ML20135B104

Summary of 89th Meeting of ACNW on 970128-30 in Rockville,Md to Discuss Several Matters & Completed Submitted Repts

ML20135B104
Person / Time
Issue date:	02/19/1997
From:	Pomeroy P NRC ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE (ACNW)
To:	Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
References
RTR-NUREG-CR-6513 NACNUCLE-S-0086, NACNUCLE-S-86, NUDOCS 9702280088
Download: ML20135B104 (3)

Text

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l a nag jog UNITED STATES l w ACNWS-0086  !

a NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

{'  ;$ Advisory COMMITTEE oN NUCLEAR WASTE

. o, WASHINGTON. D.C. 20655 PDR <>f/14/97 l

l

%,***** February 19,1997 i

l The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Chairman l

l U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555 {

)

Dear Chairman Jackson:

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SUMMARY

REPORT- 89TH MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE, JANUARY 28-30,1997, AND OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE l

During its 89th meeting, January 28-30,1997, held at Two White Flint North,11545 Rockvil%

Pike, Rockville, Maryland, the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) discussed several l matters and completed the following reports.

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REPORTS

1. Comments on Selected Direction-Settina issues identified in NRC's Strateoic Assess- l l

ment of Reaulatorv Activities (Report to Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman, NRC, from Paul I W. Pomeroy, Chairman, ACNW, dated January 30,1997)

2. Time of Compliance for Low-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal Facilities (Report to Shirley Ann Jackson, Chairman, NRC, from Paul W. Pomeroy, Chairman, ACNW, dated February i 11, 1997)

3. Comments on Flow and Radionuclide Transport at Yucca Mountain (Report to Shirley l Ann Jackson, Chairman, NRC, from Paul W. Pomeroy, Chairman, ACNW, dated February  !

13,1997)

HIGHLIGHTS OF KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE COMM11 TEE

1. Key Technical issues Status The ACNW was briefed by representatives from the Division of Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) on the first Key Technical issues (KTl) Annual Progress Report, "NRC High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW)

Program Annual Report Fiscal Year 1996," NUREG/CR-6513, draft November 1996. The briefing reflects the Committee's ongoing interest in the NRC's KTis and Vertical Slice Approach for review of the Department of Energy's (DOE':) HLW repository program.

The discussions concemed the HLW repository prelicensing program structure, NRC staff

activities, and progress in developing KTis for FY 1996. The staff also discussed the l status and recommendations of the integration Task Force (ITF) Report on KTl activities. '

The ITF placed special emphasis on reviewing the support for total system performance i 9702280008 970219 I R501

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d The Ho'norable Shirley Ann Jackson 2 i; assessment within the NRC HLW program. The NRC staff noted some key observations '

and conclusions concoming improving integration withh1 the NRC HLW program,

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particularly as it relates to performance assessment. This briefing follows up on the . <

i '

• Committee's letter to Chairman Shirley Ann Jackson, dated February 16,1996, t'iled '

Comments on the High-Level Waste Prelicensing Program Strategy and Key Te chnical ,

Issues."

t l Conclusions / Actions: '

I The ACNW will continue to follow the NRC's HLW prelicensing program activities and

_ provide the Commission with comments when appropriate. i

! 2. 23,g,gssion with the Director. Division of Waste Manaaement. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeauards i

i The Director, Division of Waste Management, NMSS, provided information to the L

' Committee on the status of current waste management issues, including the following:

the status of the HLW KTis; NRC preparations for responding to DOE's Viability Assess-i ment after it is issued; progress in site characterization at Yucca Mountain; current i legislation affecting waste management; NRC development of a revised HLW regulation j (10 CFR Part 60); DOE's revised HLW Repository Siting Guidelines; the situation i

conceming allegations at Envirocare of Utah; and NRC's possible extemal regulation of j DOE's nuclear safety.

i Conclusion / Actions:

4 This portion of the meeting was part of a regularly scheduled information exchange j between the Committee and the Director.

3. Defense-in-Depth I

The Committee held a roundtable discussion on options for addressing the subsystem l requirements in 10 CFR Part 60. The members discussed briefly the concept of

defense-in-depth and the multiple barrier approach embodied in 10 CFR Part 60, as well 4

as the historical basis for the subsystem requirements. The members supported the defense-in-depth philosophy applied to waste disposal, but expressed several concems, i including whether the requirements are risk based, whether they are overly prescriptive and inflexible, and whether they do, in fact, provide an independent measure of confi-dence to overall repository performance.

i e Conclusions / Actions:

1 The Committee requested a briefing from the NRC staff during its March 1996 meeting.

{ The Committee took note that, because the NRC staff may be moving quickly to modify 10 CFR Part 60, it may also have to act quickly on this topic.

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'hhe'Hbnorable Shirley Ann' Jackson 3

3. Proposed Schedule for the 90th ACNW Meetina The Committee agreed to consider the following during the 90th ACNW meeting, March 20-21,1997:

l Meetina with the Directors of the Division of Waste Manaaement and the Spent

. Fyel Projects Office - The Directors will discuss priorities for their respective j divisions and highlight issues they may wish the Committee to consider during the

next year, i

!' Defense-in-Dooth Philosophy- The NRC staff will discuss this philosophy and  !

how it applies to nuclear waste. This discussion will revisit the history of the defense-in-depth philosophy and the rationale behind the subsystem requirements l in 10 CFR Part 60.

Plannina for Commission Meetina - The Committee will prepare for their next meeting with the Commission.

BIOMOVS 11 - The Committee will be briefied by the NRC staff on the current i

status of the Biosphere Model Validation Study, Phase ll. Central to this work is defining the refarence biosphere and critical group.

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Preparation of ACNW Reports - The Committee will discuss proposed reports, including the specification of a critical group and reference biosphere to be used in the performance assessment for a nuclear waste disposal facility, and possibly l other topics discussed during the meeting.

OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE  !

The Committee postponed its 90th ACNW meeting from February 25-27,1997 until March 20-21, 1997, Sincerely,

'. / %

. Paul W. Pomero i Chairman 4-l 1

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