An overview of regulatory issues that affect the development of new waste treatment technologies

Abstract

The development of new and innovative waste treatment technologies can significantly benefit the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) environmental restoration and waste management program. New technologies are expected to facilitate faster, better, cheaper, and safer remediation of existing waste problems. To encourage and direct the development of new waste treatment and management technologies, DOE established a research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation (RDDT E) program. The RDDT E program is managed by DOE's Office of Technology Development. The development, acceptance, and application of new technologies involves more than simply technical problems. If the best new technologies are to be applied in the fastest and most cost-effective manner possible, DOE must consider regulatory factors early and often in the technology development process. This report presents a number of regulatory issues that are relevant to any program intended to encourage the development of new waste treatment and management technologies. The report was prepared by Pacific Northwest Laboratory. 38 refs., 6 figs., 2 tabs.