Environment, Energy and Transportation Program

High-Level Radioactive Waste Newsletter

27-page document

Vol. 15, No. 2
October 1998

In This Issue

Federal Activity

EPA standards for groundwater questioned

Concerns have been raised regarding the groundwater protection standard that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is promulgating for the nuclear waste repository. EPA has been working on a proposed standard since Congress directed the agency in 1992 to craft specific environmental regulations for Yucca Mountain, Nev., the potential host for a repository. EPA may propose that the dosage from all sources, including groundwater, would be limited to 15-millirem (mrem) per year and that the dosage from groundwater would be limited to 4-mrem per year. Natural background radiation in groundwater could push the dosage above the 4-mrem limit. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) does not believe a groundwater standard is necessary, and believes a 25-mrem protection standard is more appropriate.

It is not expected that EPA will release a proposed standard for public comment in the near future. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) , however, is concerned about how and where the standard will be applied to the site. DOE, the NRC and EPA staff continue to hold meetings with the Office of Management and Budget regarding the development of the groundwater standards.

NRC to propose Yucca Mountain licensing rule

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is expected to publish late this year in the Federal Register a proposed licensing rule for a high-level waste repository. Michael Bell, acting chief of the NRC performance assessment and high-level radioactive waste integration branch, stated the rule is site-specific to Yucca Mountain, Nev.

NWTRB: No evidence of Yucca Mountain water rise

The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) in July released its review of 11 reports that theorized that the Yucca Mountain water table has risen, at times, several hundred meters from deep within the earth’s crust. The board’s review corroborated the 1992 findings of a 17-member National Academy of Sciences panel that concluded there was no evidence to support this theory. The board reached three conclusions:

• The new material reviewed by the board does not confirm the assertion that there has been ongoing, intermittent hydrothermal activity at Yucca Mountain or that large earthquake-induced changes in the water table are likely to exist.

• Due to the lack of substantive evidence, the board believes that further research on this matter, if not already carried out, should have a lower priority than issues of repository performance.

• There is some evidence of past presence of fluids at temperatures above 72 degrees centigrade in the vicinity of the proposed repository. The unanswered question is when in the past were these fluids present? Their presence less than 100,000 years ago could lend credence to the theory of ongoing hydraulic activity, while an older age—10,000,000 years or earlier—would have no bearing on such a theory. The board believes the age of the fluids should be determined, and concludes that a joint program between scientists from the federal government and the state of Nevada would be one way to avoid some of the disagreements that have arisen in the past about sample collection and handling.

The review, along with other board reports and information, is available on the board’s web site at www.nwtrb.gov.

NRC to receive multipurpose canister funds

The Supreme Court’s June decision that the presidential line-item veto violates the constitutional separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches means that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will receive $4 million in Nuclear Waste Funds to license a multipurpose canister design for disposal of commercial spent fuel. President Bill Clinton had vetoed the amount from the FY 1998 energy and water appropriations bill; the Office of Management and Budget has approved the release to appropriate federal agencies of $197 million for 39 items. Although DOE’s efforts to use the canister for storage, transportation and disposal of spent fuel were eliminated in budget reduction efforts during FY 1995, seven industrial applications are pending for approval of a dual purpose cask for storage and transportation. NRC may use the funds to update the generic environmental impact statement for transportation and for analyses in the modal study that address the performance of casks under accident conditions.

WIPP opening delayed

The Department of Energy (DOE) has announced it will delay the opening of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) to late 1998 or early 1999. DOE is working with the state of New Mexico to analyze Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory waste and to assure that it has been characterized properly. Once a determination about characterization has been made, the process will move to the court of U.S. Judge John Garrett Penn. On July 17, New Mexico Attorney General Tom Udall and three citizens’ groups filed suit against EPA in U.S. district court alleging that the agency failed to properly regulate WIPP. On May 18 EPA had certified that WIPP was in compliance and would meet radioactive waste disposal standards. The attorney general alleges that EPA failed to allow enough time for public comment on the proposed rule.

In the meantime, DOE has agreed to resample some of the waste scheduled for the first shipment for disposal at WIPP to address New Mexico Environment Department concerns that the waste might contain hazardous components that would require DOE to obtain a RCRA Part B permit. DOE test results will be given to state officials. State officials believe their concerns can be resolved.

WIPP workers unionize

A majority of the 139 hourly employees of the Westinghouse Waste Isolation Division at WIPP voted to join the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union (OCAW); the decision was prompted by the sale of Westinghouse to the BNFL-Morrison and Knudsen team (see Interest Groups section). OCAW now will assist the workers in negotiating a contract with the new company.

Concord receives first foreign spent fuel shipment

The first West Coast shipment of foreign research reactor spent fuel arrived at the Concord Naval Weapons Station, near San Francisco, Calif., on July 21. The spent fuel—contained in five 26-ton casks—was shipped by dedicated train through northern Nevada and northern Utah to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory and arrived July 23. The shipment consisted of 299 spent fuel elements from South Korea; a portion of the uranium is highly enriched and could be used to develop nuclear weapons. Under the Eisenhower administration’s Atoms for Peace program, South Korea and 40 other foreign countries were provided with enriched uranium for nuclear research on the condition that the countries would not produce nuclear weapons. By 2009, DOE expects to receive approximately 19.2 metric tons of spent fuel from foreign research reactors; by comparison, commercial nuclear power plants in the United States already have produced 34,000 metric tons of spent fuel. In preparation for the shipment, DOE provided training to more than 3,000 emergency personnel along the route and inspected the track, locomotives, railcars and shipping containers. The next West Coast shipment will occur in 2002. (See related story on p. 13)

NRC completes Oak Ridge regulation project

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its pilot external regulation project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The NRC report will be issued in July or August. The inspection team is expected to conclude that the laboratory’s nuclear facilities can be regulated with little difficulty.

The NRC has completed a limited test program at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Calif., and another pilot program is in operation at the Savannah River Site, S.C.

INEEL fire kills one, injures 12

An electrician working at a federal nuclear storage facility at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory was killed and 12 others were injured when carbon dioxide from the fire system was accidentally released, causing asphyxiation and burns. No nuclear materials were involved in the industrial accident. The electrician, Kerry Austin, was the facility’s first fatality since February 1996.

Preferred sites announced for plutonium disposition

Secretary of Energy Federico Peña on June 23 announced two preferred locations for the facilities needed to implement the nation’s plutonium disposition policy. The Savannah River (S.C.) site is the preferred site for the fabrication of mixed oxide (MOX) fuel from excess plutonium; the fuel can be burned in existing commercial nuclear power plants. Both the Savannah River and Pantex (Texas) sites are preferred for construction of a plant to disassemble the pits from nuclear weapons that contain plutonium; that plutonium would be prepared for geologic disposal in a repository.

Defense board rules WIPP safe to operate

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board informed the president and Secretary of Energy Federico Peña on June 3 that, in its opinion, WIPP can be operated safely. The board notes that WIPP is crucial to transuranic waste cleanup complex-wide, but is especially vital to the early closure of the Rocky Flats, Colo., Environmental Technology Demonstration Site.

DOE considering contract consolidation

DOE is considering consolidating as many as six existing contracts to manage former nuclear weapons production facilities at Kansas City (Mo.), the Y-12 plant at Oak Ridge (Tenn.) National Laboratory, the Pantex (Tex.) plant, and the production programs at Sandia and Los Alamos (N.M.) National Laboratories and the tritium operations at the Savannah River (S.C.) Site. For more information, contact the DOE web site http://www.doeal.gov/nwic/.

Personnel

President Bill Clinton has appointed Dr. Donald Runnells to the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board, thus completing the 11-member panel that evaluates the scientific and technical validity of the spent fuel and high-level radioactive waste disposal program. Runnells is professor emeritus in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado and serves as vice-president of an environmental and engineering consulting firm. Runnells’ areas of expertise include geochemistry, hydrochemistry and mineral deposits.

Mary Anne Sullivan’s nomination as general counsel for the Department of Energy was approved by the Senate on June 26.

The U.S. Senate confirmed U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson’s nomination as secretary of energy on July 31. Richardson was sworn in as secretary of energy on August 18. The impasse between the White House and the Senate over Richardson’s nomination was resolved by a letter from the White House that granted Richardson authority to negotiate with Congress about the storage and disposal of commercial spent fuel. Richardson will continue serving as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations until later this fall.

EPA Deputy Administrator Fred Hansen has announced his departure from the agency; he will head the regional transit system in Portland, Ore. Hansen is an Oregon native and formerly served as the director of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. No replacement has been named.

Undersecretary of the Army Mike Walker will fill the deputy director position for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Walker has been responsible for domestic disasters for the Department of Defense and previously served as staff director for the Senate Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee.

Legislation

HR 457 (Castle, Del. and 25 cosponsors)—Creates an annual budget reserve account to replace emergency supplemental appropriations for natural disasters or national emergencies.

On September 20, President Clinton signed into law HR 629, the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Consent Act. No amendments were included in the final bill, which now moves on to the Office of the Federal Register to receive a public bill number.

Earlier in September, the Senate approved the conference report on HR 629 by a vote of 78 to 15. The conference report did not include any of the amendments offered during prior consideration of the bill. Senators Olympia Snowe (Maine), James Jeffords (Vt.), Patrick Leahy (Vt.) and Paul Wellstone (Minn.) debated the report. Wellstone was the only senator to speak in opposition to the bill; he primarily focused on environmental justice concerns. Senators Snowe, Susan Collins (Maine) and Kay Bailey Hutchinson (Texas) spoke in favor of the bill.

U.S. HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS

To order Senate bills, send your request via letter or fax (no phone orders) to the Senate Document Room, B-04 Hart Building, Washington, D.C. 20510; fax (202) 228-2815.

To order House bills, write or call the House Document Room, B-18, House Annex No. 2, Washington, D.C. 20515; (202) 225-3456.

The full text of House and Senate bills can be found in "Thomas" legislative services on the Internet.

Transportation

Legislative update: States attempt to more closely regulate spent fuel transportation

In a flurry of legislative activity not seen since 1991, 20 state legislatures attempted to assert greater state regulatory control over the transportation of radioactive materials through their states. Most of the emphasis was on spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste, as states prepared for the possibility that Congress would authorize interim storage of spent fuel at the Nevada Test Site, meaning waste shipments could being within two to three years. However, interim storage legislation failed to pass Congress, taking much of the urgency out of state efforts. Some of the legislation to more strictly regulate spent fuel and radioactive waste failed due to concerns about federal preemption. The disposition of 1998 legislation is described below.

Enacted legislation

Illinois. The General Assembly enacted HB 3631 that, among other provisions, raised fees for shipments of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste and—for the first time—includes transuranic waste shipments. The new fees are $2,500 per cask for each truck shipment, and $4,500 for the first cask and $3,000 for each additional cask for each rail shipment being received or departing from facilities in the state or traversing the state, to be paid by the shipper of the material. The funds are placed in the Nuclear Safety Emergency Preparedness Fund, which now can be used by the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Commerce Commission for approved purposes.

New Hampshire. One of the two regulatory bills to pass was HB 1630, enacted by the New Hampshire General Court. Similar legislation failed in Georgia and Tennessee due to preemption concerns. HB 1630 contains these key provisions:

• Specifies new transportation requirements for high-level radioactive waste, including spent nuclear fuel.

• Requires a permit for transportation of high-level waste on public roads, waters or railways.

• Specifies permit requirements, including proof of federal liability insurance, a nuclear incident prevention plan, a clean up plan, identification of emergency response personnel accompanying each shipment, identification of foreseeable accident and shipment disruption scenarios, and route plans, among other provisions. Annual and single trip permits are authorized.

• Routes shall be chosen to minimize exposure to the public while maximizing availability of emergency response personnel and resources along the route.

• Requires the Department of Safety to establishes fees to be paid by shipment owners to defray the costs of the department in inspection, regulation, management and training involving such shipments.

• Allows the department to conduct shipment inspections. Sets inspection guidelines for all high-level waste shipments.

• Requires a carrier bond or indemnity insurance of $25 million, as a condition of granting a transport permit.

• Provides for recovery of costs by the state in the event of damage to state property by any discharge of high-level waste.

• Authorizes coordination with other agencies including the Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Health and Human Services.

• Sets penalties for violating provisions.

Pending legislation

California. AB 2192 has moved through the California Legislature. Introduced February 19, 1998 by Assembly members Kuehl, Ortiz, Torlakson, Leach and 15 co-authors, it passed the Assembly on May 26 and the Senate on August 27. It now awaits the governor’s signature. Important points of the bill include the following.

• Requires the State Fire Marshal to include the characteristics of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel in a feasibility study of information to be provided to emergency responders and information relating to the control of fires and the safety of firefighters if high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel are involved.

• Requires the creation of a committee with a specified membership to develop and oversee implementation of a statewide radiation safety training program to train all local emergency responders.

• Requires the State Fire Marshal to identify equipment needed for emergency situations and report to the Legislature by July 1, 1999.

• Requires the State Department of Health Services (DHS) to report to the Legislature by July 1, 1999, concerning the adequacy of existing packaging, routing and timing requirements.

• Requires that proof of at least one example of full-scale cask testing be provided to the DHS by the shipper of high-level waste or spent fuel. Full scale testing includes an assessment of the safety of the cask as well as the vulnerability of the cask to terrorist attack.

• Requires the Department of the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to adopt regulations specifying the time that shipments of hazardous materials may occur and the routes that are to be used in the transportation of cargoes of hazardous radioactive materials.

• Requires that vehicles travel in convoys and be escorted by the CHP. Rail shipments require an escort by emergency response personnel and must not be shipped with mixed cargo.

• Requires each shipper to participate in real-time continuous tracking of each shipment, through the DOE TRANSCOM system or a similar system to facilitate more efficient emergency response.

• Require DHS to adopt a fee schedule that imposes an additional fee on shippers of high-level radioactive waste and to set the fees at a level to cover the inspection, escort, regulation, management and training expenses incurred with regard to these shipments by local agencies, DHS, the State Fire Marshal, the Office of Emergency Services and CHP. Failure to pay these fees would be a criminal act.

• All shipments by highway or rail must be inspected by the state at specified locations.

• Provides if any state property is damaged, or if there is a discharge of high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel from an authorized shipping package or container, the state would be authorized to recover any costs incurred by it. All carriers of these materials would be required to provide proof of a bond or insurance in the amount of $25 million.

Michigan. Two resolutions, HCR 97 and HR 266, urge the U.S. Department of Energy to refrain from transporting weapons-usable fissile material through Michigan.

Bills listed in the April issue of this newsletter in New Jersey and New York remain pending.

Failed legislation

Numerous bills described in the April issue of the NCSL High-Level Radioactive Waste Newsletter failed to pass. These include similar bills SB 548, HB 646, and HB 1289 in Georgia, similar bills HB 1215, HB 1239, SB 55, SB 299 and SB 280 in Indiana, HB 2901 in Kansas, similar bills HB 2865, SB 843, SB 2316, SB 2329, SB 2616, and SB 2617 in Minnesota, and HB 2118 and SB 2159 in Tennessee. The essence of all these bills was to more comprehensively regulate high-level waste and spent fuel transportation and to improve emergency response capabilities for increased levels of shipments. In addition, SB 2525 failed in Rhode Island; it would have given towns permit authority over hazardous chemicals and materials. HB 2705 in West Virginia also failed; it would have prohibited vehicles transporting hazardous materials from parking within 1,000 feet of educational or health care facilities. HB 1834 and SB 1861 in Tennessee would have required state approval of hazardous, radioactive or mixed waste shipments to the state for storage, treatment or disposal from federal facilities.

Uniform Program

Three states addressed the Uniform Program for permitting and registering motor carriers of hazardous materials. Michigan enacted the program (SB 554) for hazardous waste only and will begin administration in January 1999. Minnesota continued its participation in the program (SB 2316) and decided to drop criminal background checks from the process. Tennessee considered, but did not enact four bills (HB 2712, HB 3117, SB 2874 and SB 3252) to enable Tennessee to join the Uniform Program. Existing members include Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio and West Virginia.

New revision of Section 180c available

Based on comments received from its July 1997 version of the proposed policy and procedures for Section 180c of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), the U.S. Department of Energy has issued another draft. Section 180c provides for a program of technical and financial assistance to states for training public safety officials of local governments and to Indian tribes through whose jurisdiction DOE plans to transport spent fuel or high-level waste to an NWPA facility. Key elements of the revised policy include the following:

• DOE, through the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, will provide financial and technical assistance, subject to annual appropriations, to assist states and tribes to obtain access to the increment of training needed to prepare for NWPA shipments.

• Funds can be used for highway safety inspections of shipments, for rail measures that compliment Federal Railroad Administration inspection procedures, for access to satellite tracking equipment and related training (with NRC approval), for awareness level training for emergency responders, and, possibly, for enhanced training for responders.

• A one-time planning grant of $150,000—plus an annual base grant and a two-part variable amount based on specific needs—will be available to each eligible jurisdiction.

• The grant application process will begin approximately four years before actual shipments, based on identification of preliminary shipping routes.

• For the first two years, 25 percent of each year’s total pre-shipment grant can be used for supplies and equipment; thereafter, 10 percent of each year’s total grant can be used for supplies and equipment.

NCSL has been actively involved in the formulation of Section 180c, having submitted formal comments four times in recent years and participated in several meetings on the topic. The current draft addresses most of the concerns NCSL has voiced over the years except for two. One is infrastructure improvements. DOE must be cognizant of state infrastructure needs and make provision for funding those improvements deemed necessary for safe, routine transportation of spent fuel and high-level waste. NCSL also believes that shipments ultimately destined for an NWPA facility should be covered by Section 180c, even though they may reside for a period of time at a private storage facility. By disallowing funding for activities related to this important and potentially sizable amount of spent fuel transportation, DOE is interpreting Section 180c very strictly.

Due to OCRWM’s plan to deemphasize transportation planning in the near future, the Section 180c policy and procedures will remain in draft form until program progress or legislation provides definitive guidance as to when shipment will commence. Comments on the latest draft were accepted through August 1, 1998.

TEC meets

The Transportation External Coordination (TEC) Working Group met in Milwaukee July 13-15, 1998. Topic Groups addressed rail issues, training, medical training, tribal issues and communications. Most discussion occurred in four rotating breakout groups that addressed general planning, emergency management planning and training assistance, transportation operations, and conclusions from the topic groups. A troubling decision by the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Office to terminate all cooperative agreements with national and regional organizations representing the state and Indian nations was a major topic of discussion between sessions. A meeting summary will be available on the Internet at www.uetc.org or can be requested from Alex Thrower at (505) 260-2308. The next meeting will be held in Jacksonville, Florida, January 12-14, 1999.

Foreign reactor fuel arrives in Idaho

The first shipment of spent nuclear fuel from foreign research reactors arrived in the United States at Concord Naval Weapons Station in California and was sent by train to the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory on July 23. To reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism, the United States is taking back fuel that was loaned to foreign nations during the past three decades. This shipment, from Korea, consisted of three casks. More than 3,000 emergency responders along the route received training.

California had decided not to sue to block the shipment in light of the unsuccessful suits brought by the City of Concord and Contra Costa County. In addition, Attorney General Dan Lungren stated, "It appears that the Clinton administration has complied with the relevant laws on this matter and the state of California has no basis upon which to challenge their proposed shipment of nuclear fuel rods." (See related story on p. 2)

State/Local/Tribal

States petition court to enforce Nuclear Waste Policy Act

On August 3, 34 states petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to enforce the Nuclear Waste Policy Act that would require the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to remove spent fuel from civilian nuclear power plants. The states also asked the court to review the actions by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D. C. Circuit in the case of Northern States Power Co. et al. vs. U.S. Department of Energy. In November 1997 the court of appeals ruled that DOE is responsible for transporting the spent fuel and would be subject to lawsuits if the agency did not begin the collection on Jan. 31, 1998. In May 1998 the court denied—on the grounds that the issues were not within the scope of litigation—the states’ petition that it force DOE to begin planning for spent fuel acceptance and allow utilities to make escrow payments of Nuclear Waste Fund fees.

PUCs seek to place waste fees in escrow fund

Public utility commissioners from 24 states will ask Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson to allow them to place more than $500 million annually in nuclear waste fees in escrow. The commissioners want to keep ratepayers’ funds, rather than depositing them in the Nuclear Waste Fund, until DOE begins moving spent fuel from nuclear power plants. The plan is similar to one proposed by former Secretary of Energy Federico Peña. The states would not, however, give up their right to sue the department and DOE is not absolved of its responsibility to accept the waste.

Washington may sue DOE on Hanford storage

On June 8, Washington Governor Gary Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire announced during a Richland press conference that the state plans to sue the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for failing to comply with two tri-party agreement milestones related to the removal of radioactive waste from single-shell underground storage tanks at the Hanford (Wash.) Reservation. The tri-party agreement—between the state, DOE and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency—establishes the cleanup schedule for the Hanford reservation. The governor and attorney general issued a 60-day notice of intent to sue DOE but the state informed DOE that it did not intend to file the lawsuit on Aug. 10. The parties intend to make every effort short of litigation to settle this matter. For more information contact Jeff Breckel, Department of Ecology, Box 47600, Olympia, Wash., 98504-7600, (360) 407-7148.

State Personnel

Representative Bill Oban (N.D.), a former member of the NCSL High-Level Waste Working Group, passed away July 3 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. Representative Oban had served as the Democratic leader in the House and on the Legislative Council when the legislature considered the option of hosting a centralized interim storage facility in North Dakota.

On-Site Storage

NRC considers amending generic cask approval regulations

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has begun proceedings to amend 10 CFR Part 72—the regulations that cover independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs). The changes would essentially provide a generic approval for dry casks; NRC no longer would have to evaluate casks on a case-by-case basis. These changes also would permit NRC to take enforcement action—rather than administrative action—if cask fabrication companies violate requirements. The NRC prefers enforcement actions—such as notices of violation—because they "effectively convey to both the person violating the requirement and the public that a legally binding violation has occurred, [provides] a clearer perspective on the safety and regulatory significance of the violation, and reflects the NRC conclusion that potential risk to public health and safety could exist and this evidence can then be used to support the issuance of further enforcement actions such as orders."

NRC: Holtec cask system application still flawed

Holtec International submitted an application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its Hi-Star 100 spent fuel storage-transport cask system in August 1994. The application still is hampered by deficiencies that could result in further delays in the design approval process and eventually cause a problem for the company’s utility customers that are facing a shortage of storage space in their spent fuel pools.

On August 5, William Kane, NRC’s spent fuel project office director, indicated that NRC staff found that certain assumptions made by Holtec during the confirmatory analysis of revision 7 of the topical safety analysis report for the storage component were unsupported by data.

"We won’t write a safety evaluation review based on something we don’t understand or can’t support. Our review is an audit review," Kane said. "We don’t review every minor detail. The application has to be complete and accurate and internally consistent." Kane asked Holtec President Kris Singh to review the application again to assure there are no lingering "blind assumptions."

September 30 was the target date for the issuance of a draft safety evaluation review and certificate of compliance; NRC staff are committed to meeting that deadline. However, any "omissions" in the review would mean the NRC will not be able to issue the certificate, according to the NRC.

Holtec’s Hi-Star has been described as the first in a family of canister systems that will serve as the foundation for the Hi-Storm concrete overpack and other components, all of which also have pending applications.

NUHOMS resumes canister fabrication

Transnuclear West Inc. (TN West) has resumed fabrication of the Nutech Horizontal Modular System dry shielded canister (NUHOMS) after being notified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the company had satisfied quality control and quality assurance problems that have plagued NUHOMS since 1995. Additionally, TN West is seeking to modify the cooldown and burnoff parameters of its spent fuel storage license as they pertain to the NUHOMS canister. The company is expected to respond in August to the NRC’s request for additional information pertaining to the fuel amendment.

TN West is trying to obtain a site-specific license to use dual purpose casks at the Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Rancho Seco site. NRC was reviewing the dry storage canister MP197 certificate and was expected to issue it in late August. As part of the Rancho Seco licensing process, NRC planned by the end of September to begin reviewing an updated safety analysis report on the NUHOMS casks. If no problems arise, the license could be issued as early as next year.

BNFL resumes fabrication of VSC-24 casks

As a result of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s decision to rescind a May 1997 confirmatory action letter (CAL), British Nuclear Fuels Limited (BNFL) is resuming fabrication of the VSC-24 spent fuel storage cask, formerly manufactured by Sierra Nuclear.

The NRC originally issued the CAL following cracking-related weld problems that occurred during closure of the VSC-24 casks. Cracks occurred during loading four times between March 1995 and March 1997. The cracks—which occurred during final closure of the casks—appeared in either the weld between the structural lid and the multi-assembly sealed basket (MSB) or the weld between the shielded lid and MSB. Sierra Nuclear—which under the CAL committed itself to identify root causes and implement corrective actions to prevent recurrences—found that there was a different cause for each crack. NRC had determined that Sierra Nuclear had adequately identified the root causes of the welding problems and developed adequate corrective actions, but did not accurately assess the length of time in which delayed cracking of the shield and structural lid welds may have occurred. Utilities that use the VSC-24 agreed to perform ultrasonic testing of previously loaded casks; they then will use that data to evaluate whether the casks meet the design basis for the VSC-24 structural lid weld.

BNFL bought Sierra Nuclear in April and renamed it BNFL-Fuel Solutions. Most of the progress in resolving CAL issues has been made since the purchase, using resources from BNFL and its U.S. subsidiary, BNFL Inc.

Utilities that use the VSC-24 are preparing for cask loading following the lifting of the CAL. Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WEPCO) has requested that NRC lift its CAL, now that Sierra Nuclear has been closed. Before scheduling actual loading, WEPCO is performing simulated cask loadings at Point Beach to evaluate the data. Entergy’s Arkansas Nuclear One will ask NRC for permission to begin loading once it has updated its procedures to reflect changes identified in the CAL. Currently 19 VSC-24s are in use, including casks at Consumers Energy’s Palisades Plant.

In closing the CAL, NRC said corrective actions taken—and their implementation—will be subject to review in any future inspections of BNFL-Fuel Solutions and its cask users. The NRC letter is available in the selected reports selection of the agency’s homepage (www.nrc.gov).

PG&E begins Humboldt spent fuel storage talks with NRC

In July, Pacific Gas and Electric met with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Spent Fuel Project Office to discuss future plans to apply for a site-specific license for dry cask spent fuel storage at its Humboldt Bay facility. Humboldt has been licensed for safe storage since 1988, even though it is not an operating facility. The utility also introduced plans for dry cask storage of spent fuel at its operating facility in Diablo Canyon. Pacific Gas and Electric has not decided on a vendor for the casks and is not likely to begin its license application process before 1999.

NCSL High-Level Radioactive Waste Interim Storage and Transportation Working Group meets in Hartford

NCSL’s High-Level Radioactive Waste Working Group met in Hartford, Conn., on Sept. 28 and 29. The group toured the Connecticut Yankee and Millstone plants. Topics discussed at the business meeting on Sept. 28 included updates on current Department of Energy Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management activities, an update on spent fuel transportation issues and the status of nuclear waste legislation before Congress. For more information, call Sia Davis at NCSL, (303) 364-7700.

Low-Level Radioactive Waste

LLRW survey available

The National Low-Level Waste Management Program has completed a survey of NCSL Low-Level Radioactive Waste Working Group members regarding whether state agencies (governments) should operate low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities versus using a private sector or open market approach to disposal. For a copy of the survey and the responses, contact Scott Liddell, NCSL, 1560 Broadway, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202, (303) 364-7700.

New Barnwell fee structure introduced

Chem-Nuclear introduced a new access fee structure, effective July 1, 1998, for its Barnwell, S.C., low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. Site users will purchase future rights for access to Barnwell disposal space for a 25-year period. Payments will be similar to a mortgage. If legislative approval is received, a futures sale will be held in November 1998. Each customer will pay an annual fixed amount—based on volume—that will cover the annual state tax, establish a trust fund for future taxes, and pay for an audit of fixed costs. The customer will pay any variable costs; Chem-Nuclear profits only when waste is shipped for disposal. The trust fund will be given to the state at the end of the 25 years. If Barnwell closes early because of state activity, customers would receive refunds. Customers also can assign unneeded future volumes to others.

Regan Voight, Chem-Nuclear president, has stressed that without new access fees the Barnwell facility may not be able to stay open. The July 1 site access fee will help pay the $13.3 million shortfall on the state tax for fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (based upon accepted waste volumes).

USA Waste has no intention of selling Chem-Nuclear after it completes its merger with Waste Management Inc., according to Lew Nevins of USA Waste. The company believes Chem-Nuclear has great potential.

Envirocare founder pleads guilty to tax charge

Khosrow Semnani, Envirocare of Utah Inc. founder, has agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor tax violation and to help federal prosecutors in their investigation of Larry Anderson, a former state regulator. Semnani has agreed to pay a $100,000 fine for facilitating the filing of a false income tax return by Anderson, who did not include a $40,000 cash payment from Semnani in his tax return. Anderson sued Semnani in 1996 for money he allegedly was owed for consulting services to Envirocare while he was the director of Utah’s Division of Radiation Control. Neither Envirocare nor any of its officers or employees are targets of the U.S. attorney’s ongoing investigation. A number of federal and state regulatory agencies—including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission—have reviewed Envirocare over the past year, and have determined that the company’s licenses and permits have been properly issued.

Utah investigation could temporarily close Envirocare

A former Envirocare of Utah employee is under investigation by the state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) for claiming to be a state-licensed engineer; during the investigation, the facility could be closed temporarily. The employee, Alan Bargerstock, served as Envirocare’s engineering manager for 18 months; his duties included ensuring that plans and permit modification applications met structural capability and other required specifications. His signature and professional engineer’s stamp appear on more than 100 Envirocare plans and permit applications, including the license renewal application. Two DEQ staff determined that Bargerstock was not listed in the state Department of Commerce’s database for professional licenses. Bargerstock has admitted to not being licensed despite having provided Envirocare with a professional engineer’s stamp and license number at the time he was hired. State officials immediately suspended activity on Envirocare’s license renewal application and are requiring the company to review every document Bargerstock signed or stamped. State officials concede that initial reviews of documents with Bargerstock’s signature raised no concerns.

Envirocare officials completed their review of Bargerstock’s work and found no major problems. Envirocare faces penalties of up to $5,000 per violation in radiation control and up to $10,000 per day per violation in solid and hazardous waste for submitting plans without a licensed engineer’s signature; the company also faces civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation from the Division of Water Quality. The Utah attorney general’s office is considering filing criminal charges against Bargerstock.

DOE awards LLRW contract to Envirocare

DOE has awarded a competitively bid contract for low-level radioactive waste disposal to Envirocare of Utah Inc. The waste consists of contaminated soils and debris from the cleanup of the Fernald (Ohio) facility and other DOE sites in Ohio. The contract is worth approximately $66 million over 10 years; the first shipments will begin this summer. Waste Control Specialists (WCS) have returned to federal district court in an effort to overturn the award, to protest DOE’s refusal to award the contract to WCS and to seek $1.2 million in compensatory damages for DOE’s arbitrary behavior in rejecting WCS’ offer. WCS believes Envirocare has an illegal monopoly on nuclear waste disposal.

Texas judge recommends denial of Sierra Blanca license

The Texas State Office of Administrative Hearings has recommended that the license application submitted by the Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Authority for the Sierra Blanca low-level radioactive waste disposal site be denied because the authority failed to adequately characterize the fault directly beneath the site and failed to adequately address potential negative socioeconomic effects. The judge reported that the authority provided reasonably persuasive evidence on the 15 other major issues considered. The Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission is responsible for the final decision on the license application; it may deny the license or remand the application to the law judges for additional evidence on the disputed issues. The judge further recommended that, if the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission does approve the license, the curie content of waste accepted over the life of the facility should be limited.

TNRCC Executive Director Dan Pearson is recommending issuance of the license after concluding the authority has met all the requirements under the law. Pearson is requesting that the administrative law judges revise their analysis to recommend issuance of the license and amend their proposed findings. The TNRCC meets Oct. 22 to hear oral arguments about the evidentiary hearing. TNRCC commissioners will rely on an expert geologist to evaluate technical aspects of the hearing record.

Mexican board: No risks in Sierra Blanca site

Mexico’s National Commission for Nuclear Security and Safety announced in early September that it found no risks in the siting of the Texas-based Sierra Blanca low-level radioactive waste disposal site. The commission reported that it could find "no negative impact, neither on the health nor the environment of our country," if the plant is constructed as planned. The Mexican foreign secretary has announced that Mexico plans to protest the dump site, to be located some 20 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border.

Nebraska to deny license for Boyd County facility

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health and Human Services Regulation and Licensure announced on Aug. 6 that they intend to deny the license application for construction and operation of a low-level radioactive waste disposal facility in Boyd County, Neb. Reasons for the denial include: the site lacks sufficient depth to the water table; it lacks an adequate buffer zone for mitigation and environmental monitoring; it would rely on engineered barriers rather than environmental barriers; there would be groundwater discharges to the surface within the disposal site; the radiation safety program does not address accidents adequately; and US Ecology (the site developer) has not demonstrated it is financially qualified.

The state will solicit comments on its proposed decision for 90 days from the public and the site developer and then will hold public hearings November 9 through 12 at two locations in Boyd County. A final decision will be issued after comments and responses are compiled. Eugene Crump, executive director for the Central Interstate Low-Level Radioactive Waste Compact, stated that the proposed decision appears to be dramatically contrary to the technical analysis that the state released in October 1997. The commission hired US Ecology to develop the facility to receive waste from Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska and Oklahoma. US Ecology applied for a license in 1990 and revised the application several times. The project originally was planned to open in 1993 and cost $31 million; at least $84 million has been spent during the licensing process.

In addition to the Nebraska announcement about the license, the Legislature’s executive board is considering hiring a Washington, D.C., law firm to study the possibility of withdrawing from the compact.

U.S. judge issues Ward Valley order

Judge Robert Hodges Jr. of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims issued an order in the combined cases of US Ecology vs. United States of America, and California Department of Health Services vs. United States of America for the parties to schedule a hearing the week of July 27. The order addressed issues raised in the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment. In his order, Judge Hodges expressed doubt that an express written contract existed between US Ecology, California and the U.S. Department of the Interior regarding the sale of the Ward Valley property, but he indicated that the elements of an oral or implied-in-fact contract may exist. The July 27 hearing focused on whether such a contract arose. Hodges also stated that it is not necessary to address issues of state law at this time (this is in regard to whether the California Department of Health Services lacked the authority to accept the land transfer); he also upbraided the U.S. Department of Justice for challenging former Secretary of Interior Manuel Lujan’s veracity in an affidavit filed by plaintiffs. Hodges states that it is "well settled that government officials are presumed to act in good faith in the discharge of their duties." Lujan originally ordered the land transferred to the state during his tenure with the Bush administration in return for a $500,000 check from US Ecology; Interior has refused to complete the land transfer.

NRC to decide on reactor shipment

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will decide this fall whether Portland General Electric can ship the 1,020-ton Trojan reactor vessel package from Rainier, Ore., to Richland, Wash., for disposal in the low-level radioactive waste disposal facility. If the NRC approves shipping the reactor vessel as a complete component, it will be the largest shipment ever received at Richland. The reactor vessel contains 2 million curies of radioactive material in the shroud and 155 curies of loose contamination inside. Current NRC regulations ( 10 CFR 71.71 (c) (7)) would prohibit shipping the reactor vessel as a complete unit. The Trojan plant is undergoing decommissioning.

Interest Groups

Utilities to file suit against DOE

As of Sept. 24, 10 utilities—Yankee Atomic Power, Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power, Maine Yankee Atomic Power, Northern States Power, Florida Power and Light, Duke Power, Indiana Michigan Power, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Southern Nuclear Operating Co. and Commonwealth Edison Co.—had filed suit against the U.S. Department of Energy in the U.S. Federal Court of Claims. The utilities, following the example of Yankee Atomic, Connecticut Yankee and Maine Yankee, have filed separate suits that seek compensation for on-site storage of spent fuel; the amounts the utilities seek range from $1 billion by Northern States and Duke Power to $300 million by Florida Power and Light, $150 million by Indiana Michigan, $125 million by Maine Yankee, $90 million by Connecticut Yankee and $70 million by Yankee Atomic. The damages for Northern States Power are based upon the cost of dry cask storage at Prairie Island, the costs of premature shutdown of the plant, the cost of power purchased to replace the power that Prairie Island could generate, the cost of alternative power sources required by the Minnesota Legislature and the cost to participate in a private dry cask storage effort. Duke’s claim would cover costs at the Oconee, McGuire and Catawba stations.

DOE has argued that the claims court is the proper venue for lawsuits because of the agency’s contractual obligation to begin accepting spent fuel on Jan. 30, 1998. The Department of Justice recently asked the claims court to dismiss the Yankee Atomic and Connecticut Yankee suits on the grounds that neither utility tried to negotiate a contractual remedy with DOE before filing the suit.

Joint venture acquires Westinghouse Electric

Morrison Knudsen Corp. (MK) and British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. (BNFL) formed a joint venture to acquire Westinghouse Electric Co. and its government operations division from the CBS Corp. for $1.2 billion. MK is the majority owner, but the enterprise will operate separately from the two parent companies. With the purchase, MK enlarges its role in defense and energy projects; MK and BNFL already were working together to decommission sites at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technologies facility in Colorado. Westinghouse services many of the world’s 400 operating nuclear power plants and is working on new nuclear technology. It operates the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M., for the Department of Energy, makes power plants for the Navy’s nuclear powered ships and canisters for spent nuclear fuel, and dismantles nuclear weapons.

DOE has not decided whether it will agree with MK and BNFL to a substitution of the Westinghouse management contracts at the Savannah River Site (S.C.), West Valley (N.Y.) and WIPP (N.M.) facilities, should the purchase of Westinghouse be approved. Federal law prohibits transfer of a government contract to a third party, although DOE can recognize a third party as a successor to the contract if that party has an interest in the contract. It will determine whether the new owners can carry out the terms and obligations of the contract and the nature and extent of foreign ownership of Westinghouse once the deal is approved. BNFL is owned by the British government. MK and BNFL believe they have addressed the foreign ownership concerns; MK will own, in their entirety, all Westinghouse’s existing contracts with DOD and the Savannah River Site contract.

NSP files spent fuel suit against DOE

Ratepayers of Northern States Power filed a class action complaint against the U.S. Department of Energy in U.S. District Court in Minnesota. The class is seeking $90 million in damages and nuclear waste fee refunds due to the department’s failure to begin accepting spent fuel on Jan. 31, 1998. In the alternative, the complaint asks for an externally managed escrow account for future ratepayer payments until DOE begins accepting the waste.

Three Mile Island Unit 1 purchased

AmerGen Energy Co., a joint venture of PECO Energy and British Energy, has agreed to purchase Three Mile Island Unit 1 from GPU (Unit 2 was prematurely shut down in 1979 and was not part of the sale). GPU is divesting itself from all generating facilities and will focus on the infrastructure (transmission and distribution) component of electricity sales. Amergen purchased the plant and its fuel for $100 million. Amergen was formed in 1997 specifically to purchase and operate nuclear power plants in North America.

Publications

· The Department of Energy’s Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management has released Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program Plan, Revision 2, an update of the original plan dated May 1996. The revised plan reflects the Clinton administration’s FY 1999 budget request for the program, as well as congressional guidance provided in the FY 1998 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act. The publication describes the program’s major milestones and activities for the next five years, including 1998’s major accomplishment, the Yucca Mountain viability assessment. For questions about the publication, contact Charles Teclaw at (202) 586-7292.

· The Department of Energy is seeking comments on its order and manual for managing radioactive waste. These materials outline departmental policy for all staff and contractors to follow at all DOE sites to protect workers, the public and the environment from radiological exposure. The drafts address high-level waste management, transuranic waste management, low-level waste management and mixed waste management, but do not address material under the authority of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, naturally occurring radioactive material or spent nuclear fuel. Copies of the draft order and manual are available from the DOE web site: http://www.explorer.doe.gov:1776/htmls.draft.html. Paper copies are available from the Center for Environmental Management Information, 955 L’Enfant Plaza, North, S.W., Suite 8200, Washington, D.C. 20024, (800) 736-3282.

· Atomic Audit Cost and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940 is a new Brookings Institute study about the environmental consequences of nuclear weapons production. The study estimates the cost to taxpayers for environmental restoration at $6 trillion. Brookings notes that the majority of the funding in DOE’s Office of Environmental Management’s cleanup budget goes toward managing existing wastes rather than to cleanup. Because of the strict secrecy that surrounded nuclear weapons production, shortcuts were taken and officials ignored the dangerous long-term costs to the environment and to public health and safety. Brookings estimates that the United States currently is spending $35 billion to operate and maintain the domestic nuclear force, address the cleanup of nuclear weapons production, make payments to victims of radiation exposure from nuclear weapons, enact and enforce arms control agreements and develop missile defenses against other country’s nuclear weapons. Paperback copies of the report are available from Brookings Press, 1775 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 797-6528; http://www.brook.edu/pub/books/atomic.htm at a cost of $24.95.

· The National Low-Level Waste Management Program has issued its final report, Licensing an Assured Isolation Facility for Low-Level Radioactive Waste (DOE/LLW-250a and 250b, July 1998). To request a copy of the report call the document request line (208) 526-7394.

· The National Safety Council’s Environmental Health Center has released A Guide to Foreign Research Reactor Spent Fuel. The publication contains basic information about the U.S. program to take back spent nuclear fuel from research reactors in 41 foreign countries and addresses transportation, shipping precautions and spent fuel storage, among other issues. For more information, contact the Environmental Health Center at (202) 293-2270 or fax (202) 293-0032. The center’s e-mail address is ehc@nsc.org.

· Snakes of Georgia and South Carolina is a 32-page booklet that provides information about 40 snake species (venomous and nonvenomous) found in the two states. The report was prepared by the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory under an agreement with the Department of Energy/Savannah River Site (S.C.) office. Copies are available from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina State Museum, the South Carolina Parks and Recreation Department, the Georgia Forestry Commission and the U.S. Forest Service, or by calling the laboratory at (803) 725-2473.

· The July/August 1998 issue of American Journalism Review contains an article, "Missing the Story at the Statehouse," by Charles Layton and Mary Walton. The story addresses the lack of coverage that newspaper publishers give to state government stories. For a copy of the article, contact Scott Liddell, NCSL, 1560 Broadway, Suite 700, Denver, CO 80202, (303) 364-7700.

· The Spring 1998 issue of the Journal of Nuclear Materials Management contains an article of interest, "Naval Spent Nuclear Fuel Management," by Richard A. Guida, Elmer M. Napes and William S. Knoll. Also in the issue is another article of interest, "Status of the Swedish Programme for Deep Geological Disposal of Encapsulated Spent Nuclear Fuel," by Claes Thegerstrom. Single copies of the issue are available for $25 from JNMM, Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, 60 Revere Drive, Suite 500, Northbrook, Ill. 60062.

· The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has issued its New York State Low-Level Radioactive Waste Status Report for 1997 (June 1998) that provides data on the volume and activity of low-level radioactive waste shipped for disposal and stored pending disposal, as well as a list of generators. To obtain a copy of the report, contact Heidi Voelk, NYSERDA, 286 Washington Ave. Extension, Albany, N.Y. 12203-6399, (518) 862-1090, x3304.

· An information booklet, A Guide to Foreign Research Reactor Spent Fuel, has been produced by the National Safety Council’s Environmental Health Center. It is available by calling (202) 293-2270.

· The National Academy of Sciences has produced two reports of interest:

A Critique of Application of Systems Engineering to the Hanford Reservation Tank Waste Remediation System and Site-Wide Systems Engineering Program.

Evaluation of Guidelines for Exposure to Technologically Enhanced, Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials.

For more information, call the NAS Office of Public Information at (202) 334-2138, or fax at (202) 334-2158.

Internet Sites

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has an Internet web site, http://www.llnl.gov, that provides a "Science and Technology Catalog" and fun science links for students. Brookhaven National Laboratory’s web page, http://www.bnl.gov, provides a community page, information on the lab’s scientific discoveries and history and an electronic hotline for students and teachers . The DOE newsletter, DOE This Month, is now available at http://www.doe.gov/news/newsprr.htm and includes a link to an Adobe Acrobat reader.

The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board has opened its Internet web site at www.nwtrb.gov. Information about the board, its activities and how to request information via e-mail is included. Highlights include testimony before Congress, a calendar of upcoming board meetings, the board’s strategic plan, technical and scientific issues affecting the Yucca Mountain, Nev., site and links to other nuclear waste web sites.

GAO Reports

THE GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE (GAO) has produced the following reports of interest.

Department of Energy: Problems and Progress in Managing Plutonium (GAO/RCED-98-68, April 1998).

Department of Energy: Alternative Financing and Contracting Strategies for Cleanup Projects (GAO/RCED-98-169, May 1988).

Department of Energy: Clear Strategy on External Regulation Needed for Worker and Nuclear Facility Safety (GAO/RCED-98-163, May 1998).

Department of Energy: Clear Strategy on External Regulation Needed for Worker and Nuclear Facility Safety (testimony) (GAO/T-RCED 98-205, May 1998).

Environmental Protection: EPA’s and States’ Efforts to Focus State Enforcement Programs on Results (GAO/RCED-98-113, May 1998).

Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Information on Potential Budgetary Reductions for Fiscal Year 1999 (GAO/RCED-98-157R, April 1998)

Nuclear Waste: Management Problems at the Department of Energy’s Hanford Spent Fuel Storage Project (GAO/T-RCED-98-119, May 1998).

Privatization: Questions State and Local Decisionmakers Used When Considering Privatization Options (GAO/GGD-98-87, April 1998).

Radioactive Waste: Answers to Questions Related to the Proposed Ward Valley Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility (GAO/RCED-98-40R, May 1998).

Rail Transportation: Federal Railroad Administration’s Safety Programs (GAO/T-RCED-98-178, May 1998).

The first copy of each GAO report and testimony is free; additional copies are $2 each. To request copies of these reports, contact the General Accounting Office, P.O. Box 6015, Gaithersburg, Md. 20884-6015, (202) 512-6000, or fax your order to (301) 258-4066. GAO reports also are available on the Internet at www.gao.gov.

Environment, Energy and Transportation Program

High-Level Radioactive Waste Newsletter

Vol. 15, No. 2 October 1998

In This Issue

Federal Activity

Transportation

State/Local/Tribal

On-Site Storage

Federal Activity

Transportation

State/Local/Tribal

On-Site Storage

Low-Level Radioactive Waste

Interest Groups

Vol. 15, No. 2
October 1998