NCSL's Environmental Management Legislative Roundtable Meeting

May 3-5, 2010
Nashville, Tennessee

Meeting Purpose

Sponsored by the National Conference of State Legislatures, the State and Tribal Government Working Group and the National Governors Association, this meeting brought together legislators and tribal leaders from across the country who play a role in the clean-up of the nation's nuclear sites, host nuclear facilities, or are affected by the transportation of nuclear materials. Participants had the opportunity to learn about important nuclear waste management issues, gather updates from the U.S. Department of Energy, and share information with one another. 

Participants

Meeting Summary

Monday, May 3, 2010: NCSL Environmental Management Roundtable Meeting

Welcome and Introductions

Update on NCSL Radioactive Waste Program

Melissa Savage, NCSL

Discussion addressed the mission and history of NCSL’s EM Roundtable and an overview of NCSL’s EM activities.

Update from the Energy Communities Alliance

Melissa Savage, NCSL

This session addressed energy parks, high-level waste and nuclear workforce issues.

Legislator Roundtable Discussion

Moderator: Rep. John Heaton, New Mexico

Legislators discussed nuclear related news, events and legislation from their states. Updates heard from Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada, Tennessee and Washington.

NCSL Policy Discussion

Moderator: Rep. John Heaton, New Mexico

Roundtable members discussed NCSL’s Federal Facilities Cleanup Policy and Radioactive Waste Management Policy, each of which are up for renewal in 2010.

Action Items and EM Roundtable Wrap Up

Moderator: Rep. John Heaton, New Mexico

Legislative Forum and Summary for Intergovernmental Group Report Out Discussion

Afternoon: Joint Session with State and Tribal Government Working Group

Networking Lunch - Paducah Presentation

Todd Mullins, State of Kentucky; Reinhard Knerr, Site Lead for Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Director of the Paducah Environmental Remediation/D&D Project

Participants were briefed on the history of Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and the part it played in the enrichment of uranium for commercial nuclear reactor fuel; its current activities, challenges and missions in the areas of environmental restoration and waste management, including management of 30,000 cylinders of depleted uranium hexafluoride; and other interesting facts.

Report and Status on STGWG Tribal Priority Issues

Sky Gallegos, DOE Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Affairs

Ms. Gallegos updated participants on Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs; news and progress on Tribal Summit; DOE-wide implementation of DOE Order 144.1, DOE Policy and Framework; and DOE weatherization stimulus funding for Tribes.

Updates from DOE-NNSA Program Offices, Environmental Management

Brandt Petrasek, EM Tribal Programs Manager, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Accountability; Jill Conrad, Tribal Affairs Program Manager, Office of Communications and External Affairs, Richland, Washington; and Jennifer Dundas, Physical Scientist and Tribal POC, West Valley Demonstration Project, New York

DOE program office points of contact reported on the status of DOE Order 144.1 implementation, the DOE Tribal Policy and the Framework for implementation of the Policy, as well as the current status of instituting the DOE/NNSA Tribal Training.

Greater-Than-Class-C EIS Update and Consultation Discussion

Frank Marcinowski, Acting Chief Technical Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technical and Regulatory Support, DOE Office of Environmental Management; Brandt Petrasek, EM Tribal Programs Manager, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Accountability

Energy Park Initiative

Jim Antizzo, Program Manager , EM Office of D&D and Facility Engineering

Continuation of Updates from DOE-NNSA Program Offices

Claire Dunne, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs, Immediate Office of the Administrator; Tony Carter, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of Director

Ms. Dunne discussed NNSA efforts to enhance relationships with tribes and states. Mr. Carter reported on the status of implementation of DOE Order 144.1, the DOE Tribal Policy and the framework for implementation of the policy as well as the current status of the DOE/NNSA Tribal Training Program.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010: Joint Meeting with State and Tribal Government Working Group (STGWG) and the National Governors Association’s Federal Facilities Task Force.

State of the DOE Office of Environmental Management

Dr. Inés Triay, Assistant Secretary, DOE Office of Environmental Management

Assistant Secretary Triay provided an update on EM activities, including priorities, key program issues, Recovery Act information, budget, compliance and Tribal issues.

DOE-EM Budgets and Strategic Plans

Jay Rhoderick, Director, Office of Strategic Planning and Analysis, DOE Office of Environmental Management

Mr. Rhoderick discussed the Department’s strategic planning efforts, including regulatory milestones and the prospects for out-year budgets; and DOE’s five-year plan for FY10-FY14.

New Issues in Nuclear Security

Phil Niedzielski-Eichner, Assistant Deputy Administrator for Strategic Planning, Resources, and Integration, NNSA’s Office of Defense Programs

Mr. Niedzielski-Eichner outlined the Obama Administration's Nuclear Security Agenda and the transformation of the NNSA Complex into a 21st Century Nuclear Security Enterprise and its significance to tribal, state, and local leaders. He also discussed cleanup and waste management integration strategies at NNSA sites as it relates to Enterprise-wide transformation.

Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future

Debby Swichkow, Communication Team Lead, Office of Program Policy Integration and Communication, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy

Ms. Swichkow’s process-focused discussion included an overview on budget and staffing; scope of study; the frequency, nature (theme-related or sequential by topic) and locations of meetings; transparency and process in which to engage stakeholders; and immediate plans moving forward.

DOE-EM’s Implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

Cynthia Anderson, EM Recovery Act Program Manager

Ms. Anderson discussed the status of footprint reduction, the reallocation of dollars between sites, extension of existing funds after 2011 EM deadline, impact of ARRA funds on the generation and transportation of additional waste, and the status of post-ARRA funding to compliance in working with Tribal Nations and state regulators.

Updated on DOE’s Waste Disposition and Overview of Natural Resource Damage Assessment

Frank Marcinowski, Acting Chief Technical Officer and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technical and Regulatory Support, DOE Office of Environmental Management

Mr. Marcinowski will provide an overview and update on a variety of waste disposition topics.

Wrap-Up Session

Discussion of action items from the 2009 Intergovernmental Meeting.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010: Tour of the Paducah, Kentucky Gaseous Diffusion Nuclear Plant

Meeting participants toured the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Nuclear Plant which enriches uranium for commercial nuclear reactor fuel. Tour participants witnessed the plant’s current cleanup activities, including management of 30,000 cylinders of depleted uranium hexafluoride.