July 10, 2014 

MEMORANDUM TO: Gregory Suber, Acting Deputy Director 

 Environmental Protection and Performance 

 Assessment Directorate 

 Division of Waste Management 

 and Environmental Protection 

FROM: Melanie Wong, Senior Project Manager /RA/

 Environmental Protection and Performance 

 Assessment Directorate 

 Division of Waste Management 

 and Environmental Protection 

SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF JUNE 17, 2014, PUBLIC WEBINAR ON STRATEGIC 

ASSESSMENT OF LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE 

REGULATORY PROGRAM

On June 17, 2014, staff from the Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental 

Management Programs conducted a public webinar to gather information on an update to the 

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC’s) 2007 Strategic Assessment of the Low-Level 

Radioactive Waste (LLRW) regulatory program from stakeholders and other interested 

members of the public. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

In 2007, the NRC staff published the Strategic Assessment in SECY-07-0180, “Strategic 

Assessment of LLRW regulatory program” (ADAMS Accession No. ML071350291), which 

identified and prioritized the NRC staff’s activities for the NRC’s LLRW regulatory program. 

After 7 years, progress has been made in completing several activities identified in the 2007 

Strategic Assessment. In addition, the national LLRW program continues to evolve. To set the 

direction for the NRC’s LLRW regulatory program in the next several years, the NRC staff will 

begin developing an updated Strategic Assessment of the NRC’s LLRW program. The new 

assessment will provide opportunities for stakeholder engagement. 

On May 15, 2014, a Federal Register (FR) notice was published (79 FR 27772) seeking 

comments on developments that would affect the LLRW regulatory program in the next several 

years and actions that the NRC could take to ensure safety, security, and the protection of the 

environment. 

CONTACT: Melanie Wong, FSME/DWMEP 

(301) 415-2432 

 Mathews George, FSME/DWMEP 

(301) 415-7065
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JUNE 17, 2014 PUBLIC WEBINAR:

The June 17, 2014, Public Meeting Notice and meeting agenda were made publicly available 

prior to the meeting and can be found in (ADAMS Accession No. ML14138A001). 

Approximately 38 individuals participated in this public meeting, remotely (electronically) via 

webinar/telephone. Attendance included representatives from the Agreement States, disposal 

facility operators, and waste generators (including private and governmental) and members of 

non-governmental organizations (see enclosure). The meeting slides are available in ADAMS 

(ADAMS Accession No. ML14169A570). 

Mr. Gregory Suber opened the workshop, welcomed the attendees and discussed the 

objectives of the workshop. Ms. Melanie Wong provided the background on the development of 

the 2007 Strategic Assessment, status of the high priority activities in the assessment, and 

proposed activities for the updated Strategic Assessment. Mr. Mathews George also discussed 

the specific questions to be considered as stakeholders develop and provide their comments in 

developing the revised Strategic Assessment document. 

Comments and questions from the discussion on the Strategic Assessment include: 

• Concerns were expressed on the release of very low level contaminated radioactive 

materials. The NRC staff noted that the release of radioactive materials is consistent 

with its regulations which ensure safety and security. 

• Clarifications were requested on which high priority activities from the 2007 Strategic 

Assessment were put on hold due to resource constraint. It was noted that these 

resources included both human resources and funding. 

 

• The criteria for evaluating the LLRW regulatory program Strategic Assessment should 

consider health and safety, as well as security. 

• The issues identified, findings and recommendations in reports of the LLRW Forum and 

the Radiation Protection Source Protection and Security Task Force should be 

considered in the Strategic Assessment. Financial assurance for sealed sources should 

be considered. The storage of sealed sources should have a limited time frame. 

• Tasks, numbers 1 and 8 in the 2007 Strategic Assessment, Appendix C were 

recommended to be deleted. 

• Expeditious completion of the 10 CFR Part 61 proposed rulemaking should be one of the 

highest priority. 

PATH FORWARD:

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Gregory Suber concluded the webinar. He thanked the 

participants of the webinar. He noted that written comments could be submitted via 

www.regulations.gov and the comment period would close on July 14, 2014. Comments from 

the March 7, 2014, workshop in Phoenix Arizona will be reviewed along with comments from 
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this webinar, as well as the Federal Register Notice in updating the Strategic Assessment. Due 

to technical difficulties, the webinar began 20 minutes later and therefore, the NRC staff plans to 

have an additional webinar in early July. A draft updated Strategic Assessment is expected to 

be published in 2015 for comments. 

DOCUMENTATION:

All project documentation (meeting agenda, presentation slides, meeting summary, and other 

related documents) can be found on the following NRC webpage: 

http://www.nrc.gov/waste/llw-disposal/llw-pa/llw-strategic-assessment.html.

Enclosure: 

Attendance List 
 3 

this webinar, as well as the Federal Register Notice in updating the Strategic Assessment. Due 

to technical difficulties, the webinar began 20 minutes later and therefore, the NRC staff plans to 

have an additional webinar in early July. A draft updated Strategic Assessment is expected to 

be published in 2015 for comments. 

DOCUMENTATION:

All project documentation (meeting agenda, presentation slides, meeting summary, and other 

related documents) can be found on the following NRC webpage: 

http://www.nrc.gov/waste/llw-disposal/llw-pa/llw-strategic-assessment.html.

Enclosure: 

Attendance List 

ML14169A554 

OFC DWMEP DWMEP DWMEP DWMEP DWMEP 

NAME MWong MGeorge TMoon GSuber MWong 

DATE 06/18/14 06/19/14 06/17/14 07/10/14 07/10/14 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY 
Enclosure 

WEBINAR ATTENDEES (Public): 

NAME AFFILIATION 

Diane D’Arrigo NIRS 

Joseph Rustick Vanderbilt University 

Leigh Ing Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact 

Commission 

Brian Hearty U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Brad Broussard Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 

Thomas Magette PWC 

Dan Schultheisz U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Gwyn Galloway Utah Department of Environmental Quality 

David Haught U.S. Department of Energy 

Ted Buckner Southeast Compact 

Perry Robinson Urenco U.S.A 

Steven Harrison Virginia Department of Health 

Michel Lee Council on Intelligent Energy & Conservation Policy 

Scott Kirk Waste Control Specialists LLC 

Shahram Ghasemian Office of U.S. Senator Tom Carper 

Daniel Shrum EnergySolutions 

Lee Thomasson Dominion 

Hans Weger Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 

Jimmy Alldredge Luminant 

Rich Janati Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental 

Protection 

John Greeves Talisman International, LLC 

Jim Lieberman Talisman International, LLC 

Sam Miller Westinghouse 

Oleg Povetko U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Kelly Crooks U.S. Army 

Larainne Koehler U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

Earl Fordham Washington Department of Health 

Michael Garner Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste 

Management/State of Washington 

NOTE: There were additional attendees via the bridge line that did not login to the 

webinar. Staff has no means to track bridge line callers. 

 
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NRC ATTENDEES: 

NAME TITLE 

Gregory Suber Branch Chief 

Jim Kennedy Senior Project Manager 

Steve Dembek Senior Project Manager 

Melanie Wong Senior Project Manager 

Don Lowman Project Manager 

Mathews George Project Manager 

Maurice Heath Project Manager 

Terrence Brimfield Project Manager 

Tammy Bloomer Technical Assistant for Commissioner Ostendorff 

Janelle Jessie Technical Assistant for Commissioner Magwood