DOE-EM/Producers Strategy for Wasteform and Process Startup Acceptance

The high-level waste (HLW) sites are working closely with the Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (DOE-EM) to ensure that the activities required for vitrification plant startup are identified and consistently addressed to enable radioactive operations to begin on schedule. The particular sites that are planning near-term startup are the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Site in 1992 and the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) at West Valley, NY in 1993. The purpose of this paper is to articulate the joint DOE-EM/Producers' wasteform strategy regarding the activities and their review envisioned to fulfill the Waste Acceptance Process (WAP) and obtain endorsement by the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) and acceptance by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for timely plant startup.