ML20247H306
| ML20247H306 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/16/1997 |
| From: | Garrick B NRC ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE (ACNW) |
| To: | Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| References | |
| NACNUCLE-S-0093, NACNUCLE-S-93, NUDOCS 9805210126 | |
| Download: ML20247H306 (4) | |
Text
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l e o UNITED STATES
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g; ;a g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE h
g ,fy o WASHINGTON, D.C. 20066
%.o December 16,1997 The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Chairman U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555-0001
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
REPORT-96TH MEETING OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON NUCLEAR WASTE, NOVEMBER 20 AND 21,1997, AND OTHER RELATED ACNW ACTIVITIES
Dear Chairman Jackson:
During its 96th meeting on November 20 and 21,1997, at Two White Flint North,11545
- Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland, the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) discussed the following:
I Memorandum to Comm!ssioner Nils J. Diaz, NRC, from B. John Garrick, Chairman, ACNW, " Health Effects of Low-Level lonizing Radiation," dated December 2,1997 .
. ACNW input to the ACRS report to Congress on waste-related research HIGHLIGHTS OF KEY ISSUES CONSIDERED BY THE COMMITTEE i
- 1. Nuclear Reaulatory Commission's (NRC's) Div!=lan of Waste Man =a==nent (DWM).
Office of Nuclear aantarial Safety and Safeauards (NaanSi Priorl+I== for Fine =I Year (FYL1998 Dr. Michael Bell, DWM/NMSS, presented an overview of the high-level waste (HLW) program for fiscal year FY 1998, including budget impacts. He discussed some of the l DWM accomplishments in FY 1997, described the structure, priorities, and milestones of the HLW program, and proposed ACNW interactions for FY 1998.
Conclusions / Action items ACNW will continue to review, with the staff, specific aspects of the HLW program, including the following: HLW regulations and standards, Department of Energy (DOE) siting guidelines, NRC issue resolution status reports, NRC review of DOE's viability assessment, NRC performance assessment, and importance analysis activities.
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- l The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson 2 j
- 2. Standard Review Plan (SRP) for Soent Fuel Drv Storaae Ms. Susan Shankman, Spent Fuel Project Office (SFPO), NMSS, discussed NUREG-1567, " Draft Standard Review Plan for Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facilities." She noted that the 207 relevant comments received could be classified into the following: need for clarification of the NRC acceptance criteria and structural and accident analysis issues.
Ms. Shankman indicated that the accident analysis section of NUREG-1567 was being revised to reflect ACNWs earlier comments on the use of a probabilistic approach.
(The status of that effort was briefly reviewed; it was noted that insufficient funds for FY 1998. ended contractor effort.) Questions raised by the Committee at 1,.e last SFPO 4 presentation were discussed, and the SFPO staff presented an update on some of the recent experiences with several of the cask vendors, including corrective actions and f
possible company mergers.
Conclusions / Action items I
The ACNW thanked the SFPO staff for its SRP review and associated update on the j activities of SFPO. The ACNW is planning to review the forthcoming Branch Technical Position on Environmental Monitoring during the spring of 1998.
- 3. Meetina With the Director. NRC's Division of Waste Manasement. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)
Mr. John Greeves, Director, DWMINMSS, discussed the following issues of current interest to ACNW and DWM: progress at the Yucca Mountain project, resources for FY 1998, current legislation proposed by Congress, and recent ACNW reports. i Conclusions / Action items This portion of the meeting was part of a regularly scheduled information exchange
- between the Committee and the Director of NMSS.
- 4. Waste Classification at West Vallev. Hanford. and Savannah River Facilities During this session, background information was presented on the current status of the NRC review of the subject liquid waste tank remediation projects. Ms. Jennifer Davis, DWMINMSS, was the lead presenter.
Two principal areas were discussed: ;
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. the concept of " incidental waste" (including the statutory basis for NRC's interest j in it and the criteria for incidental waste classifications), and ;
. the current status of waste classification determinations at the Hanford, Savan-nah River, and West Valley sites.
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The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson 3
'In its summary, the staff noted that the status at each of the three sites was somewhat different: the waste classification preliminary review was complete at Hanford for the waste removed from the tanks, the DOE methodology for classification of Savannah River residual tank wastes was in progress, and the proposals for waste classification at West Valley were awaiting completion of the environmentalimpact statement process.
I Conclusions / Action items The Committee indicated that it looks forward to receiving updates as each of the three sites progresses toward resolution of concems. The Committee also noted that due to its relevance to the topic of this session, it also looks forward to further discussions with the staff on the recently published rule, " Residual Contamination Levels for Decommis-sioning," particularly insofar as the restricted release criteria and their applicability to the subject discussed during this session.
PROPOSED SCHEDULE FOR THE 97TH ACNW MEETING The Committee agreed to consider the following issues during its 97th meeting on December 16-18,1997:
Meetinc with Director. Division of Waste Manaasment (DWMt NMSS -The Committee will meet with the Director to discuss developments at the Yucca Mountain project, resources, rules under development, a pilot program for regulating certain DOE facilities, and other items of mutual interest.
HLW issue Resolution Status Reoorts and Accentance Criteria -The NRC staff will update the Committee on the progress of staff reviews related to the HLW key technical issues.
. Meetino with the Commission - The Committee will prepare for and meet with the Commission on the following items of mutualinterest: ACNW priorities for FY 1998, performance assessment capability in the NRC high-level radioactive waste program, application of probabilistic risk assessment methods to performance assessment in the NRC HLW program, and the implementation of the defense-in-depth concept in the revised 10 CFR Part 60. The meeting is currently scheduled for December 18,1997.
Low- Levels of lonizino Radiation - The Committee will review the latest developments concerning the biological effects of low- levels of ionizing radiation with members of the NRC staff and other interested individuals.
Yucca Mountain Site Characterization -The Committee will discuss site characterize-tion activities at the Yucca Mountain site with a representative of DOE.
The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson 4 0
. 10 CFR Part 61. Licensino Requirements for Land Disoosal of Radioactive Waste-The Committee's staff will present a short tutorial program on the Commission's low-level waste regulations.
Preparation of ACNW Reports -The Committee will discuss planned reports, including comments on ACNW priorities and strategic planning, and other topics discussed during the meeting as the need arises.
Committee Activities / Future Amanda -The Committee will consider topics proposed for future consideration by the full Committee and by Working Groups. The Committee will discuss ACNW-related activities of individual members.
OTHER RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE The 98th ACNW meeting is scheduled to be held on February 24-26,1998.
Sincerely, f
B. John Garrick Chairman I
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