United
Erwirertmentsi Prelection
Apwy
Air and Radftion
EPA
January 1996
&EP& FACT SHEET
for the
(40 CFR Part 194)
.
The U.S, Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) the of
radioactivity from the management, aod
disposal of radioactive to protect public
health and the environment from radiation
contamination. This Fact one of
the key elements in EPA's regulatory program -
EPA's for the and
Rectification of the isolation
with 40 CFR Part
191
The WiPP, which is under development
by the Department of Energy (DOE), is a
geologic facility for transuranic
radioactive waste as by-products (e.g.,
contaminated rags, and •
equipment) from nuclear weapons production.
In 1979, Congress authorized the development of
the WIPP as a and development facility
to demonstrate the of
waste. The WPP is located in
Mexico, near Carlsbad. If the WPP opens,
will be 2,100 feet
underground in excavated, natural salt
formations.
Congress the land for the
to DOE by the WIPP Land
Withdrawal Act in 1992. The Act EPA to
t perform
• Finalize
disposal
• for determining
whether the WIPP with the
radioactive
Certify whether the WiPP complies with
the standards before can
begin, and, if the WIPP complies the
regulations
• Determine whether the WIPP continues
to be In with the
every five
of tie waste.
On December 20,1993, EPA
radioactive (40
CFR 191). These place on
from that manage,
and of On
Janyary 30,1995, EPA published and solicited
comments on Hs Proposed WIPP Compliance
(40 CFR Part 194) in the
The Final Compliance Criteria reflect
both the public's comments on the rule
and the from EPA's WSPP
Review Committee of the National Advisory
Council for Environmental Pojicy and
Technology.
USE OF THE
DOE can of waste at the
WIPP, it must
complies with EPA's
DOE must sybrntt an to
EPA showing how the WIPP will the
standards. The Compliance Criteria, which are
to the WIPP, will be by to
implement the
The Criteria clarify the requirements
of the and require DOE to provide EPA
with of informaion in Hs compliance
appllcaflon, Tha Compliance Criteria implement
the following provisions of the
a) The
the be to
of to levels
for 10,000 the its
for
b) The
complement the containment requirements and
further reduce the likelihood of any radiation
For DOE must design
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both and instttuHonat controls.
These controls will provide confidence that the
likelihood of future intrusion into the repository by
drilling for will be minimized.
insfituional controls are permanent site
and and/or archiving to
that relevant information is on to
future generalons. Active institutional controls
include guards patrolling the ale.
c) The
provisions require that tie WSPP be designed to
Simrt the amount of radiation to which any
individual can be They require that
be to provide a
that for 10,000 years
after the annual radiation to any
individual not 15 miliirems per year;
the equivalent to receiving approximately two
x-rays per year,
d) The ground protection
provisions must be
designed to provide the level of protedon
as provided by the Drinking Water Act,
tn addition, the Compliance Criteria
contain which include:
the to which the to be
to ts contents prior to
in the WPP; on computer
models and that the performance
of the WIPP; the use of expert
judgrnent in that support the
application; and demonstrations data and
by DOE been
adequately peer reviewed, The Criteria
for the Agency to modify,
suspend or revoke of the
WIPP, if
FOR
'
DOE its
Compliance Certification to EPA, the
Agency will use the Compliance Criteria as the
for making a on whether or not the
will be as EPA's
This
. will be a
rulemaking which is in tie
Compliance Criteria, A on
whether or not the WIPP should open'will be
for public comment Hearings wW be
held in New and all from the pyblie
will be considered before the Agency makes its
final decision.
If EPA that tie its
then DOE will with the
opening of the WIPP, Following the of
the facility and Its
DOE will be to a re-cerlflcation
to EPA every five The Agency
will review this and determine whether
the WIPP in compliance with the
The public will be
to and comment on any re-certsficafion
application. By iaw, all public comments must be
by the Agency prior to making a final
decision on WIPP's operation.
In to the publication of the
Compliance Criteria, EPA a
Backgroynd Information Document describing
the technical for trie criteria; an
Economic Impact Analysis, any
economic of the that is not alreacty
by or requirements;
and a Rasponse4o-Commente Document,
outlining the Agency's to public
comments on the proposed Compliance Criteria.
This information can be from any of
EPA's four dockets. Jhrm are located in
' in Albuquerque, Carlsbad and Santa Fe,
Mew Wtejdeo. The remaining is located at
EPA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
FOR
For the on upcoming
public hearings and meetings, as well as the
of EPA regarding the WIPP,
callEPA'srecordecS WIPP Information Una at|)
^^^^^^^| of trie public can
a for a publication, a for
EPA WIPP staff, or to be to EPA's
List
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