The Department of Energy's (Department) spent nuclear fuel
Operations program at the Savannah River Site (Site) will likely require
Extended H-Canyon to be maintained at least two years beyond defined
operational needs. The Department committed to maintain
H-Canyon operational readiness to provide a disposal path for
degraded spent nuclear fuel, which may pose an immediate safety
and health risk, until a treatment or packaging capability is
available. However, as of January 2006, the Department had not
approved a specific technology to prepare the Site's spent nuclear
fuel for disposal.
