[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 139 (Monday, July 20, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43885-43886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-15610]


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NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD


Meetings: U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board

    The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will hold an online 
virtual public meeting to review information on DOE research and 
development activities related to disposal in a geologic repository of 
commercial spent nuclear fuel in dual-purpose canisters.

[[Page 43886]]

    Pursuant to its authority under section 5051 of Public Law 100-203, 
Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act (NWPAA) of 1987, the U.S. Nuclear 
Waste Technical Review Board will hold an online virtual public meeting 
on Monday, July 27, 2020, and Tuesday, July 28, 2020, to review 
information on U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research and development 
(R&D) activities related to disposal in a geologic repository of 
commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in dual-purpose canisters (DPCs), 
which are designed for storage and transportation but not for disposal.
    The Board meeting replaces the April 29, 2020, Spring Meeting, 
which the Board postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Details for 
viewing and participating in the virtual meeting will be available on 
the Board's website (www.nwtrb.gov) not later than one week before the 
meeting.
    The meeting will begin on both days at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight 
Time (EDT) and is scheduled to adjourn at 5:00 p.m. EDT on July 27 and 
at 4:30 p.m. EDT on July 28. Speakers representing the DOE Office of 
Nuclear Energy and the national laboratories will report on R&D 
projects related to the feasibility of disposing in a geologic 
repository the SNF stored in DPCs without repackaging the SNF into 
other canisters. Speakers will review past studies on the technical 
feasibility of disposal of SNF in DPCs, including the technical bases 
for the engineering feasibility and thermal management of DPC disposal. 
The Board will hear presentations on DOE's ongoing R&D activities. 
Speakers will address analysis of DPC reactivity, which is used in 
criticality calculations, criticality consequence analyses for the 
period after the repository closes, and the testing and analysis of 
using filler materials to fill the void spaces inside a DPC prior to 
disposal. A detailed meeting agenda will be available on the Board's 
website approximately one week before the meeting.
    The meeting will be open to the public, and opportunities for 
public comment will be provided. Details on how to comment publicly 
during the meeting will be provided on the Board's website along with 
the details for viewing the meeting. A limit may be set on the time 
allowed for the presentation of individual remarks. However, written 
comments of any length may be submitted to the Board staff by mail or 
electronic mail. All comments received in writing will be included in 
the meeting record, which will be posted on the Board's website after 
the meeting. An archived recording of the meeting will be available on 
the Board's website following the meeting. The transcript of the 
meeting will be available on the Board's website by September 28, 2020.
    The Board was established in the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments 
Act of 1987 as an independent federal agency in the Executive Branch to 
evaluate the technical and scientific validity of DOE activities 
related to the management and disposal of SNF and high-level 
radioactive waste, and to provide objective expert advice to Congress 
and the Secretary of Energy on these issues. Board members are experts 
in their fields and are appointed to the Board by the President from a 
list of candidates submitted by the National Academy of Sciences. The 
Board reports its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to 
Congress and the Secretary of Energy. All Board reports, 
correspondence, congressional testimony, and meeting transcripts and 
related materials are posted on the Board's website.
    For information on the meeting agenda, contact Roberto Pabalan: 
[email protected] or Bret Leslie: [email protected]. For information on 
logistics, or to request copies of the workshop agenda or transcript, 
contact Davonya Barnes: [email protected]. All three may be reached by 
mail at 2300 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 1300, Arlington, VA 22201-3367; 
by telephone at 703-235-4473; or by fax at 703-235-4495.

    Dated: July 15, 2020.
Nigel Mote,
Executive Director, U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
[FR Doc. 2020-15610 Filed 7-17-20; 8:45 am]
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