ML20197B539
| ML20197B539 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 10/22/1997 |
| From: | Collins S NRC (Affiliation Not Assigned) |
| To: | Lochbaum D UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20197B545 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9803110166 | |
| Download: ML20197B539 (4) | |
Text
.. .
c
- ** *vg a* 4 UNITED STATES I
f g ,} NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON. D.C. 20064 4001
\.....[& October 22, 1997 1
Mr. David A. Lochbaum Nuclear SPfety Engineer Union of Concerned Scientists 1616 P Street, NW, Suite 310 Washington, D.C. 20036 1495
Dear Mr. Lochbaum:
Your letter of September 22,1997, to Mr. L. Joseph Callan has been referred to me for reply. In your letter, you raise two concerns regarding the interaction between the U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the public.
Your first concern involved the amount of time provided to the public for comment during public meetings. Specifically, you stated that if 30 minutes is available for public comment and 15 members of the public sign up to speak, only 2 minutes is available for each person. You further stated that there are no time constraints on the NRC staff or the licensees. You recommended that the staff impose time limits equally on all parties or impose no time limits at all.
As you are aware, the staff conducts a variety of meetings. In the context of your concern regarding commenting at public meetings, I believe it prudent to discuss two specific types of meetings the staff conducts: one between the staff and licensees and the second between the staff and the public. Each has a different purpose and each entails a different amount of interaction with the public. Typically the forum and arrangements are also different.
One type of noticed meeting is conducted betwaen the NRC staff and licensees. These meetings are generally open for public observation. The subject for each meeting is stated in the notice. The primary purpose of these meetings is to allow the Agency to conduct business in a public forum. Typically the staff will afford members of the public the opportunity to address the staff when the meeting has ended. On rare occasions there have been a large number of individuals wishing to speak. In these few cases the staff attempts to allocate a reasonable amount of time for each individual to speak. Far more the norm are meetings in which there are no questions or at most a few seeking clarification of matters discussed with the licensee.
A second type of meeting noticed between the staff and public is typically conducted differently. When the staff meets with members of the public to obtain their comments, the subject of the meeting usually relates to specific recent events of interest. For such gf meetings, the staff makes efforts to arrange the meeting to facilitate public access. For g example, meetings with the public arc generally scheduled in the evening in a public accommodation near the subject facility. The meetings are scheduled and advertised in o advance and are planned to last several hours. During these meetings, the staff tries to
&;pf limit its opening remarks to those necessary to establish the subject and agends for the P Rib 3- 2 lll lIIL I lIl I!ll
& n h ce v l 9803110166 971022 PDR ORO NRRA f NT
)
David A. l.ochb:um 2-meeting. These meetings are then typically given over to public comments and associated staff responses. The amount of time available to a given presenter is necessarily constrained by the length of the meeting and the number of speakers. On occasion, when warranted by significant public interest and when feasible based on the availability of cognizant staff and facilities, the staff has extended meetings to additional evenings to accommodate individuals seeking to speak. The staff believes that both meetings presented abovo serve their intended purpose. Individuals wishing to make extensive presentations to the staff may submit written comments to be addressed specifically or incorporated into the meeting summary depending on the type of meeting. In addition, members of the public may submit their concerns in writing to the staff at any time, and the staff will respond directly. For these reasons, the staff does not intered to alter its practicos in regard to the imposition of time limitations in its management of meetings.
Your second concern related to the staff's consistency in providing adequate notice of public meetings. You suggested that the staff supervisor who concurs in the meeting notice be required to specifically approve issuance of noticos less than 10 days before the scheduled meeting. You provided two examples of meetings, one of which had no notice and the other a notice of 1 day. Your concern regarding the two specific examples was addressed in a letter to you dated September 23,1997, from Mr. William Beecher, Director of the NRC Offico of Public Affairs.
On the basis of your concern, the staff reviewed approximately 300 meeting notices issued by the NRC staff during the past 3 months. Based on our review, nearly half cf the noticos reviewed had been issued less than 10 days before the subject meeting. We are not satisfied with our performance in this area and appreciate your bringing it to our attention. Additional attention and a reminder regarding staff guidance is being provided to the staff, including the supervisors responsible for concurring on meeting notices,
- eiterating existing staff policy on notification of public meetings and stressing tho importance of timely notification.
We appreciate your sharing your concems with us.
Sincerely,Or iginalsignedty ,
SamuelJ.Comns Samuel J. Collins, Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation DISTRIBUTION See next page DOCUMENT NAME: G:\DORMAN\GT970696 "SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCE To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" - Copy without attachment / enclosure "E" - Copy with attachment / enclosure "N" - No copy 0FFICE DRPEPD i d , , , , , l PDiv 2 LA* __ l Acting DIPDI 3* l TECM ED* l l DIDRPE mV ,[__
NAME DDorman K/ht) EPeyton / T REaton BCature BBoger f/ _ f f/J '
DATE 10/2 (/9r *
- 10/9/or' ) 10/ /97- 10/8/97 10/16/97 /WPl '
0FFICE D/hRR[ V ADPR/hRR*
RZipmerman l ' _ y l l}
NAME \ SCollins /
DATE 10/16/97 10/2 4 /97 0FFICIAL RECORD COPY l
j
- I g
- i .
i ACTION EDO Principal Correspondence Control FROM: DUE: 10/,0 EDO CONTROL: G970696 DOC DT 09/23/97 D vid A. Lochbaum /d[17/97 FINAL REPLY Unicn of Concerned Scientists TO:
C311an, EDO FOR SIGNATURE OF : ** GRN **
CRC NO:
Collins, NRR DESC:
ROUTING:
NRC INTERFACES WITH THE PUBLIC Callen Thadani Thompson Norry Blaha DATE: 09/25/97 Burns Beecher, PA ASSIGNED TO: CONTACT:
NRR _
Collins
-SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS OR REMARKS: '
g
{RRRECEIVED:
RR ACTION:
SEPTEMBER 25. 1997 DRPE:B0GER p kCI lRR ROUTING: COLLINS gig }Q ((RO Ob
$Y$?"
ROE by OhY.:N
' ~'
EEU' 3
/0// /f 7