[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 26, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59201-59202]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-23283]


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NUCLEAR WASTE TECHNICAL REVIEW BOARD


Board Meeting

    The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board will hold a virtual 
public meeting on November 3-4, 2021.
    Board meeting: November 3-4, 2021--The U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical 
Review Board will hold a virtual public meeting to review information 
on the U.S. Department of Energy's research and development activities 
related to the geologic disposal safety assessment framework.
    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 virtual public meeting on 
Wednesday, November 3, 2021, and Thursday, November 4, 2021, to review 
information on the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) research and 
development activities related to the geologic disposal safety 
assessment framework.
    The meeting will begin on both days at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight 
Time (EDT) and is scheduled to adjourn at 5:00 p.m. EDT. On the first 
day, the initial speaker, from the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, will 
provide an update on DOE's Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition Program. 
The remaining speakers representing the national laboratories 
conducting the work for DOE will report on DOE's activities to support 
the development of a capability to model the post-closure performance 
of a repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive 
waste (HLW). Speakers will describe DOE's program including its 
objectives, research thrusts, and recent accomplishments. They will 
describe advanced simulation capabilities, including the Geologic 
Disposal Safety Assessment (GDSA) Framework and PFLOTRAN, as well as 
examples of how features and processes are integrated into the GDSA 
Framework.
    On the second day, a final example of how features and processes 
are integrated into the GDSA Framework will be described by a speaker 
from the national laboratories. Speakers from the U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission and the United Kingdom's Radioactive Waste 
Management organization will present their perspectives on development 
of a performance assessment capability to model the post-closure 
performance of a repository. Speakers from the national laboratories 
will present work on the development of uncertainty and sensitivity 
analysis tools for GDSA Framework and the

[[Page 59202]]

implementation of GDSA Framework to generic repository reference cases 
for bedded salt, shale, and crystalline host rocks. They will present a 
case study in integrating insight and experience from the international 
community in GDSA. A detailed meeting agenda will be available on the 
Board's website at www.nwtrb.gov approximately one week before the 
meeting.
    The meeting will be open to the public, and opportunities for 
public comment will be provided at the end of each day of the meeting. 
Details on how to submit public comments 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 January 3, 2022.
    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 HLW, 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 Bret Leslie: 
[email protected] or Roberto Pabalan: [email protected] . For 
information on logistics, or to request copies of the meeting 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: October 20, 2021.
Neysa M. Slater-Chandler,
Director of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board.
[FR Doc. 2021-23283 Filed 10-25-21; 8:45 am]
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