December 26, 2012 

MEMORANDUM TO: Andy Imboden, Chief 

Communications, Planning, and Rulemaking Branch 

Waste Confidence Directorate 

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards 

FROM: Sarah L. Lopas, NEPA Communications Project Manager /RA/

Communications, Planning, and Rulemaking Branch 

Waste Confidence Directorate 

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards 

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF PUBLIC SCOPING WEBINARS FOR THE 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT TO SUPPORT THE 

WASTE CONFIDENCE RULEMAKING 

On Wednesday, December 5, and Thursday, December 6, 2012, members of the U.S. Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held two public scoping webinars for the environmental 

impact statement (EIS) to support the update to the Waste Confidence Rule. The purpose of 

the scoping webinars was to allow participants to ask questions of the staff and present oral 

comments on the scope of the Waste Confidence EIS. 

The webinars were conducted from 1 p.m. through 4 p.m. EST on December 5, 2012, and from 

9 p.m. through 12 a.m. EST on December 6, 2012. Both webinars were accessible online using 

GoToMeeting, a web-based online meeting portal. Participants were asked to pre-register for 

the webinars and received instructions on accessing the webinars upon registration. A 

moderated teleconference line provided audio for the webinars, and participants did not need 

internet access to listen to and participate in the webinars. Similar to the NRC’s Waste 

Confidence scoping meetings on November 14, 2012, both webinars began with a slide 

presentation by NRC staff, followed by a question-and-answer period, with the remainder of 

time dedicated to listening to and transcribing public comments for inclusion in the Waste 

Confidence environmental review docket. The staff's slide presentation is available in the 

NRC's Agencywide Document Management and Access System (ADAMS) under Accession No. 

ML12326A483. The ADAMS Public Electronic Reading Room is accessible at 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Persons who do not have access to ADAMS, or 

who encounter problems in accessing documents located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC’s 

Public Document Room reference staff at 1-800-397-4737, or via e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov. 

Approximately 62 people participated in the December 5 daytime webinar. Of those 62 

participants, 15 asked questions or presented comments. Approximately 21 people participated 

in the December 6 evening webinar. Of those 21 participants, 14 asked questions or presented 

CONTACT: Sarah Lopas, WCD/CPRB 

(301) 492-3425 

 
A. Imboden -2- 

comments. Webinar participants included members of the public, and representatives of 

Federal and state agencies, industry, and public advocacy groups. A list of participants for each 

webinar is included as Attachment 1. 

Concerns and comments discussed during the webinars included: the need for mass mailings 

to reach people without Internet access; the need for increased use of social media (such as 

Facebook) as a way to reach more people; the timing and thoroughness of the Waste 

Confidence environmental review; the preference for a longer scoping period; the preference for 

multiple regional public meetings and potential locations for draft EIS meetings; the preference 

for evaluating Waste Confidence on a site-specific basis rather than using a generic EIS; health 

effects of radiation from spent nuclear fuel; safety and security of spent nuclear fuel; impacts of 

severe accidents on spent fuel storage facilities, including catastrophic natural events and 

terrorist activities; the risk of spent fuel pool leaks and fires; the costs of storing spent nuclear 

fuel; spent fuel transportation impacts; the preference of storing spent nuclear fuel in hardened 

on-site storage systems (HOSS) instead of fuel pools; and a call for the end of licensing and relicensing nuclear power plants. 

The official transcripts for both webinars are available in ADAMS under Accession No. 

ML12355A174 for the December 5 webinar, and ML12355A187 for the December 6 webinar. 

For convenience, the staff’s presentation and the webinar transcripts are also available on the 

Waste Confidence Directorate’s website at http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuelstorage/wcd/pub-involve.html. 

Enclosure: 

1. Meeting Attendee List 

cc: See next page 
A. Imboden -2- 

comments. Webinar participants included members of the public, and representatives of 

Federal and state agencies, industry, and public advocacy groups. A list of participants for each 

webinar is included as Attachment 1. 

Concerns and comments discussed during the webinars included: the need for mass mailings 

to reach people without Internet access; the need for increased use of social media (such as 

Facebook) as a way to reach more people; the timing and thoroughness of the Waste 

Confidence environmental review; the preference for a longer scoping period; the preference for 

multiple regional public meetings and potential locations for draft EIS meetings; the preference 

for evaluating Waste Confidence on a site-specific basis rather than using a generic EIS; health 

effects of radiation from spent nuclear fuel; safety and security of spent nuclear fuel; impacts of 

severe accidents on spent fuel storage facilities, including catastrophic natural events and 

terrorist activities; the risk of spent fuel pool leaks and fires; the costs of storing spent nuclear 

fuel; spent fuel transportation impacts; the preference of storing spent nuclear fuel in hardened 

on-site storage systems (HOSS) instead of fuel pools; and a call for the end of licensing and relicensing nuclear power plants. 

The official transcripts for both webinars are available in ADAMS under Accession No. 

ML12355A174 for the December 5 webinar, and ML12355A187 for the December 6 webinar. 

For convenience, the staff’s presentation and the webinar transcripts are also available on the 

Waste Confidence Directorate’s website at http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuelstorage/wcd/pub-involve.html. 

 

Enclosure: 

1. Meeting Attendee List 

cc: See next page 

DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC TCampbell, OGC SWittick, NMSS 

KMcConnell, NMSS LLondon, OGC CJacobs, NMSS 

CSafford, NMSS EHouseman, OGC CPineda, NMSS 

AImboden, NMSS MHorn, FSME DBrown, NMSS 

PMichalak, NMSS AStuyvenberg, NMSS JMuir, NMSS 

TMcCartin, NMSS AMullins, NMSS JDavis, NMSS 

SLopas, NMSS TRowe, NMSS MWentzel, NMSS 

Miriam Juckett (mjuckett@swri.org) 

Rob Pauline (rpauline@swri.org) 

ADAMS Accession No.: ML12356A293 

OFFICE PM:CPRB/WCD/NMSS OGC BC:CPRB/WCD/NMSS

NAME SLopas AImboden 

DATE 12/20/2012 12/21/2012 12/26/2012 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 
List of Attendees for the Waste Confidence 

Environmental Impact Statement Public Scoping Webinars 

December 5 and 6, 2012 

Waste Confidence Public Scoping Webinar 

Wednesday, December 5, 2012, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST 

Name Organization

Jessica Azulay Alliance for a Green Economy

Jane Beetem Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Jana Bergman Curtiss Wright

Jerry Bonanno Nuclear Energy Institute

Beatrice Brailsford Snake River Alliance

Patricia Campbell GE Hitachi Nuclear

Dan Chalk U.S. Department of Energy

Christopher Charles Nuclear Energy Institute

Marischka Dopp Pilgrim Coalition

Patrick Dostie State of Maine, Dept. of Health and Human Services

Geoffrey Fettus National Resources Defense Council

Dominique French Nuclear Information and Resource Service

Ellen Ginsberg NEI

Alan Goldey Maryland Dept. of the Environment

Bing Gu

Tim Gunter U.S. Department of Energy

Johanna Hariharan Morgan, Lewis, & Brockius

Elaine Hiruo Platts

Tom Iaccarino Spectrum Environmental Sciences, Inc.

Mari Jaworsky Duke Energy

Michael Kaluzniak Maine Public Utilities Commission

Kevin Kamps Beyond Nuclear

Jeff Keenan PSEG Nuclear LLC

Beverly Kerr Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

Julius Kerr Volunteer Blue Ridge

Lisa Kindschy Michigan Public Service Commission

Phil Klevorick Clark County Nuclear Waste Oversight Program

Mary Lampert Pilgrim Watch

Adam Levin Exelon Generation

Gregg Levine Truth Out

Marvin Lewis Private Citizen

Jennifer Mansh Hogan Lovells US LLP

Attachment 1
Name Organization

Zita Martin Tennessee Valley Authority

Lisa Matis U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4

Ramona McConney U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 4

Rod McCullum Nuclear Energy Institute

Steve McInall JEA

Katrina McMurrian Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition

Emily Meredith

Terry Pickens Xcel Energy

Darani Reddick Winston & Strawn LLP

Thomas Reilly Vista 360

Phil Riley

Jonathan Rund Morgan, Lewis & Brokius

Don Safer Tennessee Environmental Council

Linda Seeley San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace

Margaret Sheehan EcoLaw

Larry Shepard U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

Mike Stephens Florida Bureau of Radiation Control

Jared Thompson Arkansas Department of Health

James Thornton Duke Energy

Tom Tramm Certrec

Barbara Warren Citizens Environmental Coalition

Heather Westra Prairie Island Indian Community

Robert Wylie Duke Energy

Christina Yakunich

Louis Zeller Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

Esther Houseman NRC

Andrea Kock NRC

Jessie Muir NRC

Drew Stuyvenberg NRC

Jenny Weil NRC

Keith McConnell NRC

Andy Imboden NRC

Paul Michalak NRC

Lisa London NRC

Sarah Lopas NRC

Tison Campbell NRC

Susan Wittick NRC

Merri Horn NRC

-2- 
Name Organization

Rolanda Jackson NRC

TR Rowe NRC

Brian Littleton NRC

Timothy McCartin NRC

Carrie Safford NRC

Chip Cameron The Zero Gravity Group LLC

Miriam Juckett Center for Nuclear Regulatory Waste Analyses

Robert Lenhard Center for Nuclear Regulatory Waste Analyses

Waste Confidence Public Scoping Webinar 

Thursday, December 6, 2012, 9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. EST 

Name Organization

David Agnew Cape Downwinders

Bonnie Bluestein Nuclear Energy Information Service 

Christopher Charles Nuclear Energy Institute

Diane D’Arrigo Nuclear Information Resource Service

Elizabeth Fraser Nuclear Energy Information Service

Johanna Hariharan Morgan, Lewis & Brockius

Julius Kerr Volunteer Blue Ridge

David Kraft Nuclear Energy Information Service

Carol Kurz Nuclear Energy Information Service

Dale Lehman

Gregg Levine Truth Out

Mary Olson Nuclear Information Resource Service

Norman Meadow Maryland Conservation Counsel

Terry Pickens Xcel Energy

Tom Reilly Vista 360

Alicia Rivers Sierra Club

Laura Sorensen Safe Carolinas

Ruth Thomas Environmentalist Inc.

Lilly Wyrick

Cathy Haney NRC

Keith McConnell NRC

Lisa London NRC

Paul Michalak NRC

Andy Imboden NRC

Michael Weber NRC

Sarah Lopas NRC

Andrew Stuyvenberg NRC

-3- 
Name Organization

TR Rowe NRC

Tison Campbell NRC

Susan Wittick NRC

Timothy McCartin NRC

Rolanda Jackson NRC

Carrie Safford NRC

Miriam Juckett Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses

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