ML20154P594
| ML20154P594 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/14/1980 |
| From: | Kammerer C NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA) |
| To: | Ahearne J, Bradford P, Gilinsky V, Hendrie J, Kennedy R, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20154P599 | List: |
| References | |
| TASK-TF, TASK-URFO NUDOCS 9810230021 | |
| Download: ML20154P594 (5) | |
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UNITED STATES 9 f y,
- NUCLEAR REGULATORY. COMMISSION o
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MAY 141980
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- ItEMORANDUM FOR
Chairman-Ahearne<
I Commissioner Gilinsky
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Comissionerz Kennedy kfpd h
Comissioner: Hendrie
. Comissioner Bradford FROM:
- Carlton Kamerer Office'of Congressional Aff
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SUBJECT:
UDALL COMMITTEE HEARINGS ON H.R. 6390
' On May 12, the Subcommittee onJnergy and-the Environment held 'a fourth-day's hearing on H.R. ' 6390 - Atomic' Energy _ Act AJ,endments of 1980(
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. Appearing ^befoPe:theisubcommittee were Representative ~ Daniel /Akaka (D-1
. Hawaii)..Johnliacy of FEMA and Robert Newman of the American Institute l
of Chemical Engineers.
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.In opening, Chairman' UdallJexpressed his. hope that H.R. 6390 would enjoy
- a.. broad-based support by the'end of,the. summer s indicating that the' e
. conference on the FY'80 NRC' authorization had provided. policy reforms on Rsitirig, emergency planning, and " increased civil penalties and other
. deterrents to? violation of-NRC safety regulations." This tends to narrow the range of issues. covered by H.Rn6390.
Chairman Udall ex--
pressed. hope that the Subcomittee would report'a legislative package on
- 1)theauthorityoftheCommission4toissuenewlicenses,l2) nuclear Q'
lwasto-management, 3) price-Anderson reform, 4) the role of the States in q
the. nuclear regulatory process-and, 5)' the. institutional relationship 1between NRC and FEMA.-
- i
- Representative Akaka' began testimony before the Subcommittee by ex-
- pressing'conce'rn that.the Pacific Basin might be used-as a repository for? nuclear l wastes.
A copy of Representative Akaka's testimony is
, attached.
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. efforts:in' emergency planning and expressed his support.for legislative
! action which specifies,.by; statute, responsibility for State and local
- emergency response. plans. 'He indicated that' FEMA-was considering
~
1s'ubmitting legislative proposals to provide. FEMA with such authority.
(He also. favored legislation which would clarify the' relationship between FEMA and NRC.
A copy of Mr. Macy's testimony is enclosed.
The: final witness was Robert I. Newman.
Mr. Newman was critical of the
!1ong;1ead' times predicted for establishing regulations for high-level R.
twaste; repositories then licensing:these repositories.
He urged the N
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l-Subcommittee'to hold to the timetable in H.R.-6390 which requires the
~ NRC and EPA to implement regulations for high level wastes. Mr. tiewman also.suggestod that Congress consider remuneration to communities near repositories.
A copy.,0f Mr. Newman's testimony is enclosed.
Enclosures:
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il0110RABLE DANIEL K. AKAKA SUBC0!D11TTEE 011 E!!ERGY M1D Tile Et1VIR0!1 MENT liAY 12,1980 MR. CHAIRMA11, MEMBERS OF THE SUBC01211ITEE.
I UOULD LIKE TO COMMEt1D YOU FOR YOUR LE ADERSHIP M1D THE liA'11;ER 111 UllICll YOU HAVE CHOSE!1 TO REVIEW AllD DEBATE TllE DEVELOPMENT 0F A. DOMESTIC 11UCLEAR UASTE 11A!1AGEMEt1T POLICY.
TilA!!K YdU j
FOR THE OPPORTUt1ITY TO ADD SOME OF tiY T!IOUGHTS TO THIS
- l e4 PROCESS.
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. ' MY PARTICULAR IllTEREST REVOLVES AROUI1D Tile IMPACT OF l
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DOMESTIC 11UCLEAR WASTE MA11AGEME11T GIVE11 OUR C0lti1TME!1T TO MEETING NUCLEAR 11011-PROLIFERATIO!1 OBJECTIVES Ill THE INTER 11ATIONAL ARE11A.
THE U.S. RESOLVE TO DEVELOP Sil0RT-TERM AND PERMA!1E!1T fTORAGE FOR HIGil LEVEL WASTES WILL AFFECT '00R NEGOTIATIONS AIMED AT DELAYIl1G THE PLM18 0F mat 1Y COUt1TRIES TO REPROCESS SPENT FUEL.
ALTHOUGil A RECE!1T TUO-YEAR nV I!1TER11ATIOllAL STUDY FORECAST M1 Il1 CREASE I!1 REPROCESSIllG A!.1D.-
THE USE OF Tile PLUT0111UM FUEL CYCLE, Tile MAN 11ER Ill UHIClldllS' U.S. C1100SES TO UTILIZE NUCLEAR POWER AND D'IsPOSE OF I11]Cb AR
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W4STES WILL HAVE A.PROFCUllD AFFECT UPoll THE WORLD.
II,1 HAWAII, AS TilROUGHO T TllE PACIFIC BASIll, UE ARE VERY l'
CONCER11ED WITH'THE UASTE tiAllAGEtiEllT POLICIES OF COUNTRIES SUCH AS JAPAN, TAIUAll, SOUTH KOREA, AMD THE PHILLIPPINES.
THIS COI1CERN FIRST SURFACED WITH TllE I!1FOR!iATIO11 TilAT SHIPS
.CARRYI!1G SPEllT FUEL WERE TRAVELIl1G Tilh0UGil Tl!E PACIFIC FROM J APAll-TO BE REPROCESSED.
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LATER, -WE UERE' ADVISED TilAT THE U.S. IN All ATTEMPT TO
- DELAY. REPROCESSIl1G HAD BEGUll PRELIMI!1ARY Il1QUIRIES INTO THE S110RT-TERM STORAGE OF SPEllT-FUEL Ill A*1 AREA 0F Tile PACIFIC Ut1 DER INTERNATI011AL' C011 TROL.
Tile U.S. UILL SOOH C0:1PLETE l
11EGOTIATIOt1S UITH JAPAN TO ENTER INTO A JOINT STUDY 0F INTERIMSTORAGEOFSPENT~ NUEL.
THAT STUDY DOES NOT IMPLY l
' A11Y COMMITMENT ON Tile' PARTiOF JAPAN TO-DISC 011TINUE ITS PLANS FOR REPROCESSING.
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,V IllLDECEMBER, 'A FIELD. IlEARIl1G OF TilIS C011MITTEE UAS L C011 DUCTED BY CONGRESSMAN PilIL BURT0:1' Ill llAUAII ON THE l
TNTERIM STORAGE OF SPEllT' FUEL Ill Tile LPACIFIC.
THE 1100D OF-1 l
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. THE PEOPLE' TESTIFYI!1G UAS SKEPTICAL A11D EVIDENCED A' GREAT
' DEAL OF MISTRUST.
UllDERSTA11 DAD'LY, TllE FEAR IS TilAT Tile PACIFIC WILL-BE THE DUMPIt1G GROUND FOR HUCLEAR WASTES PRODUCED BY THE REST OF THE WORLD.
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IT IS CLEAR TilAT WE IN Tile PACIFIC DO 110T' UA11T TO BE THE LABORATORY,,FOR EXPERIMENTS IN' I!1TERIM STORAGE.
ISN' T IT POSSIBLE THAT INTERIM STORAGE COULD BECOME PERMAliENT A11D THEN MAY BE ABAND011ED AS COUt1TRIES CARRY OUT TilEIR PLA!1S TO j
GENERATE ENERGY THROUGH Tile PLUTONIUti FUEL CYCLE 7 WilAT iiFFECT UOULD THIS HAVE Ot1 HEALTli, SAFETY, AND THE E:iVIRO11 MENT '0F THE PACIFIC 7 t
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TilESE ARE HARD QUESTIO!1S.
TilERE ARE 110 QUIC.< A! D EASY A11SWERS. - Tile SOCIAL AND POLITICAL BARRIERS TO IFFECTIVE j
WASTE MAllAGEMEllT. ARE C011SIDERABLE BOTil AT l!OF'.E A'!D AER0AD.
IN. CONGRESS,1WE ARE ~ MOVIl1G AllEAD.;TO ATTACK OUR UASTE
. PROBLEMS AT HOME.
HOWEVER,.AS WE DO So, UE MUST RESIM3ER HOW OUR.DECISIO11S WILL AFFECT WASTE MAllAGEliEllT POLICY THROUGHOUT THE-WORLD.
- ir AGAlli,- THANK YOU,J MEMBERS 0F THE SUBColfiITTEE FOR YOUR -
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FORTHRIGHT CONSIDERATION OF THIS MOST DIFFICULT ISSUE.
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