September 24, 2013 

MEMORANDUM TO: Andy Imboden, Chief 

Communications, Planning 

 and Rulemaking Branch 

Waste Confidence Directorate 

Office of Nuclear Material Safety 

 and Safeguards 

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

 Communications, Planning 

 and Rulemaking Branch 

 Waste Confidence Directorate 

 Office of Nuclear Material Safety 

 and Safeguards 

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF SEPTEMBER PUBLIC TELECONFERENCE TO 

DISCUSS STATUS OF WASTE CONFIDENCE GENERIC 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND RULEMAKING 

On Thursday, September 12, 2013, members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) staff held a Category 3 public teleconference at the NRC headquarters in Rockville, 

Maryland. The purpose of the teleconference was to maintain an open line of communication 

with the public by providing a status update on NRC staff’s progress in developing the Waste 

Confidence draft generic environmental impact statement (GEIS) and proposed rule. 

Participants had an opportunity to ask questions about the NRC’s process and activities. 

The meeting began at 1:30 p.m. and concluded at approximately 2:30 p.m. EDT. The NRC staff 

began with an introduction to the meeting, noting that Waste Confidence status teleconferences 

would not be held during the months of October and November, and then continued with a 

status of the Waste Confidence proceeding. Staff reported that the Waste Confidence draft 

generic environmental impact statement (DGEIS) was made publicly available on September 6, 

2013, and that on September 13, 2013, the proposed rule would be publicly available and the 

75-day public comment period would begin. Staff reported that the comment period ends on 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013. The presentation continued with a discussion of the 

upcoming public meetings that the NRC is holding this fall to receive comments on the proposed 

rule and DGEIS. Staff announced the addition of Chicago to the meeting locations, with a 

meeting planned for Thursday, October 24, 2013, at the Chicago Marriott Oak Brook, in Oak 

Brook, IL. 

There were 78 participants in the teleconference, including members of the public, state 

governments, industry, public advocacy and environmental interest groups, and the NRC and its 

contractors. A list of meeting attendees is attached. 

CONTACT: Sarah Lopas, WCD/CPRB 

 (301) 287-0675 
A. Imboden - 2 - 

Questions and issues discussed during the teleconference primarily concerned the upcoming 

public meetings, including: the format of the open house portion of the meetings; whether 

discussions with NRC staff during the open houses would be transcribed or otherwise made 

public; access to the Chelmsford meeting from Cape Cod, MA; details of the Oakbrook, IL, 

meeting and whether a Federal Register notice would be published announcing that meeting; 

whether all the regional meetings would be webcast; how the NRC determined meeting room 

capacity; how the NRC advertises public meetings and a suggestion to place ads in local papers 

and notify the local government; whether meeting pre-registration lists would be publicly 

available; and the importance of members of the public hearing one another so as to share their 

questions and comments. Other questions and concerns included whether the NRC would 

consider smaller, informal meetings with interested stakeholders after the close of the comment 

period; the definition of Waste Confidence; changing the title of the Waste Confidence rule; how 

the staff implemented the changes specified in the August 5, 2013, Staff Requirements 

Memorandum (SECY-13-0061; ML13217A358); and the safety of spent nuclear fuel stored in 

dry casks. 

The transcript for this meeting is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML13261A124. 

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 1-800-397-4209, or via email at pdr.resource@nrc.gov. A direct link to the transcript is 

also available on the Waste Confidence Directorate’s website at 

http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1326/ML13261A124.pdf. 

There are no Waste Confidence status update teleconferences scheduled for the upcoming 

months. To stay informed of the Waste Confidence Directorate’s activities, please consider 

signing up for e-mail updates from WCOutreach@nrc.gov. To subscribe, send an e-mail with 

the word “Subscribe” in the subject line to WCOutreach@nrc.gov. 

The NRC staff will also periodically post updates to the Waste Confidence website at 

http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd.html. You can sign up for automatic e-mail 

alerts whenever the Waste Confidence website is updated using GovDelivery: 

https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNRC/subscriber/new. Under Subscriber Preferences 

you can choose the Waste Confidence Decision (WCD) pages for which you would like to 

receive updates. 

You can also monitor the Waste Confidence rulemaking docket on the Federal rulemaking 

website, www.Regulations.gov, by searching on Docket ID NRC-2012-0246. In addition, the 

Federal rulemaking website allows you to receive alerts when changes or additions occur in a 

docket folder. To subscribe: 1) navigate to docket folder NRC-2012-0246; 2) click the “E-mail 

Alert” link; and 3) enter your e-mail address and select how frequently you would like to receive 

e-mails (daily, weekly, or monthly). 

Enclosure: Meeting Attendees List 

cc: See next page 
A. Imboden - 2 - 

Questions and issues discussed during the teleconference primarily concerned the upcoming public meetings, 

including: the format of the open house portion of the meetings; whether 

discussions with NRC staff during the open houses would be transcribed or otherwise made public; access to the 

Chelmsford meeting from Cape Cod, MA; details of the Oakbrook, IL, meeting and whether a Federal Register notice 

would be published announcing that meeting; whether all the regional meetings would be webcast; how the NRC 

determined meeting room capacity; how the NRC advertises public meetings and a suggestion to place ads in local 

papers and notify the local government; whether meeting pre-registration lists would be publicly available; and the 

importance of members of the public hearing one another so as to share their questions and comments. Other 

questions and concerns included whether the NRC would consider smaller, informal meetings with interested 

stakeholders after the close of the comment period; the definition of Waste Confidence; changing the title of the 

Waste Confidence rule; how the staff implemented the changes specified in the August 5, 2013, Staff Requirements 

Memorandum (SECY-13-0061; ML13217A358); and the safety of spent nuclear fuel stored in dry casks. 

The transcript for this meeting is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML13261A124. 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 1-800-397-4209, or via email at pdr.resource@nrc.gov. A direct link to the 

transcript is also available on the Waste Confidence Directorate’s website at 

http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1326/ML13261A124.pdf. 

There are no Waste Confidence status update teleconferences scheduled for the upcoming months. To stay 

informed of the Waste Confidence Directorate’s activities, please consider signing up for e-mail updates from 

WCOutreach@nrc.gov. To subscribe, send an e-mail with the word “Subscribe” in the subject line to 

WCOutreach@nrc.gov. 

The NRC staff will also periodically post updates to the Waste Confidence website at http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spentfuel-storage/wcd.html. You can sign up for automatic e-mail alerts whenever the Waste Confidence website is 

updated using GovDelivery: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USNRC/subscriber/new. Under Subscriber 

Preferences you can choose the Waste Confidence Decision (WCD) pages for which you would like to receive 

updates. 

You can also monitor the Waste Confidence rulemaking docket on the Federal rulemaking website, 

www.Regulations.gov, by searching on Docket ID NRC-2012-0246. In addition, the Federal rulemaking website 

allows you to receive alerts when changes or additions occur in a docket folder. To subscribe: 1) navigate to docket 

folder NRC-2012-0246; 2) click the “E-mail Alert” link; and 3) enter your e-mail address and select how frequently you 

would like to receive e-mails (daily, weekly, or monthly). 

Enclosure: Meeting Attendees List 

DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC 

NMSS_WCD_Distribution 

TCampbell (OGC) 

LLondon (OGC) 

Miriam Juckett (mjuckett@swri.org) 

 

ADAMS Accession No.: ML13267A384

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

NAME SLopas DCylkowski(NLO) AImboden 

DATE 9/19/13 9/23/13 9/23/13 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
 Enclosure 

NRC Teleconference Attendees 

Status of Waste Confidence Draft GEIS and Proposed Rule 

September 12, 2013 1:30 – 2:30 PM EDT

 First Name Last Name Organization 

1 Andrew Burgess Ameren Missouri 

2 Walter Clements Florida Public Service Commission 

3 Jim Colleli Ohio Department of Health 

4 Kristopher Cummins Nuclear Energy Institute 

5 Janice Dean State of New York 

6 Patrick Dostie State of Maine 

7 Sherrie Flaherty Minnesota Dept. of Health 

8 Steve Frischman Nevada Nuclear Waste Task Force 

9 Donna Gilmore San Onofre Safety.org 

10 Ellen Ginsberg Nuclear Energy Institute 

11 Erica Gray Private Citizen 

12 Carlyn Greene UX Consulting 

13 Doug Guarino National Journal Group 

14 Mandy Hancock Southern Alliance for Clean Energy 

15 Moe Headington Stand Up Save Lives Campaign 

16 Thomas Higinbotham 

Michigan State Police Emergency Mgt & Homeland 

Security 

17 Elaine Hiruo Platts 

18 Ace Hoffman Nuke Free North County 

19 Ruth Horton Tennessee Valley Authority 

20 Eric Howes Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company 

21 Tom Iaccarino Spectrum Environmental Services 

22 Tony Jackson Duke Energy 

23 Chad Jackson Neal Gross Company 

24 Lisa Janairo Council of State Government 

25 Miriam Juckett Southwest Research Institute 

26 Kevin Kamps Beyond Nuclear 

27 Michael Keegan Coalition for a Nuclear Free Great Lakes 

28 Mary Lampert Pilgrim Watch 

29 Kyle Landis-Marinello Vermont Attorney General 

30 Kathy Lewis Florida Public Service Commission 

31 Marvin Lewis Private Citizen 

32 Linda Lewison Illinois Nuclear Information Service 

33 Rod McCullum Nuclear Energy Institute 

34 Chuck McCune Prizm.org 

35 Prasaad Nair Department of Energy 

36 Connie Nakahara State of Utah 

37 Steve Nesbit Duke Energy 

38 Virginia Noriega Congresswoman Nita Lowey's Office 
2

39 Kerry O'Brien Congressman Bill Keating's Office 

40 Mary Olson Nuclear Information Resource Service 

41 Jim Peschel Centrec 

42 Bette Pierman Michigan Safe Energy Future 

43 David Repka Winston & Strawn 

44 Tom Rielly VISTA 360 

45 Anthony Roisman Retained Council State of VT 

46 Linda Seeley San Luis Obispo Mothers For Peace 

47 Cecil Settles Illinois Emergency Management Agency 

48 Susan Shapiro Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition 

49 Geri Shapiro Senator Gillibrand's Office 

50 John Sipos State of New York 

51 Andrew Smith Private Citizen 

52 David Snellings Arkansas Department of Health 

53 Gail Snyder Nuclear Energy Information Service 

54 Steven Sondheim Sierra Club 

55 Ellen Thomas Safe Carolinas 

56 Joan Walter California Energy Commission 

57 David Weisman Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility 

58 Duke Wheeler Private Citizen 

59 Tom Zimmer Private Citizen 

60 Tison Campbell NRC/OGC 

61 Yen Chen NRC/OEDO 

62 David Cylkowski NRC/OGC 

63 Merri Horn NRC/WCD 

64 Andy Imboden NRC/WCD 

65 Sarah Lopas NRC/WCD 

66 William Maier NRC/RIV 

67 Keith McConnell NRC/WCD 

68 David McIntyre NRC/OPA 

69 Paul Michalak NRC/WCD 

70 Alicia Mullins NRC/WCD 

71 John Pelchat NRC/RII 

72 Christine Pineda NRC/WCD 

73 Sarah Price NRC/OGC 

74 TR Rowe NRC/WCD 

75 Harold Scott NRC/RES 

76 Neil Sheehan NRC/RI 

77 Andrew Stuyvenberg NRC/WCD 

78 Susan Wittick NRC/WCD