December 18, 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 DECEMBER 4 PUBLIC MEETING IN MINNETONKA, 

MINNESOTA, TO RECEIVE COMMENTS ON THE WASTE 

CONFIDENCE DRAFT GENERIC ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 

STATEMENT AND PROPOSED RULE 

On Wednesday, December 4, 2013, members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

(NRC) staff held a Category 3 public meeting at the Minneapolis Marriott Southwest in 

Minnetonka, Minnesota. 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. CST 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. CST and concluded at 9:26 p.m. CST. 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. ML13344B149. 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 

CONTACT: Sarah Lopas, WCD/CPRB 

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

located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC’s Public Document Room reference staff at 

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 17 provided comments. Meeting attendees 

included representatives of the Prairie Island Indian Community, the City of Red Wing, 

Minnesota, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and members of industry and public 

advocacy groups. A list of meeting attendees is included as Attachment 1. 

Topics and concerns raised during the public comment portion of the meeting included: general 

opposition to nuclear power and support for renewable energy, energy conservation, and 

energy efficiency; calls to stop making additional nuclear waste; opposition to the Waste 

Confidence rulemaking; opposition to the generic approach of Waste Confidence and support 

for site-specific reviews; critique of the NRC’s alternatives analysis; critique of assumptions in 

the DGEIS including timeframes, institutional controls, and dry transfer systems; implementation 

of the National Environmental Policy Act; critique of the NRC’s accidents analysis; concern 

about accidents, including those caused by flooding on the Mississippi; climate change impacts 

on the safe storage of spent fuel; Fukushima; emergency planning; concern about the safety of 

dry casks; high-burn-up-fuel; support for expedited transfer of spent fuel from pools to hardened 

onsite storage (HOSS); issues specific to local plants including Prairie Island and Monticello; 

opposition to onsite storage of spent nuclear fuel at Prairie Island; water quality; health effects of 

radiation; NRC oversight; the cost of nuclear power and funding for future storage of spent fuel; 

socioeconomic impacts of spent fuel storage; proposed Canadian low-level waste disposal near 

Lake Huron; Blue Ribbon Commission recommendations; general support for nuclear power; 

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

repository; and support for the DGEIS and proposed rule. 

Enclosure: Meeting Attendees List 

cc: See next page 
A. Imboden - 2 - 

located in ADAMS, should contact the NRC’s Public Document Room reference staff at 

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 17 provided comments. Meeting attendees 

included representatives of the Prairie Island Indian Community, the City of Red Wing, 

Minnesota, the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, and members of industry and public 

advocacy groups. A list of meeting attendees is included as Attachment 1. 

Topics and concerns raised during the public comment portion of the meeting included: general 

opposition to nuclear power and support for renewable energy, energy conservation, and 

energy efficiency; calls to stop making additional nuclear waste; opposition to the Waste 

Confidence rulemaking; opposition to the generic approach of Waste Confidence and support 

for site-specific reviews; critique of the NRC’s alternatives analysis; critique of assumptions in 

the DGEIS including timeframes, institutional controls, and dry transfer systems; implementation 

of the National Environmental Policy Act; critique of the NRC’s accidents analysis; concern 

about accidents, including those caused by flooding on the Mississippi; climate change impacts 

on the safe storage of spent fuel; Fukushima; emergency planning; concern about the safety of 

dry casks; high-burn-up-fuel; support for expedited transfer of spent fuel from pools to hardened 

onsite storage (HOSS); issues specific to local plants including Prairie Island and Monticello; 

opposition to onsite storage of spent nuclear fuel at Prairie Island; water quality; health effects of 

radiation; NRC oversight; the cost of nuclear power and funding for future storage of spent fuel; 

socioeconomic impacts of spent fuel storage; proposed Canadian low-level waste disposal near 

Lake Huron; Blue Ribbon Commission recommendations; general support for nuclear power; 

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

repository; and support for the DGEIS and proposed rule. 

Enclosure: Meeting Attendees List 

DISTRIBUTION:

PUBLIC 

NMSS_WCD_Distribution 

TCampbell (OGC) 

LLondon (OGC) 

Miriam Juckett (mjuckett@swri.org) 

 

ADAMS Accession No.: ML13352A486

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

NAME SLopas TCampbell(NLO) AImboden 

DATE 12/17/13 12/17/13 12/18/13 

OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
 Enclosure 

List of Attendees 

Public Meeting to Receive Comments on the 

Waste Confidence DGEIS and Proposed Rule 

Minnetonka, MN - December 4, 2013 - 7:00 – 9:26 PM CST

First Name Last Name Organization or Affiliation 

1 John Biersdorf 

North American Young Generation in Nuclear, Xcel 

Energy 

2 Colleen Bonniwell Human Being 

3 Michael Cavlan Occupy Minnesota 

4 Sam Chesnutt Hukari Ascendent 

5 George Crocker North American Water Office 

6 Kristopher Cummings Nuclear Energy Institute 

7 Kristen Eide-Tollefson Florence Township, Goodhue County 

8 Lea Foushee North American Water Office 

9 Ben Gerber Minnesota Chamber of Commerce 

10 Peter Glass Xcel Energy, Inc. 

11 Marshall Hallock City of Red Wing 

12 Thomas Harlan Madigan, Dahl & Harlan, P.A. 

13 Ron Johnson Prairie Island Indian Community 

14 Scott Johnson Xcel Energy, Inc. 

15 Greg Klave NUKEWATCH 

16 John LaForge NUKEWATCH 

17 Davis Leslie Earth Protector 

18 Doug Loon U.S. Chamber of Commerce 

19 David Luce Citizen 

20 Phil Mahowald Prairie Island Indian Community 

21 Alan Muller Energy & Environmental Consulting 

22 Oley Nelson Xcel Energy, Inc. 

23 Carol Overland Legalectric.org 

24 Terry Pickens Xcel Energy, Inc. 

25 Ralph Rauterkus City of Red Wing 

26 Lee Samson Xcel Energy, Inc. 

27 Wally Taylor Sierra Club 

28 Pam Taylor Sierra Club 

29 Lucy Vilankula NUKEWATCH 

30 Sam Wagner Private Citizen 

31 Mike Washum Private Citizen 

32 Heather Westra Prairie Island Indian Community 

33 Allan Barker Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

34 Chip Cameron Co-Facilitator 

35 Tison Campbell Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

36 Prema Chandrathil Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

37 Jennifer Davis Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
2

First Name Last Name Organization or Affiliation 

38 Miriam Juckett Facilitator 

39 Sarah Lopas Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

40 Timothy McCartin Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

41 Keith McConnell Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

42 Paul Michalak Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

43 TR Rowe Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

44 Michael Wentzel Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

45 Susan Wittick Nuclear Regulatory Commission