Wednesday, October 4, 2006 - Joint Session

Office of Environmental Management Update
Steve Cuevas, Senior Policy Advisor; DOE-EM

Significantly different today than in 2000 because of improvements that have been made

• Priority still safety
• Statistics don’t tell the whole story
• Proud of efforts at Rocky Flats, Mound, and Fernald

Statistics

• Largest environmental management program in the world
• 25,000 person workforce

Stabilization of materials has been a major accomplishment
Q - Where is plutonium stored?
     A - Depends on where it was packaged

• Tanks of liquid waste closed
• Effective risk reduction
• Completed work at Columbus facility
• Focus all over the country

Accomplishments this year

• Decision on CD-1
• Decommissioning approval

2007 Goals

• Operate in safe, compliant manner
• Resolve legal issues with states and regulators
• Continue shipments from sites
• Continue communication with stakeholders

Q&A
Q - Past publicity on “safest building” on the planet?
     A - Unsure who did it.

Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) Update
Priscilla Bumbaca; DOE-OCRWM Office of Logistics Mgmt.

OCRWM Organizational Chart

• Created by the previous OCRWM Director
• Ward Sproat has not yet indicated a desire to change it

Ward Sproat

• Experience in the nuclear industry
• Understands the NRC licensing perspective
• License Application (LA) is a high priority
  • 6/30/08- goal for submittal
• OCRWM Program Schedule
  • Rail Alignment EIS
  • Begin rail construction by 2010

Budget Request Summary-> the budget is being approach with the understanding that they likely won't get their full request.  OCRWM is requesting what they need to get their work done on schedule.

Priorities

• License Application (LA) by June, 2008
• Instill a "nuclear culture" in the organization (open atmosphere, etc.)
• Address financial liabilities from delays in the opening of Yucca Mountain (YM)
• Prepare transportation system

Accomplishments

• Draft 180(c) package
• Transportation Concept of Operations
• Modeling of Rail Car
• Benchmarking (implement "lessons learned")
• Updated Practices Manual

Near-term Priorities

• Routing processes
• Meet with tribes (continue outreach)
• Wants to engage industry
• Acquisition strategies

Nevada Rail Development-> Caliente Corridor selected from group of five options

Operations

• Benchmarking
• International agreement for sabotage studies
• Studying needs for maintenance facilities (cost-benefit analysis)

Institutional

• Routing criteria a major effort (route suites)
• Pilot programs

Rolling Stock S-2043 Standards; hardware issue analyses

Cask Development

• Clean-canister (TAD)
• Increase industry input in the development

Conclusions

• Tasks are too much for OCRWM to do alone
• They are excited about the challenge

Q&A
Q - Reasons for budget breakdown?
     A - Appropriations of defense funds have a major impact on the budget.

Q - Transportation standards have been out a long time… DOE approach?
     A - Will comply with the American Association of Railroad standards.

Q - Which are the best route options from DOE’s perspective? Any preference?
     A - That’s what they’re looking at (do not have a preference at this point)

Q - Where is DOE in terms of developing national/regional suite of routes?
     A - Criteria developed-> transportation is rail to the extent possible.

Q - What effect would adding routes to the EIS have?
     A - Will delay issuance of EIS (by a few months)

Q - GNEP/Reprocessing effect?
     A - Haven’t been told to include GNEP, but can be flexible and adjust

Q - Schedule- When will distribution of 180(c) money and training take place?
     A - Unsure

Nuclear Industry Proposed Legislation
Steven Kraft, Senior Director; Nuclear Energy Institute-Used Fuel Management

U.S. Energy

• Demand for energy skyrocketing (particularly in the South)
• Meeting 2030 demand would require 50 new reactors (in addition to other sources)
• Nuclear output remains near record levels -> growing support

New Plant Development

• 13 groups preparing 20 applications for 31 plants (1^st received in less than a year)

Industry Priorities

• Industry must grow to meet standards
• Certainty is needed in federal spent fuel program to support new and existing plants
• Used fuel management strategy is necessary
  • Will need multiple Yucca Mountains to handle all the waste
  • More than one is too much -> need technology to control this

Fuel Storage Locations/Industry

• Much beyond 2006, all articles of SNF will have to go into dry storage
• 76 sites in 34 states
• 2017 is a very ambitious goal because it assumes that everything will go right (over this period 29 sites will need dry storage)

Spent Fuel Principles

• Can you support a plant if you do not know where the waste will go?
• Government needs to commit to Yucca Mountain
• Need specific things to support new plants
  • “Waste confidence”
    • NRC cannot continue licensing plants if it does not have confidence that there will be a place to send the waste
  • Capacity beyond 70,000
  • Need congressional direction for DOE
  • Defense function (050) in budget process

Benefits of Interim Storage

• Lower costs
• System integration
• Synergy with reprocessing
• Confidence in federal waste management system -> If DOE simply moved waste to their site, confidence would increase
    * Would like for host site selection to be voluntary process

NEI Suggestions for Proposed Legislation

• Uncommon practice
• Interim storage in Nevada and elsewhere
• Continue support for Yucca Mountain
  • Early infrastructure development
  • Land withdrawal
  • Streamlined licensing (efficiency)
  • Transportation and non-nuclear proliferation regulations
  • Limit time of regulations
  • Enhanced monitoring
  • Nuclear Waste Fund (NWF) budget reform
  • New plant support
  • Continue technological development

Current Legislation

• Senate Appropriations Bill: Cannot think of anything less practical -> probably submitted to jump start conversations
• House Appropriations Report

Conclusion

• New policies needed to support increasing demand

Q&A
Q - Capacity for low-level waste (LLW)?
     A - LLW is an operational question; come 2008, Barnwell will close and Class B and C wastes will have no where to go -> Will have to be worked out at state level

Q - Elaborate on transportation elements of proposal.
     A - Merely repeat of administration bill; rationale is to make the system more efficient.
     C - Preempting states’ rights could galvanize opposition to the proposal.

Q - Won’t reprocessing increase costs significantly?
     A - 3 reasons for reprocessing:

• Provide fuel resources
• Relieve disposal
• Lower proliferation possibilities
    * There could be some cost-saving benefits that balance any increased costs

Q - DOE offering any financial incentives to GE for their recycling proposal?
     A - Not that I’m aware of.

Q - Studies done countering Areva/BCG report?
     A - Not sure how to judge other studies -> economics aside, there is still support for reprocessing in MIT study.

Q - Outlook on fusion?
     A - No idea. Hot vs. cold fusion? Not sure anyone has been able to produce electricity from it.

Foreign Research Reactor Spent Nuclear Fuel Acceptance Program
Chris Wells, Assistant Director, Nuclear Programs; Southern States Energy Board

DOE Continues to Receive SNF Shipments

• 35 shipments completed
• 6 cross-country shipments

Countries in the Program
Goal: recover fuel that would be used for weaponry

Reasons for policy: reduce threat of proliferation

Program Management

• 2004 shift to NNSA
• For the most part, the transition has been successful

Cross-country shipment planning

• Becomes more complex with more states involved
• Route evaluation/selection process

2006 and Beyond

• Blue vs. Green routes

Q&A
C - Schedule information is safe-guarded on a need-to-know basis

Q - Lessons learned- Resources for routing changes?
     A - In past, Missouri provided information on I-70 that suggested it was not the best possible route.

Q - Does the U.S. military escort shipments overseas?
     A - International Atomic Energy Agency provides security guidance; packaging varies, but the NRC approves all that are used.

Q - When it arrives at Idaho what happens to it?
     A - Based on fuel type -> in dry storage

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Update
Earl Easton, Senior Level Advisor; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Transportation Spent Fuel Project Office

Formed as a temporary office 11 ½ years ago.

Organization of about 65 people; spends approximately 3 million per year.

Mission

• Independent regulatory agency
• Safety
• Security (especially after 9-11)
• Openness
• Effectiveness

NRC Regulates:

• Use of radioactive materials
• Nuclear power reactors
• Fuel cycle facilities
• Storage and transportation
• Geological repository

Information on storage facilities on NRC website.

Louisiana Energy Services Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant

• License issued 6/06
• Lea Co., N.M.
• Enriches up to 5%

DCS Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility
New reactors would be strung from Texas up the East Coast.

“Combined License”

• Construction + Design
• Aimed at streamlining the process
• Commission gearing up to accept License Applications

Status of Independent Storage

• 42 licensed dry cask facilities
• 26 states
• Loaded 800 casks at various pads
• 15 approved cask designs (8 dual purpose)
• So far no safety problems
• Total number facilities has grown consistently

Where is Spent Fuel Today?

• 49,000 tons at on-site storage pools
• 2,400 metric tons in dry cask storage
• Government vs. Commercial

Private Fuel Storage (PFS), Utah

• License issued 2/06
• Toole Co., UT
• Significant local opposition
• 40,000 MTU
• BIA and BLM denied different components of the plan

Yucca Mountain

• Have geared up for review for when they receive License Application
• Interact with concerned stakeholders

TRUPACT-III

• Unique package
• Holds a lot - more efficient to send larger shipments

NAS Transportation Study- “Going the Distance”

• Long duration, fully engulfing fires
• Focus on tunnel fires - reformed practices in transportation through tunnels (“no pass rule”).

Security

• NAS was unable to perform evaluation of terrorist threat
• Recommends independent analysis of security

Q&A
Q - Any studies of terrorists with anti-tank weaponry
     A - Yes, without going into details

Q - TADs?
     A - “Transportation, aging, and disposal”

Q - Air vents - how critical and how are they kept clear?
     A - Pretty basic, very strict monitoring

Q - AROWPACT- why the big empty space?
     A - No real answer

Q - How do you discourage industry from submitting reactor design proposals? Doesn’t this defeat the goal of streamlining?
     A - Trying to make sure they choose from approved designs to cut down on application time.

Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP) Update
Tom Clawson, TEPP Contract Coordinator; Technical Resources Group, Inc.

Program will assist DOE with emergency responses.

Methods

• Training and planning
• Model needs assessment- different emergency response in different areas -> will help explain strengths and weaknesses.

Training program improvements

• Recently finished video guide on decommissioning.
• Add hands on activities to the MERRTT program -> looking to add decommissioning practicum to go with the video.
• Add an 8-hour hands-on course

Online training program

• Posted many MERRTT modules on FEMA site.
• Designed as a "refresher course."
• Request for more interactive material.

Hospital training program -> training more by specific group than staff as a whole.

Interagency cooperation

• 15 federal agencies with membership on FRPCC
• HDER Program -> 7 HDER modules will be used in conjunction with MERRTT.
• DHS has expressed interest in continued cooperation to streamline their radiological training programs.
• ASTM Committee

Radiation Specialist Program

• Need based on stakeholder feedback.
• Began around 2002.
• 2005- began working with NFPA on 2007 NFPA-472 Standard to revise existing specialist competencies -> looking at two 24-hour training blocks.

State-Regional Group Activities

WGA (Scott Field)

• Looking for new coordinator
• Have written two letters to Carlsbad Field Office requesting a burn test.  Response explained why the office did not feel such a test was necessary, but the WGA request comes from the political point of view that the tests are necessary to boost public confidence.

SSEB (Christopher Wells)

• Wants greater involvement from legislators
• Continue working with other regions
• Involved in a pilot program with some Southern states

Midwest (Sarah Wochos)

• Only group with legislative and executive representation
• Took 30 people to Yucca Mountain in November
• Understand the need for more legislative outreach
• Will visit WIPP next month

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Thursday, October 5, 2006 - NCSL's High-Level Radioactive Waste Working Group Meeting

Update on Energy Policy Summit
Linda Sikkema, Group Director; Environment, Energy, and Transportation, NCSL

Currently finalizing meeting summary.

The NCSL Executive Committee merged the Agriculture and Rural Development, Environment and Natural Resources and Energy and Electric Utilities Committees into one Committee.  The newly-formed Agriculture, Environment and Energy Committee will be handling close to 50 NCSL policies.

A major goal of this meeting of the HLWWG  is to construct an idea of what group's schedule for reviewing and commenting on the relevant NCSL policies will look like.  The HLWWG will need to have comments compiled prior to the Fall Forum Meeting and be ready to present their recommendations in San Antonio in early December.

-> Recommendation: Small chunk of time could be allocated to the group at Fall Forum because of the idea that nuclear is part of the answer to the nation's energy questions

Policies

The following policies fall under the purview of this Working Group.  Three need to be reviewed by the Working Group.  The Working Group can suggest an informational panel for the Agriculture, Environment and Energy Committee Meeting during the NCSL Fall Forum in San Antonio in early December.  At that time, the Working Group would propose any changes for the NCSL Committee to act on.  The policies will be voted on during the NCSL Annual Meeting in Boston in August of 2007.

• Federal Facilities Cleanup (July 2007)
• Hazardous Material Transportation (July 2007)
• Radioactive Waste Management (July 2007)
• Hazardous Waste Management (July 2008)

Members have been given copies of the policies in Nashville and they will be sent again via the list serv.  Members should review the policies and provide comments to ensure they are current based on recent events/ideas like GNEP.

Member Comment:  Address energy use, generation and efficiency

Heaton suggestion:  If acceptable to the group, we can send out policies and put together a smaller working group to review possible changes, and the  group as a whole could then discuss them in San Antonio

The point of the policies is to allow NCSL's Washington, D.C. staff to lobby, which means that more broad policies will handcuff staff less and allow a more active voice for the Working Group.

Heaton comment:  If there is going to be a "nuclear renaissance," there needs to be a significant discussion on nuclear waste

Current State Activities and Events

South Carolina- Effort to expand Barnwell

• Barnwell LLW site up against the Savannah River facility.
• Would like a more streamlined process in South Carolina.

New Mexico- Regulatory Justice Reform/Review
            Would like hearings to be independent of the particular department/agency      involved.

Maryland- Merger would place two reactors under the control of Florida Power and Light.

            Q - Is Maryland used as a power source in Virginia and Washington, D.C.?
                        A - No

Illinois- Illinois Joint Commission on Administrative Rules
Helps support the authority of the legislature
            Q - How do you get around issues involving the separation of powers?
                        A - The legislature makes the laws, and the executive branch enforces them

DOE-EM Transportation Update (Dennis Ashworth)
Dennis Ashworth, Director; DOE-EM Office of Transportation

Closing sites

• Rocky Flats
• Fernald- Silo shipments completed
• Mound
• Battelle Columbus
• Oak Ridge
  • DUF6 shipments this year
  • 5,500 cylinders
  • Complete by December
  • Haul Road
• West Valley
• Savannah River
• Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (LLW shipments)

EM shipments- Approximately 15,000 in 2006

"Our vision…"

• Operational excellence
  • Protect the public and the environment
  • Make operations as "uneventful" as possible
• Technology Exploitation
• Measures for success
  • "Measurably safer"
  • Services should be requested
  • Government support
  • Specific measures

Performance

• 2004- 23 reported offsite incidents
• 2005- 15 " "
• 2006- 27 events (22 incidents)

What have we learned?

• 35% reduction in incidents in 2005 was excellent
• Areas of focus
  • Collision Avoidance
  • Human error reduction

Transportation Risk Review

• Group sites and reviews incidents.
• Threshold is about as low as possible.

Collision avoidance

• Technology
• When events happen, how can they provide best information to responders?

Customer Survey

• To ensure satisfaction (one of the goals)
• Issue is going to be controversial, but they want the dialogue.

Commodity Flow

• Program started in Flagstaff, AZ.
• Set up for 24 hours and obtain information on the passing trucks.

Transportation Performance Tracking Technology Program
Eric Sandgren, Dean; University of Nevada - Las Vegas College of Engineering
Al Wilson; Qualcomm

Advance the integration and application of available technology.

Their client is the DOE Office of Transportation.

Incident Prevention

• Improving onboard driver awareness.
• Determine the difference between different drivers' performances.

Schedule

• October- system evaluation
• January- Demonstration in South Carolina
• February- Demonstration in Las Vegas (1^st responders and media on site)

Incident Prevention/Management

• Reducing human factors
• Predictive modeling applications
• Data mining- can be used in an immediate manner
• Critical Event Recording- similar to other "black box" applications

      - Models serve as training tools and produce information they didn't have before.

Incident Response Technologies

• "Operation Respond"
  • Third party, non-profit in the project
  • Involves 50,000 first responders

Q&A
Q - Is this seen as an upgrade or replacement to Transcom?
     A - Absolutely not

Q - Collision avoidance?
     A - Drivers immediately noticed the benefits of the system.

Action Items: