ML20056E554
| ML20056E554 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/25/1993 |
| From: | Moeller D NRC ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE (ACNW) |
| To: | Selin I, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| References | |
| NACNUCLE-S-0049, NACNUCLE-S-49, NUDOCS 9308240255 | |
| Download: ML20056E554 (5) | |
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UNITED STATES i
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ACNWS-0049
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE g f(
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WASHINGTON. D.C. 20565
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January 25, 1993 L
The Honorable Ivan Selin Chairman i
U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C.
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Dear Chairman Selin:
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SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
REPORT FORTY-NINTH MEETING OF THE ADVISORY-l COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE, DECEMBER 17-18, 1992 l
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j' During its 49th meeting, December 17-18, 1992,. held at 7920 Norfolk l
l Avenue, Bethesda, MD, the Advisory Committee: on Nuclear Waste l
(ACNW) discussed several matters and ' completed the following-reports:
5 Iterative Performance Assessment, Phase 2 (Report to Robert o
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Bernero, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, from Dade W. Moeller, ACNW Chairman, December 22,
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1992) i e
Impact of Lona-Rance Climate Chance in the Southern Great l
Basin (Report to Robert M.
Bernero, Director, Office of
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Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, from Dade W. Moeller, l
'CNW Chairman, December 22, 1992)
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HIGHLIGHTS OF KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE l
1.
NRC Staff Evaluation of Resolution Recuested by U.S.
Q_ecartment of Enerav (DOE) of Site Characterization Analysis (SCA) Obiection #1 Regarding Exploratory Studies Facility l
(ESF) Title I Desian Control Process l
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The NRC staff briefed the Committee on its rationale for rescinding Objection #1 and related Comments and Questions.
In taking this step, however, the NRC staff was careful to note that it is obligated to continue to evaluate activities related to this objection.
1 While the Committee indicated that it concurred in the-action taken by the NRC staff, some members questioned the adequacy l
of the supporting documentation. The Committee suggested that the NRC staff be careful to point out the extent to which such action was based on oral exchanges with the DOE staff, coupled l
with insights gained by the NRC staff through other types of i
interactions.
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ygggcy DESIGNATED ORIGINAL N bSN g
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o The Honorable Ivan Selin 2
January 25, 1993 This briefing was for information only.
No ac' tion was taken by the Committee.
2.
Results of Geolocical Cross Section Balancina Activities The Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) staff briefed the Committee on the results of its early work on structural geologic analyses of cross section models of Yucca Mcuntain.
Results and recommendations were published in a report entitled
" Geometric Models of Faulting at Yucca Moantain, " dated October 1992. The CNWRA staff also discussed some preliminary applications of the 2-D, cross section tectonic models, and implications for assessing regional tectonics and geologi: hazard, and development of performance assessment scenarios.
1 This briefing was for information only.
No action was taken by the Committee.
3.
Report on the DOE Workshop on the Use of Expert Judament, Held November 18-20, 1992 Mr.
Steven
- Mays, ACRS/ACNW Senior
- Fellow, briefed the Committee on the DOE-sponsored workshop held on November 18-20, 1992, on the use of expert judgment in licensing a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository.
This briefing was for information only.
No action was taken by the Committee.
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4.
Working Group Cnairman's Report on the Performance Assessment Workina Group Meetina Dr. Paul W. Pomeroy, ACNW Member, briefed the Committee on the ACNW Working Group meeting held on December 16, 1992, on performance assessment for the HLW progr m.
This meeting foliowed a two-day NRC/ DOE technical excenge on this same topic that was held on December 14-15, 1992, and that was attended by Drs. Pomeroy and Moeller.
One of the objectives of the meeting was to compare the NRC staff's Iterative l
Performance Assessment, Phase 2,
with DOE's Total System Performance Assessment.
l On the basis of discussions at the Working Group meeting and additional discussions on the first day of its 49th meeting, the Committee issued a report on the Iterative Performance i
Assessment, Phase 2.
El The Honorable Ivan Selin 3
January 25, 1993 5.
Impact of Lona-Rance Climate Chance in the Southern Great Basin The Committee issued a report on the impact of long-range climate change in the southern Great Basin.
6.
Future ACNW Activities The Committee agreed to hold two meetings away from Bethesda, Maryland, during 1993.
The ACNW staff was asked to explore holding the May or June meeting near the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Laboratories,
- Pinawa, Manitoba,
- Canada, and the Canadian Underground Research Laboratory, Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada, and the October meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The Committee agreed to coordinate with the NRC staff on an analysis of the three principal HLW standard issues that the
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National Academy of Sciences will be addressing as a result of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
This topic will be discussed further during the 50th ACNW meeting.
The appendix contains a summary of the itens endorsed by the Committee for the 50th ACNW Meeting, January 27-28, 1993, and future working group meetings.
Sincerely, Dade W.
Moeller Chairman l
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APPENDIX l
1 FUTURE SCHEDULE 50th ACNW Committee Meeting, January 27-28, 1993 (tentative schedule) j l
The Committee will comment on Enerav Policy Act of 1992 (open) the NRC staff's analysis of the issues that the National Academy of j
Sciences will be addressing as a result of tno Energy Policy Act of a
radioactive waste program.
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1992 and the impact this act will have on NRC's high-level Natural Analoas (open)
- The NRC staff will brief the Committee on the role of natural analogs in model-developmene.
l Low-Level Radioactive Waste Performance Ind_icators (open)
- The Committee will explore the creation of a performance indicator or event reporting system that would monitor the current status and trends in the management and disposal of low-level radioactive waste.
ACNW Four-Month Plan (open)
The Committee will prepare and submit its four-month plan to the Commission for February through i
May 1993.
Committee Activities (open/ closed)
The Committee will discuss j
anticipated and proposed Committee activities, future meeting agenda, and organizational matters, as appropriate.
It also will discuss matters and specific issues that were not completed during previous meetings.
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Working Group Meetings Reaulatory Guides for Imolementina Revisions to 10 CFR Part 20 (date to be determined), 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD (Giorgio Gnugnoli)
The ACNW Working Group and the ACRS Subcommittee for occupational r.nd Environmental Protection-Systems will review jointly the following proposed final regulatory guides for imple-menting revised 10 CFR Part 20:
(1) DG-8006, " Control of Access to High and Very High Radiation Areas in Nuclear Power Plants," (2) l DG-8009, " Interpretation of Bioassay Measurements," and (3)
DG-l 8005, " Assessing External Radiation Doses from Airborne Radioactive Materials."
Iow-Level Radioactive Waste Performance Indicators, March 23,1993, 7920 Norfolk. Avenue, Bethesda, MD (Howard Larson)
The Working Group will explore the creation of a performance indicator or event reporting' system that would monitor the current status and trends l
in the management and disposal of low-level radioactive waste.
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Syneraistic Data Needs for Resolvina Volcanic and Tectonic Concerns at Yucca Mountain (de.t e to be determined), 7920 Norfolk Avenue, i
Bethesda, MD (Howard Larson/Lynn Deering)
The Working Group will attempt to determine what data are necessary to resolve and/or move toward closure in the subject areas.
It will focus on the follcwing:
how data should be integrated, including data related to heat flow, strain, geophysics, and seismic monitoring,and how and by whom those data will be analyzed.
Enaineered Barrier Systems (date to be determined), 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD (Giorgio Gnugnoli/Lynn Deering)
The Working Group will review the role of engineered barriers versus natural barriers in an HLW geologic repository.
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