Such physical material as core samples from the Nevada site, would be preserved for 25 years, said Shebelskie, an attorney with DOE's legal counsel on repository licensing Hunton & Williams said. The National Archives and Records Administration will have to approve DOE's proposal on the upkeep of that material.

Documents relevant to licensing are now filed on NRC's Licensing Support Network, a web-based database set up as a tool in legal discovery. DOE in March filed a motion with the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board to withdraw with prejudice its repository license application. DOE could begin an orderly transfer of that material from the LSN to NARA roughly 18 months after the licensing proceeding is terminated, Shebelskie said.

ASLB Chairman Thomas Moore issued an order before closing the meeting, saying parties have to come to an agreement by June 18 on how the LSN data should be maintained.

Preservation of the DOE documents have been seen as being important in the event consideration of the site is revived and as providing valuable information on non-site-related materials research.

--Elaine Hiruo, elaine_hiruo@platts.com