The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is providing the Notice and request for public comment on its interpretation of the definition of the statutory term “high-level radioactive waste” (HLW) as set forth in the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 and the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982. This statutory term indicates that not all wastes from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel (“reprocessing wastes”) are HLW, and DOE interprets the statutory term such that some reprocessing wastes may be classified as not HLW (non-HLW) and may be disposed of in accordance with their radiological characteristics. Check out our Say What? Comment Writing Guide here for more information. Sample comments may be found here.

DATES:

DOE invites stakeholders to submit written comments on its interpretation. The public comment period begins on October 10, 2018 and ends on January 9, 2019. Only comments received through one of the methods described below will be accepted. DOE will consider all comments received or postmarked by January 9, 2019.

Please direct comments to:

(a) Email: Send comments to HLWnotice@em.doe.gov. Please submit comments in MicrosoftTM Word, or PDF file format, and avoid the use of encryption.

(b) Mail: Send to the following address: Theresa Kliczewski, U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Office of Waste and Materials Management (EM-4.2), 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585.

For further information contact:

Theresa Kliczewski at HLWnotice@em.doe.govor at U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Office of Waste and Materials Management (EM-4.2), 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20585. Telephone: (202) 586-3301.

HC’s Say What? Comment Writing Guide is here.

Sample Comments are here.

Joint letter we sent requesting a 120-day comment period extension is here.

Federal Registry notice on public comment period extension is here.

Joint letter we sent requesting a 120-day comment period extension is here.

Read Oregon Department Of Energy’s comments here.

Read Yakama Nation’s comments here.

Click here to read Hanford Challenge’s joint letter along with The Natural Resources Defense Council (“NRDC”), Columbia Riverkeeper (“CRK”), Southwest Research & Information Center (“SRIC”), Snake River Alliance (“SRA”), Savannah River Site Watch (“SRS Watch”), Institute for Policy Studies (“IPS”) and Nuclear Information & Resource Service (“NIRS”)