[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 142 (Monday, July 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45629-45631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-18657]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


NRC To Hold Public Meetings on Spent Fuel Shipping Cask Accident 
Studies

AGENCY: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings on spent nuclear fuel transportation 
studies.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is 
approaching the end of the scoping phase of a study on spent nuclear 
fuel cask responses to severe transportation accidents (i.e., the 
Package Performance Study (PPS)). The scoping phase will determine 
which issues and approaches are to be used for succeeding phases 
(including planning, conducting, and documenting any analyses or 
tests). In addition, in March 2000, NRC published the technical report 
for a related study, NUREG/CR-6672, ``Reexamination of Spent Fuel 
Shipment Risk Estimates,'' and a discussion summary paper is available 
to complement that technical report. To facilitate discussion on these 
activities, NRC is convening an August public workshop and two public 
meetings in Nevada, and a September workshop in Rockville, Maryland.
    A World Wide Web site has been established for dissemination of 
information to interested members of the public. Electronic copies of 
documents related to these studies, and

[[Page 45630]]

additional information on the public meetings, can be obtained at 
http://ttd.sandia.gov/nrc/modal.htm. Francis X. Cameron, Special 
Counsel for Public Liaison, in the Commission's Office of the General 
Counsel, will be the convener and facilitator for the meetings.

DATES AND ADDRESSES: The meetings are planned as follows:
     Public workshop: August 15, 2000, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., in 
the Hawaiian room at the Tropicana Hotel, 3801 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las 
Vegas, NV;
     Public meeting: August 15, 2000, 7-9 p.m., in the Hawaiian 
room at the Tropicana Hotel, 3801 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV;
     Public meeting: August 16, 2000, 7:00-9:00 p.m., at the 
Mountain View Casino & Bowl, 1750 Pahrump Valley Blvd., Pahrump, NV; 
and
     Public workshop: September 13, 2000, 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m., in 
the NRC's Two-White Flint North Auditorium, 11545 Rockville Pike, 
Rockville, MD.

INFORMATION: Contact Francis X. Cameron, Special Counsel for Public 
Liaison, Office of the General Counsel, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC, 20555-0001, Telephone: (301) 415-1642 about 
any questions on the meetings. Copies of materials related to these 
meetings can be obtained on-line at http://ttd.sandia.gov/nrc/modal.htm, or from Robert Lewis, NRC, Telephone: (301) 415-8527.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The risk of transporting highly radioactive 
spent nuclear fuel from nuclear power plants to a centralized storage 
facility or to an underground repository is an issue that has recently 
received increased NRC and public attention because of the increase in 
the number of shipments that will occur if and when such facilities 
begin operating. Risk to the public from transportation accidents 
depends on accident rates, number of shipments, and the likely 
consequences and severity of the accidents. About 1300 shipments of 
spent nuclear fuel have been made in NRC-certified packages, with an 
exceptional safety record of no releases from accidents. Despite the 
previous studies and safety record, several groups have criticized 
NRC's cask standards and previous studies as being insufficient to 
adequately demonstrate safety during severe transportation accidents.
    NRC previously studied transportation accident risks in the 1980s 
(e.g., see NUREG/CR-4829, ``Shipping Container Response to Severe 
Highway and Railway Accident Conditions,'' and NUREG/BR-0111, 
``Transporting Spent Fuel, Protection Provided Against Severe Highway 
and Railroad Accidents,'' often called the `modal study'). The modal 
study looked at possible rail and highway accidents and concluded that 
spent nuclear fuel cask designs would survive nearly all transportation 
accidents without releasing radioactive material to the environment. 
Over the next few years NRC will revisit, in the Package Performance 
Study, the conclusions of the 1987 modal study, to evaluate their 
continued validity in light of newer cask technologies and approaches. 
Risk insights obtained using modern analysis techniques, physical 
testing, and through interaction with stakeholders and the public, will 
support NRC's ongoing efforts to assure that its regulatory actions 
maintain safety and are risk-informed and effective. Ongoing public 
interactions throughout this project will help ensure that public 
concerns are effectively identified and understood, and that the study 
design considers these issues. A related study, NUREG/CR-6672, 
``Reexamination of Spent Fuel Shipment Risk Estimates,'' was published 
in March 2000, and looked at both accident and incident-free risks from 
a large spent fuel transportation campaign. A discussion summary paper 
is available to complement the technical report for that study.
    NRC is holding two public workshops and two public meetings to 
focus on these activities, and specifically to discuss stakeholder 
views and comments on two documents: (1) The Package Performance Study 
issues and resolution options report, and (2) a discussion summary 
paper regarding NUREG/CR-6672.
    During the morning and afternoon of August 15 in Las Vegas, and on 
September 13 in Rockville, MD, representatives of the interests 
affected by the study will discuss their views on the issues in a 
``workshop'' format. The Commission, through the facilitator for the 
meeting, will attempt to ensure participation by the broad spectrum of 
interests at the meetings, including citizen and environmental groups, 
nuclear and transportation industry interests, state, tribal, and local 
governments, experts from academia, or other agencies. Other members of 
the public are welcome to attend, and the public will have the 
opportunity to comment on each of the agenda items slated for 
discussion. Questions about participation may be directed to the 
facilitator, Francis X. Cameron.
    On the evenings of August 15 in Las Vegas and on August 16 in 
Pahrump, public meetings will be conducted. At these meetings, the NRC 
staff will briefly present the NRC's role in ensuring transportation 
safety and its views regarding the two studies. A moderated discussion 
will then be held to discuss the study's proposed content or approach. 
The NRC staff will be available to further discuss issues or public 
concerns regarding the studies or transportation safety.
    The first part of each meeting will be about NUREG/CR-6672 and the 
discussion paper; the remainder will be to discuss the PPS issues 
report. NRC is sharing these documents with the public before the 
public meetings, to obtain timely feedback on their content and to 
continue the constructive interactions on transportation risk issues 
that began at workshops and public meetings in 1999. Copies of the 
documents can be obtained on-line at http://ttd.sandia.gov/nrc/modal.htm, or through the NRC contacts listed above. NRC is 
particularly interested in views on the discussion paper's usefulness, 
both as a summary of NUREG/CR-6672 and as a communication about 
transportation risks. Regarding the PPS issues and resolution options, 
NRC desires to ensure that comments made at the 1999 public workshops, 
made in letters, or made through the Web site, have been included and 
appropriately characterized in this report. NRC will use the 
discussions on the PPS issues report, to help decide which issues and 
resolution options will be examined by the next phases of the PPS.
    The public workshop and public meetings will have a scope and 
agenda. However, the agenda format will be sufficiently flexible to 
allow for the introduction of additional related issues that the 
participants may wish to raise. The purpose of the meetings is to hear 
the views of the participants on the issues and options to resolve the 
issues for the forthcoming study. The agenda for the meetings is set 
forth below.

Public Workshop Agenda--Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Studies

August 15, 2000 (Las Vegas, NV) and September 13, 2000 (Rockville, MD)
9:00 a.m.--Open House
9:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m.--Call to Order; Introductions and Ground Rules 
(Francis X. Cameron, NRC, Facilitator, Susan F. Shankman, Spent Fuel 
Project Office, NRC)
10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.--``Reexamination of Spent Fuel Shipment Risk 
Estimates,'' (NUREG/CR-6672) and the associated ``Discussion Paper''
    Participant Discussion
 11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.--Break for Lunch
12:45 p.m.-1:15 p.m.--Participant Discussion (continued)

[[Page 45631]]

1:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m.--Package Performance Study Issues Report
    Project Overview and Public Interactions (Robert Lewis, NRC)
    Presentation of Issues Report and Options for Study
    Participant Discussion
2:30 p.m.-2:45 p.m.--Break
2:45 p.m.-3:45 p.m.--Package Performance Study Issues Report
    Participant Discussion (continued)
3:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.--Breakout Discussions with NRC Staff
4:15 p.m.-4:30 p.m.--Wrap-up
4:30 p.m.--Adjourn

Public Meeting Agenda--Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Studies

August 15, 2000 (Las Vegas, NV) and August 16, 2000 (Pahrump, NV) 
Seminar, 7:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M.
7:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.--Welcome and Overview (Francis X. Cameron, NRC, 
facilitator)
    NRC Role and Regulatory Framework for Transportation
    NRC Spent Fuel Transportation Studies
7:30 p.m.-8:15 p.m.--Facilitated Discussion on ``Reexamination of Spent 
Fuel Shipment Risk Estimates,'' (NUREG/CR-6672) and the associated 
``Discussion Paper'' (Francis X. Cameron, NRC, facilitator)
    An opportunity for the public to discuss this project with the NRC 
staff.
8:15 p.m.-9:00 p.m.--Facilitated Discussion on ``Package Performance 
Study Issues Report'' (Francis X. Cameron, NRC, facilitator)
    An opportunity for the public to discuss this project with the NRC 
staff.
9:00 p.m.--Wrap-up and Adjourn

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 17th day of July 2000.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
E. William Brach,
Director, Spent Fuel Project Office, Office of Nuclear Material Safety 
and Safeguards.
[FR Doc. 00-18657 Filed 7-21-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P