June 26, 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 PUBLIC TELECONFERENCE TO DISCUSS STATUS 

 OF WASTE CONFIDENCE GENERIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 

 STATEMENT AND RULEMAKING 

On Wednesday, June 19, 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 the meeting with a message of appreciation to callers for their involvement and input, an 

overview of the mission of the Waste Confidence Directorate to develop a GEIS and revised 

rule, notification that the Commission Review Draft documents would be publicly available on or 

about June 24, 2013, and details about the official public comment period beginning when the 

Federal Register notices for the draft GEIS and proposed rule are published in late summer or 

early fall. 

The NRC presentation continued with a review of the format and structure of the draft GEIS that 

was sent by the NRC staff to the Commission for review, including identification of the ten 

chapters and eight appendices of the document. NRC staff then noted that the revised Waste 

Confidence rulemaking package is structured differently from past versions to reflect the 

conclusions contained in the Waste Confidence GEIS, and that the GEIS forms the regulatory 

basis for the revised Waste Confidence rule. Staff explained that the revised Waste Confidence 

rulemaking package has been structured in accordance with the NRC’s well-established 

rulemaking process, and includes a Commission (SECY) paper, a Federal Register notice for 

Commission review containing a Statement of Considerations and proposed Waste Confidence 

rule, and the draft GEIS for Commission review. 

CONTACT: Sarah Lopas, WCD/CPRB 

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

On June 7, 2013 these documents were sent to the Commission for review, and in accordance 

with normal Commission procedures, were made publicly available in the NRC’s Agencywide 

Document Access and Management System (ADAMS) on June 24, 2013. The Commission 

Review Draft documents are subject to change by Commission direction and are not for public 

comment at this time. The Commission Review Draft documents can be accessed from the 

Waste Confidence website, http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd.html, and 

notification of their availability was sent to all who are on the WCOutreach@nrc.gov e-mail 

distribution list. Web links to references cited in the documents are included on the Waste 

Confidence website at http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd/rule-references/. 

The official 75-day public comment period on the Commission-approved draft GEIS and 

proposed rule will begin when the documents are published and noticed in the Federal Register

in late summer or early fall. The Waste Confidence Directorate will communicate information 

regarding availability of documents, how to submit comments on the draft GEIS and proposed 

rule, and dates for the comment period via Federal Register notice, teleconference, Waste 

Confidence website, e-mails from WCOutreach@nrc.gov, press releases, and other media. 

Parties interested in news and updates regarding Waste Confidence activities can send an 

email to WCOutreach@nrc.gov to receive all the latest information. 

There were 103 participants in the teleconference representing members of the public, tribal 

and state governments, industry, public advocacy and environmental interest groups, and the 

NRC and its contractors. A list of meeting attendees is attached. 

Concerns, questions and issues discussed during the teleconference included: types of spent 

fuel covered by Waste Confidence; concern about sufficient coverage of the issues identified by 

the court remand of the 2010 Waste Confidence Decision, and whether the NRC communicates 

with the court regarding these matters; the cost-benefit analysis in the draft GEIS; a request for 

direct links to the Commission Review Draft documents; the exact timing of the public comment 

period; locations and notification of the public meetings; a question about who will be reviewing 

and addressing comments made on the draft GEIS and proposed rule; discussion of the 

timeframes used in the draft GEIS analysis; information regarding the page length of the 

documents and volume of cited references; concerns about uranium hexafluoride; and a 

question regarding whether Waste Confidence impacts early site permits. 

The transcript for this meeting is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML13175A350. 

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://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd/pub-involve.html. 

 
A. Imboden - 3 - 

The next public teleconference to discuss the status of the Waste Confidence draft GEIS and 

proposed rule is scheduled for Wednesday, August 14, 2013, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EDT. To 

participate, call 1-800-857-2553 and provide the operator with passcode 3682386. Meeting 

details will be available at least 30 days in advance on the NRC Public Meeting website at 

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm and on the Waste Confidence 

Directorate’s website at http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd/pub-involve.html. 

Enclosure: Meeting Attendees List 

cc: See next page 
A. Imboden - 3 - 

The next public teleconference to discuss the status of the Waste Confidence draft GEIS and 

proposed rule is scheduled for Wednesday, August 14, 2013, 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. EDT. To 

participate, call 1-800-857-2553 and provide the operator with passcode 3682386. Meeting 

details will be available at least 30 days in advance on the NRC Public Meeting website at 

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm and on the Waste Confidence 

Directorate’s website at http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/wcd/pub-involve.html. 

Enclosure: Meeting Attendees List 

cc: See next page 

DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC 

NMSS_WCD_Distribution 

TCampbell (OGC) 

LLondon (OGC) 

Miriam Juckett (mjuckett@swri.org) 

 

ADAMS Accession No.: ML13177A353 

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

NAME SLopas LLondon(nlo) AImboden 

DATE 6/25/13 6/26/13 6/26/13 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
 

NRC Teleconference Attendees 

Status of Waste Confidence Draft GEIS and Proposed Rule 

June 19, 2013 1:30 – 2:30 PM EDT

 First Name Last Name Organization 

1 Grace Adams Nuclear Information and Resource Service 

2 Leslie Allen Balch and Bingham 

3 Cee Cee Anderson GA Women's Action for New Directions 

4 Dean Baker Tennessee Valley Authority 

5 Jerry Bonanno Nuclear Energy Institute 

6 Jan Boudart Nuclear Energy Information Service 

7 Deborah Brancato Riverkeeper 

8 Matthew Brock MA Attorney General's Office 

9 Jeffrey Brown GRAMMES 

10 Andrew Burgess Ameren Missouri 

11 Richard Button Environmental Protection Agency 

12 Michael Callahan Governmental Strategies Inc. 

13 Chip Cameron Zero Gravity 

14 Annie Caputo House Energy & Commerce Committee 

15 Pamela Cowan Exelon 

16 Barton Cowan Westinghouse 

17 Tom Daley South Texas Project Nuclear Company 

18 Diane D'Arrigo Nuclear Information and Resource Service 

19 Dagmar Fabian Crabshell Alliance 

20 Sarah Fields Uranium Watch 

21 Patrick Flynn NA 

22 Thomas Fox Senate Committee Environment and Public Works 

23 Katherine Fuchs Alliance for Nuclear Accountability 

24 Paul Gagliano Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 Atlanta 

25 Lloyd Generette Environmental Protection Agency 

26 Ellen Ginsberg Nuclear Energy Institute 

27 Mindy Goldstein Turner Environmental Law Clinic 

28 Patrick Gorman Department of Energy 

29 Paula Gotsch GRAMMES 

30 Jeanne Green Private Citizen 

31 Carlyn Greene UX Consulting 

32 Steven Hamrick Next Era (FPL) 

33 Mandy Hancock Southern Alliance for Clean Energy 

34 Neil Herman House Energy & Commerce Committee 

35 Pamela Hintz Department of Health 

36 Ace Hoffman Nuke Free North County San Diego 

37 Eric Howes Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company 

38 Tom Iaccarino Spectrum Environmental 

39 Rich Janati PA Dept. of Environmental Protection 
2

First Name Last Name Organization 

40 Mel Jenkins Environmentalists Inc. 

41 Gretel Johnston BEST/MATRR 

42 Jay Jones Department of Energy 

43 Miriam Juckett Southwest Research Institute 

44 Emilia Kaiser GA Women's Action for New Directions 

45 Beverly Kerr Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League 

46 Phil Klevorick Clark County Nevada 

47 Kyle Landis-Marinello VT Attorney General's Office 

48 Michel Lee Public Health & Sustainable Energy 

49 Mike Lepre Pillsbury 

50 Gerson Lesser Waster Confidence Directory 

51 Kathy Lewis FL Public Service Commission 

52 Marvin Lewis Individual 

53 Ramona McConney Environmental Protection Agency Region 4 

54 Rod McCullum Nuclear Energy Institute 

55 Katrina McMurrian Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition 

56 Steve Nesbit Duke Energy Corporation 

57 Mary Olson Nuclear Information and Resource Service 

58 Christian O'Rourke Union of Concerned Scientists 

59 Richard Orthen Florida Power & Light 

60 Brian Paddock Sierra Club 

61 Terry Pickens Xcel Energy 

62 Paul Plante Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company 

63 Tony Porreco Neal Gross 

64 James Ramsey NARUC 

65 Richard Ratliff TX Department of Health 

66 Darani Reddick Winston & Strawn 

67 Tom Rielly Vista 360 

68 Jonathan Rund Morgan Lewis 

69 Susan Shapiro Indian Point Safe Energy Coalition 

70 Larry Shepard Environmental Protection Agency Kansas City KS 

71 Beverly Silverberg Consultant 

72 John Sipos NY Attorney General's Office 

73 Carlos Sisco Winston & Strawn 

74 David Snellings AR Department of Health 

75 Laura Sorensen Safe Carolinas 

76 Ken Taplett South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company 

77 Tina Taylor Electric Power Research Institute 

78 Brittany Theis Whitt Law 

79 Ruth Thomas Environmentalists Inc. 

80 James Thornton Duke Energy Corporation 

81 Sandra Threatt SC Dept. of Health and Environmental Control 
3

First Name Last Name Organization 

82 Willie Tomlin Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League 

83 Tom Tramm Certrec 

84 Judy Treichel NV Nuclear Waste Task Force 

85 Duke Wheeler Private Citizen 

86 Dale Wuokko Toshiba 

87 Ron Zak NJ Dept. of Environmental Protection 

88 Tison Campbell NRC/OGC 

89 Sheldon Clark NRC/OGC 

90 David Cylkowski NRC/OGC 

91 Jack Guttmann NRC/NMSS 

92 Catherine Haney NRC/NMSS 

93 Andy Imboden NRC/WCD 

94 Andrea Kock NRC/OCM 

95 Lisa London NRC/OGC 

96 Sarah Lopas NRC/WCD 

97 Timothy McCartin NRC/WCD 

98 Keith McConnell NRC/WCD 

99 Paul Michalak NRC/WCD 

100 Alicia Mullins NRC/WCD 

101 Carrie Safford NRC/WCD 

102 Michael Weber NRC/OEDO 

103 Susan Wittick NRC/WCD