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Statement of Need: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations to require low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal facilities to conduct site-specific analyses to demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives. Although the NRC believes that part 61 is adequate to protect public health and safety, requiring a site-specific analysis to demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives would enhance the safe disposal of LLRW and would provide added assurance that waste streams not considered in the part 61 technical basis comply with the part 61 performance objectives. Further, these analyses would identify any additional measures that would be prudent to implement, and these amendments would improve the efficiency of the regulations by making changes to reduce ambiguity, facilitate implementation, and better align the requirements with the current and more modern health and safety regulations. This rulemaking would correct ambiguities and provide added assurance that LLRW disposal continues to meet the performance objectives in part 61.

Summary of the Legal Basis: 42 U.S.C. 2201; 42 U.S.C. 5841.

Alternatives: As an alternative to the rulemaking, the NRC staff considered the "no-action" alternative. Under this option the NRC would not modify part 61, no long-term analyses would be required, no period of performance would be specified, and no intruder assessment would be required.

Anticipated Costs and Benefits: The NRC is in the process of preparing a regulatory analysis to support this rulemaking. The analysis examines the costs and benefits of the alternatives considered by the NRC. The analysis will be available as part of the rulemaking package.

Risks: Not conducting this rulemaking would allow the ambiguities in the part 61 regulations to continue and would not provide the added assurance that disposal of the waste streams not considered in the part 61 technical basis comply with the part 61 performance objectives.