ML20129J437

Summary of 81st Meeting of ACNW on 960124-26 in Rockville,Md Re Issues & NRC Activities Associated W/Natl Research Council Rept & Comments on HLW Prelicensing Program Strategy & Key Technical Issues

ML20129J437
Person / Time
Issue date:	03/21/1996
From:	Pomeroy P NRC ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE (ACNW)
To:	Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
NACNUCLE-0078, NACNUCLE-78, NUDOCS 9611060258
Download: ML20129J437 (5)

Text

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"# 'g UNITED STATES ACNWS-0078 4 o NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g E ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE PDR /////94 ]

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[. WASHINGTON. D.C. 20666

• • • • • March 21,19%

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! The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Washington, D.C. 20555 i

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Dear Chairman Jackson:

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SUMMARY

REPORT - EIGHTY-FIRST MEETING OF THE ADVISO-RY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE, IANUARY 24-261996, AND OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE (.OMMITTEE During its 81st meeting, January 24-26,1996, held at Two Wl'.ite Flint North,11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste discussed several matters and completed the following reports.

REPORTS

1. Issues and NRC Activities Associated with the National Research Council's Report. " Technical Bases for Yucca Mountain Standards" (Letter to The Honor-able Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman, NRC, from Paul W. Pomeroy, Chairman, ACNW, dated February 9,1996)

2. Comments on Hieh-Level Waste Prelicensine Pronram Stratery and Kev Techni-cal Issues (Letter to The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman, NRC, from Paul W. Pomeroy, Chairman, ACNW, dated February 16, 1996)

HIGHLIGHTS OF KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE 1

1. Meetine with the Executive Director for Operations R509 0 Mr. James Taylor, Executive Director for Operations, and members of his staff briefed the Committee on issues and concerns of mutual interest, including: the fiscal climate both at NRC and in the Federal Government, potential external 4 regulation of DOE nuclear safety by NRC, the strategic assessment and rebase-lining effort at NRC, spent fuel storage issues, the LLW program, and NRC's safety mission and the process used to carry out this mission.

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! The,Honorahie Shirley Ann Jackson 2 l

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2. Desian Basis Events (DBE) for the Geologic Repository Operations Area (GROA)

! Mr. Richard Weller, NMSS, briefed the Committee on the staff's recommenda-i tions for the final Design Basis Event rule. He noted that the staff's proposal concurred in part, and disagreed in part, with the DOE April 1990 Petition for

! Rulemaking. He also summarized the public comments received along with the

staff general recommendation that there be no major modification to the pro-

. posed rule as a result of those ccaments.

C.93clusion/ Action Items i Although the Committee posed some questions and provided comments, it decided I l that no further written comments were necessary.

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3. Technical Trainine Center (TTC) Pronrams l l The AEOD staff presented an overview of the NRC Technical Training Program j (TTP). The staff summarized the briefing with an invitation to visit the Center j in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and attend courses offered in radiation protection

! and waste disposal. They indicated that they welcome ACNW interest and l comments, and would like to schedule follow-on briefings with the ACNW. The

, Committee emphasized its interest in a continued dialogue on programs designed l to train and support the NRC staff in the area of waste disposal.

l 4. Site Decommissionine Mananement Plan (SDMP) i l Mr. Mark Thaggard, NMSS, discussed the performance assessment techniques utilized by the staff in evaluating the licensee's request to authorize on-site disposal. After presenting a brief background and history of the site [one that is 3

currently listed in the NRC's Site Decommissioning Management Plan (SDMP)]

l and a discussion of possible alternatives to on-site disposal, the general perfor-

, mance assessment strategy and approach were discussed. Due to the need for an i expedited analysis, there was insufficient time for an automated system code to be developed and, therefore, a dMerministic approach was used.

3 Conclusion / Action items j

l The Committee stated regret that it was not possible to utilize a probabilistic i approach similar to the one advanced in the draft Branch Technical Position on i Low-Level Waste Performance Assessment. The Committee indicated its intent to

continue to advocate the use of probabilistic risk-based performance assessments

! in the agency, and will continue to monitor its adoption in the resolution of l SDMP facilities.

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. The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson 3 t

t l S. Residual Contamination Baskeround Level Determination i

Dr. John Glenn, RES, presented the results of a recent (January 16-18, 1996) tabletop exercise for a thorium processing facility. The purpose of this exercise was to test the decision-making process rather than the background level detec-tion capability. He provided the Committee with several insights that were gained from the exercise, as well as a number of implementation issues relevant to the decontamination of facilities with low levels of U and/or Th contamination.

Mr. George Powers, RES, discussed a recent demonstration performed to test the  !

final status survey methodology on a uranium site. Survey implementation issues 4

and results were discussed and analysis techniques were described. Represen- .

tatives from the National Mining Association and the Nuclear Energy Institute j also presented their views on background contamination level determinations and the possible consequential impact upon their constituencies.

l Conclusion / Action Items j

The Committee intends to revisit this issue when the staff issues its final accep-

! tance criteria for residual contamination levels. Of particular interest to the ACNW will be the guidance provided for background leve' determination and subsequent site release and license ~ termination. 1 i

6. Meetine with the Actine Director. Division of Waste Manneement. NMSS l

Ms. Margaret Federline met with the Committee to discuss items of current j interest. Topics discussed included

the current reorganization of the division,

results of the latest NRC/ DOE management meeting, plans for an issue resolution

process in the high-level waste program, and an update on DOE's progress at the

Yucca Mountain site.

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Conclusion / Action Items This portion of ib meeting was part of a regularly scheduled information

exchange between the Committee and the Acting Director.

1 1 7. Insiehts into Hinh-Level Waste (HLW) Source Term and Natural Anabgs 3

Dr. Rodney Ewlag, ACNW consultant, presented his views on the use of

mineralogy and materials science concepts to evaluate the long-term durability of waste form materials. He proposed that modeling the physics and chemistry of a

! waste form is easier than modeling groundwater flow and transport, is more j easily validated, and can be performed with greater confidence.

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The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson 4 2 Dr. Ewing discussed several examples of how materials science and natural

analogs can be used to increase confidence and reduce uncertainty in looking at 4 the corrosion prodval of UO ,2 and described a project at the Oklo natural analog that looks at uranonite as an analog for spent nuclear fuel.

Dr. Ewing concluded his brief talk after answering questions from the Committee i on topics including insights on the likelihood of reconstitution of radionuclides, reasonable time frame of performance, and use of natural analogs to understand

, long-term behavior of glass.

! Conclusion / Action Items

Dr. Ewing's presentation is part of a continuing effort by the Committee to have

! experts give briefings in areas of interest to the ACNW.

8. Undate ACNW Priorities / Task Action Plans The Committee discussed the current list of priority issues, and agreed to add

. two additional issues to the list. These items are: source term / containers dealing with the waste package; and negligible incremental risk level which will address j the biological effects of low levels of ionizing radiation. Dr. John Larkins, j Executive Director, ACNW, agreed to discuss these two new tasks during his next visit with Chairman Jackson.

Proposed Schedule for the 82nd ACNW Meeting l

i l The Committee agreed to consider the following during the 82nd, ACNW Meeting,

! March 27-29,1996:

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• Time Frames for Regulatory Concern - The Committee will review time frames 4 for regulatory compliance in the disposal of high-and low-level radioactive waste.

• NRC Staff Issue Resolution Process - The Committee will review various NRC i staff initiatives that will be used to bring about closure on issues raised in its

review of DOE's high-level waste program.

• Meetin1 with the Director. NRC's Division of Waste Management. Officesf

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Nuckar Materials Safety and Safenuards - The Director will discuss items of current interest related to the Division of Waste Management programs which l may include: progress at the Yucca Mountain site, comments on DOE's Total i System Performance Assessment, and a draft technical position on expert elicita-tion.

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The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson 5

• Alternatives for NRC's LLW Program - The Committee will review the NRC staff's discussion of comments and analysis of alternatives for NRC's low-level waste program.

Joint ACRS/ACNW Subcommittee Meetine on Soent Fuel Storane - The Commit-tee will hear a report from two of its members who participated in the subcom-mittee meeting.

Committee Activities / Future Amenda - The Committee will consider topics proposed for future consideration by the full Committee and Working Groups.

The Committee will discuss ACNW-related activities of individual members. The Committee will also consider potential new ACNW members.

Sincerely, l

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.,m Paul W. Pomeroy l

Chairman

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