the EPA's WIPP Information Line ------- |