## ![](media/image1.png){width="1.2291666666666667in" height="1.5902777777777777in"}[Full Board Meeting]{.smallcaps} 

> **T-214**

## Saturday, January 8, 2005

### Draft Minutes 

The Fernald Citizens Advisory Board met from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on
Saturday, January 8, 2005 in T-214 at the Fernald Closure Project site.

Members Present: Jim Bierer

Marvin Clawson

> Lisa Crawford

Steve Depoe

> Pam Dunn
>
> Gene Jablonowski

Graham Mitchell

> Robert Tabor
>
> Gene Willeke

Members Absent: French Bell

Katie Brown

> Sandy Butterfield
>
> Lou Doll

Designated Federal Official: Gary Stegner

> Bill Taylor

The Perspectives Group Staff: Douglas Sarno

> David Bidwell

Fluor Fernald Staff: Sue Walpole

Con Murphy

Ken Alkema

Approximately 15 spectators also attended the meeting, including members
of the public and representatives from the Department of Energy and
Fluor Fernald.

**Announcements and Updates**

Jim Bierer gave the Board an update from the most recent SSAB conference
call. He stated that the next Chairs meeting will be held Tuesday
through Thursday, April 27-29^th^ at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The
meeting topic has not been formulated yet. The Oak Ridge SSAB (ORSSAB)
has volunteered to work on the agenda. Jay Vivari is retiring and will
no longer support the SSABs.

Jim said that there was a discussion about Sam Bodman, the nominated
Energy Secretary, and that people felt that he was experienced and would
get the job done. The President has signed off on the FY06 budget, and
it will likely be released during the first week of February. Jim said
that DOE Environmental Management (EM) expects get the funds they asked
for, but that Congress can later earmark money for specific projects. It
is anticipate that cuts will be made in the technology area. Jim updated
the Board on the status of the National Stakeholder Forum letter, which
was signed by all chairs and sent to Paul Golan. Paul Golan has not yet
responded, and it is not likely that he will respond until it could be
approved by the new Secretary.

Jim updated the Board on a report from the NTS CAB regarding Yucca
Mountain. In 2005, a license will be applied for through the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC). The process dictates that thousands of
documents must be available to the public before NRC will put it on
their docket. It could be four years before a decision is made about the
license. Jim said that money is a problem at Yucca Mountain at this
time. In addition, the regulators set a 10,000 years safety standard for
Yucca Mountain. The Federal courts reviewed the National Academies of
Science (NAS) recommendations, and wants the safety standard raised to a
400,000 year limit.

Bill Taylor updated the CAB on closure projects on the Fernald site. He
stated that 180 of the 255 buildings on the site have been dismantled,
and 73 of the 179 trailers have been removed from the site. Some of
those trailers will be relocated. The driers have been cut up, and the
services building and east water tower have come down. Sixty-seven
percent of the site has been certified as clean, including Areas 3A and
3B. Bill explained that those areas are the size of two football fields
side by side, and two stories high. It is the largest area to be turned
over to ecological restoration. Excavation of the old outfall line is
complete except for a section under Rt.128. Bill said that Cell 4 of the
on-site disposal facility (OSDF) has been completed. The placement of
soils in the OSDF will continue through the winter months and a system
has been set in place to prevent the soil from freezing. There are one
million cubic square yards to be moved to the OSDF this season.

Bill continued that the Consolidated Advanced Waste Water Treatment
(CAWWT) construction should be completed by end of February, 2005. He
explained that there were 22.9 pounds of uranium discharged to the Great
Miami River in December of 2004, and that they are under the 600 limit
for the year 2004. There have been 2.44 billion gallons of water
extracted from the Great Miami Aquifer. Bill explained that there was a
bypass of water treatment due to recent heavy rains, but the bypass was
suspended on the evening of January 7^th^.

Con Murphy explained that they are dropping the weir boxes on the side
of the silo, and will then remove as much waste as possible. The silo
will be flushed out, and then the bottom will be grouted to ensure a
safe D&D process. The plan to grout the bottom of Silo 1 has been
completed and the work will commence soon. The CAB watched a short video
showing the empty interior of Silo 1.

Con explained that there is no heel at the bottom of the silo. A sump
pump will be used to remove as much waste as possible from the bottom of
the silo, and sluicing water will be used to rinse. An estimated 2
inches of residual wastewater will remain on the silo floor. A device
similar to a large hammer will be used to remove the weir boxes from
wall, and approximately 40,000 gallons of clean water will be used to do
the final rinse. Using sluicing guns, a low-strength grout will be used
to stabilize any residual on the bottom of the silo.

Con continued that they are now focused on finishing Silo 2. The process
has not gone as smoothly as Silo 1, due to debris that interfered with
the pump and a layer of crust that had to be removed. Also, the sluicing
generated huge amounts of foam, which obscured vision. Graham Mitchell
was able to get Procter and Gamble (P&G) to help resolve this problem.
There was also a blockage in the pump line due to freezing. A valve had
to be repaired, and sluicing nozzles had to be replaced. He explained
that during the sluicing process, they must pause to allow the solids to
settle out of the water. Dirt from around the silos will be sampled and
if it meets the Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC), it will be put in the
On-Site Disposal Facility (OSDF). The silo will be demolished and then
mixed with the pits material to meet the Envirocare WAC. Con stated that
he was pleased with the progress of shearing the bridgework that sat
above silo 1 during the removal of the waste. 400 tons of steel will be
disposed of, and there has been only one minor injury during the
operation.

Steve Depoe reiterated that DOE and Fluor should document the story of
the silos project and get that out to the community. Con responded that
they would like to make a film of some kind.

The CAB watched a video of the second water tower coming down. This was
the last prominent feature of the past site skyline to be removed.

Bill Taylor explained that the work on Silo 2 is 30% complete, and that
Silo 3 remains on standby. A management review of Silo 3 is forthcoming,
so that when the disposal contract is awarded, work can begin. He said
that they received bids on the storage of silos material, and that DOE
intends to award contracts at end of January. In response to a question
from Lisa Crawford, he stated that when the contracts are awarded, all
of the details would become public record and could be shared with the
community at that time. The vendor must have a license for the service
they want to provide, and the recent explanation of significant
difference (ESD) for the Record of Decision states that the waste must
not come back to Fernald.

Ken Alkema explained that vendors had the option of bidding on storage
or disposal only, or storage with disposal within a certain amount of
time. Bob Tabor asked if a company bid on disposal only, could they
apply for a license after the contract was awarded. Ken responded that
they could apply later, but they must have a license for the work they
want to do at the time of award. The disposal contract will not be
awarded until the facility has the appropriate license.

Bill continued that 850,000 tons of materials have been removed from the
Waste Pits. They are continuing to replace the bolsters on some of the
train cars in order to prepare the rail fleet. He hopes to have that
complete within one month. He also explained that 211 items, valued at
\$632,000, have been dispersed through the Community Reuse Organization.

Graham Mitchell stated that Chris Jones is leaving Ohio EPA. He
continued that The Ohio Environmental Covenant Act was recently passed
and signed by the Governor. It was moved very quickly through
legislature, and Graham's office was barely aware that the Act was in
progress. The Act will allow the state to have a say on properties not
cleaned up for free release. This allows the state to monitor
institutional controls, and adds another layer of protection for the
public. Ohio EPA will work with the attorneys to determine what this
means to sites like Fernald. Graham explained that although the Act is
effective now, there would likely be amendments to revise it over the
next year. Lisa stated that there should have been some public
involvement process in forming the Act. Doug Sarno stated that the CAB
should track this closely.

Gene Jablonowski stated that the Silos ESD is expected to be signed by
mid-January. This would allow DOE to move forward with awarding a
contract for storage options.

# Soil Pile 7

Con Murphy explained that Soil Pile 7 consists of soils from below the
production buildings and from beneath the waste pits liners. He handed
out a sheet explaining the composition of the soil pile, and comparisons
of the materials to other materials from the site. The work plan for
Fernald states that material above the OSDF WAC must go off site. He
explained that there was some discussion as to whether this material
could go to the OSDF, since much of it meets the WAC. The regulators
opposed this. The total cost of moving Soil Pile 7 to Envirocare by
train is \$25 million.

Con explained that it is difficult to discriminate between small
contamination amounts in a large area of mostly clean soil. He explained
that the rail cars are tied up with waste pits removal, and that they
must acquire more cars to move the soil pile. The site is also planning
to use packaging that would help to reduce costs. The material will be
shipped in a zipped, soft-side container placed in a gondola car. There
will be no cover on the train car. Waste pits will continue going out in
same configuration as before, with a hard lid on each train car.

Ken Alkema used photos on the handout to explain how the packaging will
work. He said that 18,000 shipments in the Complex have used this
packaging without incident. In response to a question from Jim regarding
possible vandalism, Con explained that someone would have to get on top
of the car and use a very sharp knife to open the packaging. The waste
will be on a dedicated train that is constantly moving. There have been
no incidents of vandalism over the past 4 years. He also explained that
the bags would go straight into the Envirocare disposal cell, and that
they meet the Department of Transportation (DOT) shipping requirements.

Bob Tabor expressed concern about the big picture. He asked if there was
a risk of putting the soil into the OSDF. Johnny Reising responded that
they discussed that option with the EPAs, but there is above-WAC
material in the pile. It was agreed that the soil would be moved off
site. Lisa expressed the importance of publicizing this effort to the
community, so that they know to expect rail cars without lids.

# Stewardship Follow-up

Jack Craig of the DOE Office of Legacy Management (LM) explained that
they are actively involved with EM, and have frequent meetings. LM is
actively working towards site closure in March of 2006. Jack reported
that Dave Geiser thanked the Stewardship Committee for their attention
during his presentation on Thursday night. Audrey Berry from Stakeholder
Relations will be at the February meetings to discuss the Local
Stakeholder Organizations (LSO) concept.

Steve Depoe told the CAB that the Fluor Foundation presented Fernald
Living History, Inc. (FLH) with a \$19,000 donation. He said that the
EPA Superfund Division sent a letter yesterday in response to the
Environmental Community Organization letter regarding the Education
Facility. EPA lent its support for an on-site facility, but says that
the decision to approve this facility for the site rests with DOE. Jim
explained that it is important to pay attention to their specific
language because they explain how to make things happen.

Pam and Doug expressed that education must be framed as an institutional
control. Gary Stegner stated that partnerships were a critical part of
Dave's presentation.

Doug told the CAB that Dave Geiser had discussed how partnerships fell
into place at Weldon Spring once cleanup was complete. Doug explained
that he, Sue Walpole, and David Bidwell were exploring the different
messages needed to attract potential partners to the site. Bob expressed
the need to pass the baton to a transitional group to keep the project
moving forward. Doug explained the importance of clarity on what the
site should be post-closure.

Pam told the group that the artifacts could stay in place until 2006,
leaving another year to make decisions. Gene Willeke reiterated the
importance of diverse funding for the post-closure site.

Steve stated that the last volume of the Legacy Management and
Institutional Controls Plan (LMIC) addressed the subject of historical
resources but did not go far enough to define the kinds of resources
that were necessary. He stated he is looking forward to reviewing the
next version of the LMIC in March. The next FLH meeting will be held on
March 7th.

# Discussion of FCAB History Project

David Bidwell led the Board through a discussion of a draft outline for
a FCAB history project. During its September 2004 retreat, the FCAB
determined it was important to capture the full story of the FCAB and
its history.

First, the group discussed the intended audiences for a FCAB history.
Suggested audiences included future generations, so that they can
understand the decision-making process undertaken at Fernald. The FCAB
also serves as an example to future generations so that the community
can provide value to decision-making for contaminated sites. The FCAB
also felt that DOE, other governmental agencies, and private industries
(particularly nuclear industries) that might face similar cleanup
challenges would be important audiences. Board members further suggested
that students of public participation---including scholars and
practitioners---would find value in the FCAB history.

The group reviewed a draft outline of a FCAB history and brainstormed
messages they felt would be important to include. These messages,
recorded on flip charts by David, included benefits of the FCAB, what
contributed to success of the Board, and lessons learned. David will use
the results of this brainstorm to expand on the outline and identify the
kind of information resources that are needed to complete the project.
Examples of these messages are listed below:

-   FCAB input resulted in cost savings and more effective decisions

-   The FCAB process helped to educate DOE and regulators

-   The FCAB helped create a perception of openness within the community

-   The FCAB assumed a leadership role on many issues, including
    long-term stewardship

-   The FCAB helped the community overcome skepticism regarding DOE and
    the cleanup

-   The FCAB provided a process, rooted in information sharing, for
    tackling controversial issues

-   FCAB meetings provided a teamwork-focused environment in which the
    public, regulators, contractors, and DOE could work together to
    solve problems

-   The FCAB was instrumental in setting cleanup levels for the cleanup,
    which were based on future uses of the site and reduced the total
    cost of the project

-   The FCAB did not take a NIMBY approach to the cleanup; rather, it
    reached out to other states during decision making and supported a
    balanced approach

-   The consistency of FCAB membership retained institutional knowledge,
    created efficiencies in addressing new issues, and sustained a high
    degree of commitment among all members

-   The FCAB carefully set its priorities and chose issues it wanted to
    address, rather than trying to consider all possible topics

-   Within the Fernald community, there was an understanding that each
    organization (FCAB, FRESH, F-CHECK, Fernald Health Effects
    Subcommittee) would focus on different issues (i.e., there was a
    clear division of labor)

-   Early on, members of DOE Headquarters championed the FCAB

-   Members of the FCAB showed a willingness to defend its decisions
    among their peers

-   FCAB members have been willing to put aside personal differences for
    benefit of the group; there was a willingness to accommodate diverse
    views

-   At the very beginning, the FCAB developed a set of common values and
    ground rules

-   The FCAB approached cleanup decisions through a framework based on
    the future use of site

Board members suggested that what did not work well should also be noted
in the FCAB history. Examples cited during the discussion include a low
level of involvement by county and local governments and the dwindling
number of FCAB members over time.

David suggested that the history could be organized around "social
goals" devised by a researcher at Resources for the Future, Tom Beierle.
These goals include: 1) incorporate public values into decisions; 2)
improve substantive quality of decisions; 3) resolve conflict among
interests; 4) build trust in institutions; and 5) educate and inform the
public. Members suggested that the FCAB has achieved two additional
goals: improved implementation and education of all stakeholders (e.g.
regulators and DOE). FCAB members also stated that a FCAB history should
include a bibliography and/or examples of key documents.

David asked what format should be used to record the history. The FCAB
agreed that some sort of written report should be developed, but it
would be good also to create an audiovisual component, such as a DVD or
CD-ROM. Members noted that a CD can hold both video and text files and
could be easily reproduced. David stated that it could be useful to have
a small group of FCAB members work closely on this project.

# 

# Other

Sue Walpole stated that many of the FCAB members' security badges have
expired, and asked the CAB to return the old badges to her. She will
mail new badges to the members.

Meeting adjourned.

# Next Meeting

The next meeting of the FCAB will be held on Saturday, February 12 from
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Morgan Township Administration Building.

James Bierer Date

Fernald Citizens Advisory Board Chairman

Gary Stegner Date

Deputy Designated Federal Official