APPENDIX E - Relations with External Parties

APPENDIX E

Relations with External Parties

Because of the unprecedented nature of the mission of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, Congress designed the Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program to be one of the most closely scrutinized in the public arena, subject to exceptionally broad and intensive review, regulation, and oversight. This appendix presents an overview of the formal interactions in which we are engaged.

Review, regulation, and oversight

Parties that regulate, formally review, and oversee our Program are identified below, followed by a list of the hearings, briefings, and meetings they held in Fiscal Year 2000 and the topics discussed at each. Appendix F includes a list of selected publications issued by some of these parties in Fiscal Year 2000.

Congress - Congress defines our statutory basis, appropriates funds, and monitors our progress. The congressional committees that exercise primary oversight of our work are the: Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy Research, Development, Production and Regulation; the House Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Energy and Power; and the Energy and Water Development Subcommittees of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

General Accounting Office - Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), the General Accounting Office is authorized to audit our Program. It also reviews and reports on Program activities in response to specific congressional inquiries and requests.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - NRC exercises a statutory role under the NWPA. It implements regulatory standards for the protection of the public and the environment from radioactive releases associated with storage and disposal of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. It is responsible for certifying and licensing the components of the radioactive waste management system, including the repository, facilities for storing spent nuclear fuel, and transportation casks. NRC also mandates quality assurance requirements and content requirements for license applications.

We also provide information to the Commission's Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW), which reviews the work of Commission staff and makes recommendations to the NRC regarding the adequacy of that work.

Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) - The NWTRB exercises a statutory and independent role established in the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987. It evaluates the technical and scientific validity of activities related to site characterization and the packaging and transportation of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. The NWTRB is required to report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to Congress and the Secretary of Energy at least twice a year. The NWTRB's meetings provide the public with an opportunity to observe and comment on technical exchanges between the NWTRB, Program and contractor staff, and other scientists.

National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - The NAS Board on Radioactive Waste Management (BRWM) reviews our Program on an as-requested basis, offering technical expert review and advice on Program issues.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - The Energy Policy Act of 1992 directs the EPA to promulgate a site-specific radiation protection standard for the management and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at the Yucca Mountain site.

Department of Transportation (DOT) - DOT regulates transportation of highly radioactive materials, including spent nuclear fuel. Its regulations govern handling of shipping containers, labeling of containers and placarding of transport vehicles for identification purposes, driver training and certification, and highway routing.

State of Nevada and affected units of local government - Under the NWPA, the State of Nevada and Nye County, the county within which the Yucca Mountain site is located, are entitled to exercise oversight of site characterization activities and to receive financial assistance for this purpose. Pursuant to the Amendments Act of 1987, the Secretary of Energy designated nine counties contiguous to Nye County (including Inyo County in California) as affected units of local government and, therefore, eligible to receive Federal financial assistance to review and monitor site characterization activities.

The Amendments Act also gave the State and Nye County the right to designate on-site representatives to oversee site characterization and to receive funding for associated "reasonable expenses." The State has never designated such a representative; Nye County has.

In Fiscal Year 2000, by congressional direction, $500,000 was provided to support the State's oversight functions, and $5.432 million was designated for affected units of local government.

Fiscal Year 2000 Congressional Testimony and Meetings with Regulators and Oversight Bodies

*Joint congressional briefings/hearings*
Date	Topic
February 15, 2000	Congress 2000 Roundtable

*U.S. Senate*
Date	Committee/Subcommittee	Witness(es)
September 28, 2000	Energy and Natural Resources	Dr. Ivan Itkin
April 11, 2000	Appropriations/Energy and Water Development	Dr. Ivan Itkin
March 2, 2000	Energy and Natural Resources	Secretary Bill Richardson

*U.S. House of Representatives*
Date	Committee/Subcommittee	Witness(es)
June 23, 2000	Commerce/Energy and Power	Dr. Ivan Itkin
March 24, 2000	Commerce/Energy and Power	Deputy Secretary T.J. Glauthier
March 21, 2000	Appropriations/Energy and Water Development	Dr. Ivan Itkin
March 16, 2000	Appropriations/Energy and Water Development	Dr. Ivan Itkin
March 8, 2000	Appropriations/Energy and Water Development	Secretary Bill Richardson

*NRC meetings*
Date	Topic
November 27-29, 2000	123rd ACNW meeting
November 1, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Saturated Flow
October 17-19, 2000	122nd ACNW meeting
October 11, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Structure Deformation and Seismicity
September 27, 2000	Quarterly management meeting
September 26, 2000	Quality Assurance quarterly meeting
September 19-21, 2000	121st ACNW meeting
September 12, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Container Life and Source Term
August 30, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Igneous Activity
August 16, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Issue Resolution and the Unsaturated Zone
July 25-27, 2000	120th ACNW meeting
June 13-15, 2000	119th ACNW meeting
June 15, 2000	DOE/NRC management meeting
June 6, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Total System Performance Assessments for Yucca Mountain
May 31, 2000	NRC/DOE Appendix 7 meeting
May 16, 2000	ACNW trip to United Kingdom and France
April 27, 2000	Quarterly management meeting
April 25, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Yucca Mountain Pre-licensing Issues
March 27-29, 2000	118th ACNW meeting
March 22, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Draft Safety Evaluation Report on the Disposal Criticality Analysis Methodology Topical Report
March 8, 2000	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Total System Performance Assessments for Yucca Mountain
February 23-25, 2000	117th ACNW meeting
January 13-14, 2000	116th ACNW meeting
December 14-16, 1999	115th ACNW meeting
November 17-19, 1999	114th ACNW meeting
November 11, 1999	NRC/DOE Appendix 7 meeting
October 12-13, 1999	113th ACNW meeting
October 7, 1999	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Geologic Repository for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High- Level Radioactive Waste at Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada
October 5, 1999	DOE/NRC Technical Exchange on Disposal Criticality

*NWTRB*
Date	Topic
August 1-2, 2000	Full Board meeting
July 10, 2000	Panel on Waste Management
May 1, 2000	Full Board meeting
January 25-26, 2000	Full Board meeting

NAS National Research Council: BRWM
Date	Topic
August 23, 2000	"Building a Long-Term Environmental Quality Research and Development Program in the U.S. Department of Energy" workshop

*State and Local Governments*
Date	Topic
August 8, 2000	Stakeholder meeting
August 3, 2000	Affected Units of Government meeting
March 3, 2000	Affected Units of Government meeting
January 27, 2000	Affected Units of Government meeting