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The Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program undertook a major initiative on June 3, 1994, by requesting proposals for a multi-purpose canister (MPC) system. The purpose of the system is to provide a standardized system for storage, transportation, and disposal of spent nuclear fuel. Among the advantages of the MPC concept two stand out. First, and most important, the system reduces handling of individual spent fuel assemblies. Second, it promotes standardization and compatibility among storage technologies used at civilian reactor storage sites and Department of Energy facilities. If used by the majority of reactors, the MPC will reduce total number of shipments and the overall waste management system costs for nuclear energy utilities and the Federal Government. The MPC concept calls for a sealed metal canister that can hold many spent fuel assemblies from a nuclear powerplant. The MPC system will be designed to provide criticality control, heat transfer, and structural support during storage and transportation of spent nuclear fuel. The canister will be placed inside separate units or ''over-packs'' for shipment, storage, and disposal. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) certificates of compliance are required for the MPC systems for storage and transportation . Ultimately, the waste package, which includes the MPC, systems for storage and transportation. Ultimately, the waste package, which includes the MPC, must be licensed by the NRC for disposal in a repository.