December 9, 2004

Michael E. Henry

Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality

Permits Division

Office of Environmental Services

7220 Bluebonnet Road

P.O. Box 82135

Baton Rouge, LA 70884-2135

Dear Mr. Henry:

A periodic meeting with Louisiana was held on November 18, 2004. The purpose of this

meeting was to review and discuss the status of Louisiana’s Agreement State Program. The

NRC was represented by me from NRC’s Region IV office, and Kathleen Schneider from the

Office of State and Tribal Programs and Ronnie Wascom, Administrator for Louisiana

Emergency Response and Radiation Protection Program Division(by telephone). 

I have completed and enclosed a general meeting summary, including any specific actions that

will be taken as a result of the meeting.

If you feel that our conclusions do not accurately summarize the meeting discussion, or have

any additional remarks about the meeting in general, please contact me at (817) 860-8116 or email MLM1@NRC.GOV to discuss your concerns.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Linda McLean

Regional State Agreements Officer

Enclosure:

As stated

cc w/encl

Paul Lohaus, Director, STP
Louisiana Department 

 of Environmental Quality

bcc: (via ADAMS e-mail distribution):

MSatorius

CCain

VCampbell

KSchneider, STP

AMcCraw, STP

JZabko, STP

ADAMS: :Yes 9No Initials: _mlm_____ 

:Publicly Available 9Non-Publicly Available 9Sensitive :Non-Sensitive

DOCUMENT NAME: draft: E:\Filenet\ML043450364.wpd 

RIV:RSAO

MLMcLean

/RA/

12/9/04

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY T=Telephone E=E-mail F=Fax
PERIODIC MEETING SUMMARY FOR LOUISIANA

DATE OF MEETING: November 18, 2004

ATTENDEES:

STATE

Michael Henry, State Liaison Officer

Sharon Parker Richard Penrod

Joe Noble Betty Brouseaux

Ann Troxler Dwayne Stepter

NRC

Linda McLean, Regional State Agreements Officer, Region IV

Kathleen Schneider, Agreement State Project Officer

Office of State and Tribal Programs (by telephone)

DISCUSSION: 

The Louisiana Agreement State program is located in the Department of Environmental Quality 

(the Department). Currently the Department is divided into four Offices which are organized by

function rather than by program specialty and report to the Secretary of the Department. The

Office of Environmental Services contains the Permits Division, and the Office of Environmental

Compliance contains the Surveillance and Enforcement Divisions. All Department inspection

and compliance activities, including emergency response, are performed by the Surveillance

Division. A proposed restructuring of the Department is described below. (Section 4.d.) 

Program items discussed: 

1. Status of State’s actions to address all open previous IMPEP review findings and/or

open recommendations.

1. The review team recommended that the Surveillance Division finalize their training

and qualification program for radioactive materials inspectors, including the

qualifications required to complete independent inspections of various license types. 

CURRENT STATUS: The Surveillance Division has developed a new access program

for tracking the training and qualifications for radioactive materials inspectors, and

includes the qualifications required to complete independent inspections of various

license types. The new program will go in to effect after the Department’s restructuring

scheduled for January 2005. It is recommended that this item be reviewed at the next

IMPEP review.

2. The review team recommended that the Department review their existing databases,

identify all routine and initial inspections that need to be conducted and complete those

inspections. 

CURRENT STATUS: The Department has established better communications between

the Surveillance Division and the Permit Division and has developed a databases that
identifies all routine and initial inspections. It is recommended that this item be reviewed

at the next IMPEP review.

3. The review team recommended that the Department develop and implement a

process for ensuring that all new licensees receive a timely initial inspection. 

CURRENT STATUS: The Department developed and implemented a database for

ensuring that all new licensees are inspected within the one year time frame. It is

recommended that this item be reviewed at the next IMPEP review.

4. The review team recommended that the Department inspect implementation of SS&D

authorizations during routine inspections. 

CURRENT STATUS: The Surveillance Division has completed inspections of the all

SS&D authorizations during their routine inspections of the licensees, and the division

will continue this inspection activity as part of the routine inspections. It is

recommended that this item be reviewed at the next IMPEP review.

5. The review team recommended that the Department develop and implement a

process for conducting annual accompaniments of all radiation compliance inspectors

by qualified individuals. 

CURRENT STATUS: All inspectors have been accompanied to date, and the division

has documented all the accompaniments. It is recommended that this item be reviewed

at the next IMPEP review.

2. Strengths and/or weaknesses of the State program as identified by the State or NRC

including identification of actions that could diminish weaknesses. 

a. Strengths: The State has had very little turn-over; therefore, the Department’s staff

is well qualified and experienced. Another strength is that the Department is adequately

funded, and with the restructuring of the Department, the Divisions have dedicated

funds for their programs. 

b. Weaknesses: The Department stated that many of their past weaknesses will be

improved with the planned restructuring. 

3. Feedback on NRC’s program as identified by the State and including identification of

any action that should be considered by NRC: 

The Department asked that the NRC consider using Word rather than Word Perfect

when corresponding with the States. 

4. Status of State Program including:

a. Staffing and Training: The Department is adequately staffed. The Surveillance

Division has nine inspectors and the Permits Division has five reviewers. There are no

vacancies under the old program organization. With the new organization, new

positions have been approved for FY06. 
b. Materials Inspection Program: The Surveillance Division has no inspection backlog. 

The Surveillance Division has completed 28 percent reciprocity inspections. 

c. Regulations and Legislative changes: The Department is current with all of their

regulations. The last rule submission included four amendments, two final and two

proposed rules. The Division is finalizing the two proposed rules. 

d. Program reorganizations: The Secretary of the Louisiana Deportment of

Environmental Quality announced several organizational changes that are to take effect

by the end of this year. The Office of Environmental Compliance created a new division,

Emergency Response and Radiation Protection Program Division. This division will be

combined with the Department’s Emergency Response group. Mr. Ronnie Wascom will

serve as the Administrator for this new Division. The Division will be comprised of

chemical and radiological emergency response, accident prevention, radiation

surveillance and enforcement, radioactive material licensing, and X-ray registration. 

What this restructuring will accomplish is to have all of the radioactive materials program

in one division, which will improve communications within the program. 

e. Changes in Program budget/funding: The Department is adequately funded. 

Because of the restructuring a budget request was submitted, providing the Division

dedicated funds for their program. 

5. Event Reporting, including follow-up and closure information in NMED: 

All reportable incidents are entered into the NMED database. All NMED events for

Louisiana are closed and completed

6. Response to Incidents and Allegations: 

The NRC has not referred any allegations to Louisiana during the period. .

7. Information exchange and discussion: 

a. Current State initiatives: Ann Troxler has been appointed to the OAS/NRC Cobalt-60

Teletherapy Self-Study Training Course Working Group. The purpose of the working

group is to revise and update the current NRC training course.

b. Major decommissioning and license termination actions: The Department has

recently terminated the license for a contaminated site. The Department contacted the

EPA for their assistance in decontaminating the site under EPA’s Super Fund program. 

The EPA included this site to their Super Fund program. The EPA completed

decontamination work at the site. 

c. Waste processing, storage and disposal licenses: The Division is currently working

on a license for deep well injection of NORM. 

d. State’s mechanisms to evaluate performance: The Department has weekly meetings

to discuss the status of inspection and licensing activities. In addition, they conduct a

audit of the program quarterly. 
8. NRC current initiatives: Items discussed: the portable gauge rule; sensitive information

in ADAMS; the security of medical sources; and Security Measures, Part 35 - Training

and Experience rulemaking. 

9. Schedule for the next IMPEP review: FY2008