November 27, 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 NOVEMBER 6 PUBLIC MEETING IN ORLANDO, 

FLORIDA, TO RECEIVE COMMENTS ON THE WASTE CONFIDENCE 

DRAFT GENERIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND 

PROPOSED RULE 

On Wednesday, November 6, 2013, members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) staff held a Category 3 public meeting at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport 

in Orlando, Florida. The purpose of the meeting was to provide an overview of the Waste 

Confidence draft generic environmental impact statement (DGEIS) and proposed rule, and to 

accept public comments on the documents. Participants also had an opportunity to ask 

questions about the NRC’s environmental review and rulemaking process. 

The NRC conducted an open house beginning at 6:00 p.m. EST where members of the public 

met informally with NRC staff and asked questions related to the DGEIS and proposed rule. 

The public meeting began at 7:00 p.m. EST and concluded at 9:30 p.m. EST. The meeting 

began with an introduction of NRC staff and a review of meeting ground rules, followed by a 

short presentation on the Waste Confidence DGEIS and proposed rule. The majority of the 

meeting was dedicated to receiving comments from members of the public. 

The staff's slide presentation is available in the NRC's Agencywide Document Management and 

Access System (ADAMS) under Accession No. ML13273A339. The transcript for the meeting is 

available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML13323B474. NRC handouts available at the 

meeting can be accessed at ML13319A111, ML13319A108, and ML13319A110. Posters 

displayed during the open house can be accessed at ML13279A004. 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 

CONTACT: Sarah Lopas, WCD/CPRB 

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

1-800-397-4209, or via e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov. For convenience, web links to the staff’s 

presentation materials and the meeting transcript are also available on the Waste Confidence 

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

Approximately 45 people attended the meeting and 16 provided comments. Meeting 

participants included members of the public, students from local universities, and members of 

industry and public advocacy groups. A list of meeting participants is included as Attachment 1. 

Questions asked during the question-and-answer period concerned the NRC’s options for 

responding to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s remand of the 2010 Waste 

Confidence Decision and Rule; who would regulate spent nuclear fuel during the timeframes 

covered by Waste Confidence; and where potential offsite independent spent fuel storage 

installations (ISFSIs) would be located. Topics and concerns raised during the public comment 

portion of the meeting included: general opposition to nuclear power, including opposition to 

nuclear weapons; opposition to the Waste Confidence rulemaking and the purpose and need 

discussed in the DGEIS; opposition to the generic approach of Waste Confidence and support 

for site-specific reviews; opposition to the term “confidence”; questions concerning the “SMALL” 

impact level used in the DGEIS; critique of the DGEIS timeframes and assumption regarding 

institutional controls; concern about accidents caused by natural events such as flooding; 

Fukushima; climate change impacts on the safe storage of spent fuel; support for expedited 

transfer of spent fuel from pools to dry cask storage; issues specific to local facilities including 

Turkey Point, Crystal River, Vogtle, and the Savannah River Site; request for a Waste 

Confidence meeting in Atlanta, Georgia; environmental justice and the siting of ISFSIs; air 

quality; health effects of radiation; the cost of nuclear power; the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA); support for nuclear power in light of climate change concerns; support for the 

continued safe storage of spent fuel; support for reprocessing and a permanent geologic 

repository (Yucca Mountain); and support for the DGEIS, proposed rule, and the NRC’s 24-

month timeline. 

Enclosure: Meeting Attendees List 

cc: See next page 
A. Imboden - 2 - 

1-800-397-4209, or via e-mail at pdr@nrc.gov. For convenience, web links to the staff’s 

presentation materials and the meeting transcript are also available on the Waste Confidence 

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

Approximately 45 people attended the meeting and 16 provided comments. Meeting 

participants included members of the public, students from local universities, and members of 

industry and public advocacy groups. A list of meeting participants is included as Attachment 1. 

Questions asked during the question-and-answer period concerned the NRC’s options for 

responding to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit’s remand of the 2010 Waste 

Confidence Decision and Rule; who would regulate spent nuclear fuel during the timeframes 

covered by Waste Confidence; and where potential offsite independent spent fuel storage 

installations (ISFSIs) would be located. Topics and concerns raised during the public comment 

portion of the meeting included: general opposition to nuclear power, including opposition to 

nuclear weapons; opposition to the Waste Confidence rulemaking and the purpose and need 

discussed in the DGEIS; opposition to the generic approach of Waste Confidence and support 

for site-specific reviews; opposition to the term “confidence”; questions concerning the “SMALL” 

impact level used in the DGEIS; critique of the DGEIS timeframes and assumption regarding 

institutional controls; concern about accidents caused by natural events such as flooding; 

Fukushima; climate change impacts on the safe storage of spent fuel; support for expedited 

transfer of spent fuel from pools to dry cask storage; issues specific to local facilities including 

Turkey Point, Crystal River, Vogtle, and the Savannah River Site; request for a Waste 

Confidence meeting in Atlanta, Georgia; environmental justice and the siting of ISFSIs; air 

quality; health effects of radiation; the cost of nuclear power; the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA); support for nuclear power in light of climate change concerns; support for the 

continued safe storage of spent fuel; support for reprocessing and a permanent geologic 

repository (Yucca Mountain); and support for the DGEIS, proposed rule, and the NRC’s 24-

month timeline. 

 

Enclosure: Meeting Attendees List 

DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC 

NMSS_WCD_Distribution 

TCampbell (OGC) 

LLondon (OGC) 

Miriam Juckett (mjuckett@swri.org) 

 

ADAMS Accession No.: ML13331A720

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

NAME SLopas JMaltese(NLO) MHorn for AImboden 

DATE 11/26/13 11/27/13 11/27/13 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
 Enclosure 

List of Attendees 

Public Meeting to Receive Comments on the 

Waste Confidence DGEIS and Proposed Rule 

Orlando, FL - November 6, 2013 - 7:00 – 9:30 PM EST 

 First Name Last Name Organization 

1 Orlando Alfaro Awakening/Art & Culture 

2 Nelson Betancourt Awakening/Art & Culture 

3 David Brier Quest SIU 

4 Chelsea Collins University of Florida – American Nuclear Society 

5 Mandy Hancock Southern Alliance for Clean Energy 

6 Paul Hoisington CASEnergy 

7 Cindy Jurie Private Citizen 

8 Devin Kelley University of Florida - American Nuclear Society 

9 Mark Klutho Private Citizen 

10 Berdell Knowles 

American Association of Blacks in Energy – 

Florida Center 

11 Jitesh Kuntawala University of Florida - American Nuclear Society 

12 Adam Levin Private 

13 Bill Maher Florida Power & Light 

14 Allan Martin University of Florida - American Nuclear Society 

15 Rod McCullum Nuclear Energy Institute 

16 Patrick Moore Private Citizen 

17 Jerry Prescott Private Citizen 

18 Steve Phelan Private Citizen 

19 Lisa Marie Prescott Private Citizen 

20 Jerry Paul Energy Information Center 

21 Jim Ratchford CASEnergy 

22 Peter Robbins Florida Power and Light 

23 A. David Rossin Department of Energy (Retired) 

24 Sandra Rossin Private Citizen 

25 Tim Steorts Private Citizen 

26 Frank Tenorio University of Central Florida – Powershift 

27 Jason Totoiu Everglades Law Center 

28 James Totten University of Florida - American Nuclear Society 

29 James Tulenko University of Florida 

30 Greg Wilson Windjammer Energy, Inc. 

31 Blair Wunderly Duke Energy 

32 Ana Zuccarini University of Central Florida 

33 Chip Cameron Facilitator 

34 Roger Hannah Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

35 Andy Imboden Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

36 Miriam Juckett Southwest Research Institute 

37 Sarah Lopas Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
2

First Name Last Name Affiliation or Organization 

38 Keith McConnell Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

39 Christine Pineda Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

40 Sarah Price Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

41 TR Rowe Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

42 John Stamatakos Southwest Research Institute 

43 Andrew Stuyvenberg Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

44 Michael Wentzel Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

45 Susan Wittick Nuclear Regulatory Commission