ML20056E575
| ML20056E575 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/13/1993 |
| From: | Larkins J NRC ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE (ACNW), Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards |
| To: | Taylor J NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| References | |
| NACNUCLE, NUDOCS 9308240286 | |
| Download: ML20056E575 (7) | |
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UNITED STATES g ) g,c i
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g"'*
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WASHINGTON, D C. 20555
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April 13, 1993
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MEMORANDUM FOR:
James M.
Taylor Executive Director for Operations FROM:
John T.
Larkins Executive Director, ACRS/ACIN
SUBJECT:
52ND ACIN MEETING FOLLOW-UP ITEMS Based on discussions regarding methods for improving implementation and follow-up of ACNW recommendations, a summary of " Actions, Agreements, Assignments, and Requests" made during each ACIN meeting is sent to your office following each Committee meeting.
Attached is a summary of the " Actions, Agreements, Assignments, and Requests" made at the 52nd ACIN meeting, March 24-25, 1993, that deal with requests made of the NRC staff or matters that are pertinent to NRC staff activities.
/LL y
John T.
Larkins Executive Director, ACRS/ACIN
Attachment:
As stated cc:
H.
L. Thompson, EDO J.
L. Blaha, EDO D.
Martin, OCM/IS S. M.
Coplan, OCM/KR J.
Kotra, OCM/JC R.
R.
Boyle, OCM/FR K. Whitfield, OCM/GD S. J.
Chilk, SECY E.
L. Jordan, AEOD R. M. Bernero, NMSS T.
E. Murley, NRR E.
S.
Beckjord, RES l
G.
Sege, RES A.
L.
M.
Crutchfield, NRR R.
H.
Vollmer, OPP DESIGNATED ORIGIllS (
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i ACTIONS, AGREEMENTS, ASSIGNMENTS, AND REQUESTS 52ND ACNW MEETING MARCH 24-25, 1993 l
During its 52nd meeting, March 24-25, 1993, held at 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland, the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste -
discussed several matters and completed the reports noted below.
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REPORTS Proposed Rulemakina on Amendments to 10 CFR Part 60 Clarifyina o
the Reauirements for Assessment of Sitina Criteria (Report to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations, from Dade W. Moeller, Chairman, ACNW, dated March 31, 1993) e Source Term and Other Low-Level Waste Considerations (Report to James M.
Taylor, Executive Director for Operations, from l
Dade W. Moeller, Chairman, ACNW, dated March 31, 1993)
HIGHLIGHTS OF KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE 1.
Status of the State of Illinois Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLW) Disposal Facility (Open)
The Committee was briefed by representatives of the Illinois i
Department of Nuclear Safety on the hearings before the
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Illinois Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility Siting Commission and the reasons surrounding the Siting Commission's rejection of a proposed LLW disposal site near Martinsville in i
Clark County, Illinois. The Committee was also briefed on the l
recently passed legislation that repeals the existing statuto-ry siting criteria and creates a new LLW siting process.
This briefing was for information only.
No action was taken by the Committee.
2.
Proposed Environmental Protection Acency Standards for Discosal of Transuranic (TRU) and Hiah-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) at Sites Other than Yucca Mountain (Open) 4 The Committee was briefed by members of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) staff on NRC comments prepared for transmittal to the EPA on the proposed amendments to the individual and groundwater protection criteria that would apply to all transuranic waste and HLW disposal facili-ties other than Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
On the basis of the discussions with representatives of the l
NMSS staff and review of the supporting documents, the Committee agreed with the proposed staff comments.
Although the Committee recognized that a more thorough review of the l
Background Information Document (BID) is still in progress and l
fs 52nd ACNW Meeting 2
March 24-25, 1993 additional comments on the BID may be proposed later, the Committee believed that the comments prepared to date have merit and, therefore, should be transmitted to the EPA for its consideration.
The Committee so informed the staff represen-tatives.
No other action was taken by the Committee.
3.
State Radiation Control Procram (Open)
The Committee was briefed by representatives of the NRC Of fice of State Programs on its recent oversight reviews of the radiation control programs in several states, including Iowa and Rhode Island.
The staff also discussed their role in providing assistance with technical expertise to the Confer-ence of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc.
in its l
reviews requested by various states of state radiation protection programs.
The Alaska radiation control program review was discussed in some detail.
This briefing was for information only.
No action was taken by the Committee.
4.
Proposed Amendments to 10 CFR Part 60 Clarifvina the Recuire-ments for Assessment of Sitina Criteria (Open)
The Committee was briefed by representatives of the Division of High-Level Waste Management on the proposed rulemaking to clarify the siting requirements in 10 CFR Part 60.
The NRC staff discussed the proposed rulemaking that is expected to reduce three regulatory uncertainties (the meaning of "ade-quately investigated", the meaning of " adequately evaluated",
and the relationship of siting criteria to performance objectives).
These regulatory uncertainties were identified through the staff's systematic regulatory analysis program.
The Committee endorsed issuance of the proposed amendments for public comment.
A report was prepared and issued by the Committee as noted above.
5.
Low-Level Radioactive Waste DisDosal Facility Source Tern (open)
On March 23-24, 1993, a working group met with the three LLW disposal facility operators, representatives from four states, the NRC, and other organizations, including INEL, EPRI, and the LLW Forum, to obtain information on the sources, quanti-ties and characteristics of LLW being generated.
The working group discussed methods for waste volume reduction and the relevance of current source term data for site performance assessments.
As a result of this working group meeting and further discussions during the full Committee meeting, the
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52nd ACNW Meeting 3
March 24-25, 1993 Committee prepared and issued a report on source term and other LLW considerations.
6.
Plans Recardina Accentable Methods for the Formal Elicitation and Use of Exnert Judament in the HLW Recository Licensina Process (Open)
Dr. Pomeroy moderated a discussion on Phase 2.5 of the NRC staff's Iterative Performance Assessment (IPA), the Elicita-tion Study on Climatology, which is designed to exercise the expert elicitation process.
Dr. Pomeroy recommended that the Committee wait until next fall, when the final results of Phase 2.5 will be available, to invite the NRC staff to brief the Committee.
In the meantime, the Committee and the NRC staff will have an opportunity to assess the possible impacts of the upcoming Supreme Court decision on what constitutes
" good science."
7.
ACNW Future Activities (Open)
The Committee and staff continued planning for their site e
visit on June 23-24, 1993, to the Whiteshell Nuclear Research Laboratories and the Underground Research Laboratory, located in Pinawa, Manitoba, Canada.
This site visit will be in lieu of a June Committee meeting.
The members expressed interest in learning more during the visit on expert judgment, model verification and validation, uranium mill
- tailings, and groundwater protection criteria.
Dr. Larkins is discussing meeting arrangements with Chairman Selin's office.
The Committee deferred until the 54th ACNW meeting the proposed briefing on decommissioning plans for the Fort St. Vrain Nuclear Power Plant.
This will be combined with a briefing of the decommissioning plans for the Shoreham plant.
Several members reconfirmed their request for a tutorial conducted by the NRC staff (NMSS and RES) to examine the methodologies involved in calculating a complementary cumulative distribution function (CCDF).
The ACNW staff will schedule a briefing session with the NRC staff.
The Committee will schedule a briefing by the NRC staff on its review of a DOE topical report entitled " Erosion Rates at the Yucca Mountain Geologic Setting: Methodolo-gy and Results."
The briefing should focus on cation ratio methods of dating desert varnish on relict hillside boulders.
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a 52nd ACNW Meeting 4
March 24-25, 1993 e
As a result of the presentation given during the 52nd ACNW meeting on the proposed Martinsville, Illinois, LLW disposal site experience, the Committee agreed to schedule a working group meeting that will examine past experience in radioactive waste facility siting and operations.
The appendix summarizes the proposed items endorsed by the Committee for the 53rd ACNW Meeting, May 19-20, 1993, and future Working Group meetings.
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APPENDIX.
FUTURE SCHEDULE April 26-30, 1993 Selected members and staff will attend the 4th Annual International High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Conference and Exposition, Las Vegas, Nevada.
53rd ACNW Committee Meeting May 19-20, 1993 (Tentative Schedule)
Revised Draft HLW Research Prootam Plan (Open)
The Committee will review and comment on the revised Draft HLW Research Program Plan, NUREG-1406, and associated technical assistance.
DOE Site Characterization Procress Reports (Open)
The Committee will be briefed by the NRC staff on NRC's responses and follow-up to the DOE Site Characterization Progress Reports for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository.
The Committee will also discuss the revised procedures for evaluating the DOE study plans.
Systematic Reculatory Analysis (Open)
The Committee will be briefed on the current status of the Systematic Regulatory Analysis, conducted by the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses, and products resulting from this initiative, including technical assistance efforts and the development of the License Application Review Plan.
Standard Review Plan (Open)
The Committee will review and comment on an NRC staff Standard Review Plan for DOE Study Plans.
1 Standard Review Plan for the Review of Remedial Action of Inactive Mill Tailinas Sites (Open)
The Committee will be briefed by the NRC staff on a Standard Review Plan for the Review of Remedial Action of Inactive Mill Tailings Sites Under Title I of the Uranium l
Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act, Revision 1.
Committee Activities (Open/ Closed)
The Committee will discuss t
anticipated and proposed Committee activities, future meeting agenda, and organizational matters, as appropriate.
Also, the members will discuss matters and specific issues that were not completed during previous meetings.
June 23-24, 1993 Selected members and staff plan to visit the Canadian Research Laboratories (Whiteshell and Underground Research Laboratories), Pinawa, Manitoba Province, Canada.
Dr. Larkins is i
discussing the meeting arrangements with Chairman Selin.
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a 52nd ACNW Meeting 2
March 24-25, 1993 Working Group Meetings Lessons Learned in HLW and LLW Disposal Procrams, (July 20, 1993, tentative), 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD (Howard Larson)
The Working Group will examine past experience in radioactive waste facility siting and operations.
Lessons learned will be sought from past experiences associated with LLW facility siting and operations as well as current efforts to site new LLW facilities.
Experience in the HLW siting process will also be examined.
The Working Group will focus on technical and regulatory deficiencies.
Characterization of the Unsaturated Zone Flow and Transport Properties, (Date to be determined), 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD, (Lynn Deering)
The Working Group will examine the current understanding of processes controlling matrix and fracture flow in the unsaturated zone at Yucca Mountain, existing approaches to model fracture flow in the unsaturated zone, insights gained from performance assessment activities regarding the sensitivity of infiltration and other parameters and assumptions, ongoing site characterization studies, the relationship between performance assessment and site characterization activities, and significant data gaps.
Encineered Barrier Systems, (Date to be determined), 7920 Norfolk Avenue, Bethesda, MD (Giorgio Gnugnoli/Lynn Deering)
The Working Group will review the role of, and the degree of reliance that should be placed on, engineered versus natural barriers within an HLW geologic repository.
Use of Fractals for Fluid Flow at Yucca Mountain, (Date to be determined), Bethesda, MD (Lynn Deering)
The Working Group will examine the use of fractals in the development of conceptual and numerical models of fluid flow in unsaturated, fractured rock.
Studies show that the roughness characteristics of fracture surfaces can be simulated by the use of fractals.
DOE is consider-ing the use of this approach in its study plan on fluid flow in unsaturated fractured rock systems.
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