[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 40, Volume 24]
[Revised as of July 1, 2006]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 40CFR191.24]

[Page 12-13]
 
                   TITLE 40--PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT
 
         CHAPTER I--ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED)
 
PART 191_ENVIRONMENTAL RADIATION PROTECTION STANDARDS FOR MANAGEMENT AND 
DISPOSAL OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL, HIGH-LEVEL AND TRANSURANIC RADIOACTIVE 
WASTES--Table of Contents
 
      Subpart C_Environmental Standards for Ground-Water Protection
 
Sec. 191.24  Disposal standards.

    (a) Disposal systems.
    (1) General. Disposal systems for waste and any associated 
radioactive material shall be designed to provide a reasonable 
expectation that 10,000 years of undisturbed performance after disposal 
shall not cause the levels of radioactivity in any underground

[[Page 13]]

source of drinking water, in the accessible environment, to exceed the 
limits specified in 40 CFR part 141 as they exist on January 19, 1994.
    (2) Disposal systems above or within a formation which within one-
quarter (\1/4\) mile contains an underground source of drinking water. 
[Reserved]
    (b) Compliance assessments need not provide complete assurance that 
the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section will be met. Because 
of the long time period involved and the nature of the processes and 
events of interest, there will inevitably be substantial uncertainties 
in projecting disposal system performance. Proof of the future 
performance of a disposal system is not to be had in the ordinary sense 
of the word in situations that deal with much shorter time frames. 
Instead, what is required is a reasonable expectation, on the basis of 
the record before the implementing agency, that compliance with 
paragraph (a) of this section will be achieved.