The Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (MRMTC)'s CSG-Midwest staffer Melissa Shahzadeh attended the Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (TRMTC) Mid-year Meeting held in Carlsbad, NM. Daniel King (Oneida) and Michael Sobotta (Nez Perce), both pictured in personal protective gear (PPE), were two of the many tribal members in attendance at the meeting and on the following day’s tour of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). A recap of the meeting is in this month’s Focus below.

Melissa also attended the WIPP Annual Legislative Breakfast on January 31. The annual breakfast is a joint event hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO), DOE Office of Environmental Management Los Alamos Field Office (DOE-EM LAFO), Salado Isolation Mining Contractors, and New Mexico Senators and Representatives. The event was held at the Inn & Spa at the Loretto off of Santa Fe’s historic plaza and was well attended by local stakeholders. Michael Mikolanis (DOE-EM LAFO), Ken Harrawood (Salado Isolation Mining Contractors), and Mark Bollinger (CBFO) all spoke about the environmental efforts undertaken by their respective DOE offices. One item of particular note was a factoid cited by Mark Bollinger: WIPP secures waste associated with the cleanup of 22 DOE legacy sites.

Finally, please note that upcoming Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP) Full 2-Day Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training (MERRTT) classes as well as other classes are listed in the sidebar calendar of this newsletter. We would like to remind all interested members that funding is available to defray expenses associated with attendance at training classes such as those listed here.

Who Wore It Better?

"Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society." -- Mark Twain

Melanie Snyder of the Western Interstate Energy Board (WEIB) and Steve Maheras of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) feature in this month’s Who Wore It Better e-newsletter segment, an insouciant study of panache made manifest in the niche world of radioactive materials transport. We all understand: Safety First. But Melanie and Steve force us to ask: should two people possessed of such style and sauciness be trusted 2150 feet underground? (Note: fortunately, they were closely supervised whilst below ground.)

Members of The National Transportation Stakeholders Forum (NTSF) Planning Committee’s efforts to meet during the month of January were thwarted by various scheduling conflicts. However, there were discussions held offline regarding fleshing out the descriptions of possible breakout session. The next full meeting of the NTSF Planning Committee is currently slated for Wednesday, February 7.

Melissa and the indefatigable MRMTC program manager Mitch Arvidson (CSG-Midwest) both attended the NTSF Section 180(c) Ad hoc Working Group (AHWG) meeting on January 8. A quorum was achieved with more than 20 people in attendance. The meeting was largely a review of the lessons learned from a Policy Implementation Exercise that was suggested by the AHWG back in 2014. The original goals of the exercise included an enhancement of Department of Energy (DOE) staff’s and State and Tribal stakeholders’ understanding of issues related to future Section 180(c) program implementation, an exploration of flexible funding options for Tribes, and a better understanding of training needs and requirements. In the exercise, volunteers identified mock routes for radioactive shipping campaigns and then completed a mock Assessment & Planning grant application. Whilst the exercise was originally intended to be a six-month paperwork exercise, it grew to encompass 18-months of effort that involved a mock needs assessment and many mock grant applications. This was, thus, the fertile ground in which seeds of understanding were planted and lessons were learned. The lessons were largely categorized under seven headings (the Scope and Time Commitment; the Adequacy of Information Provided to Volunteers; the Different Levels of State/Tribal Preparedness to Undertake Planning Activities; Covering Costs of Operation Activities; Tribal Specific Issues; Base Grant Awards; and Variable Award Amounts) and these were briefly discussed at the meeting so to establish an understanding upon which to found a discussion of the next steps to be taken.

Recap of TRMTC's Mid-year Meeting

The TRMTC Mid-year Meeting was held in Carlsbad, NM on Wednesday, January 24. An Executive Session for TRMTC members was held immediately prior to the full meeting, which began shortly before 9:30am. WIPP’s Betsy Forniash supplied the opening remarks, commenting on the immediacy of the work of the transportation committees, and the importance of safety, partnerships, and learning. She explained that WIPP is celebrating its 25th anniversary on March 26, which was the day the first shipment arrived at the New Mexico facility. She underscored the idea of the cyclical nature of time and experience, as she said the underground looks today much as it did 25 years ago due to the new mining that is under way: there are sharp corners, shiny salt surfaces, crystalline particulates in the air. 

TRMTC chair Richard Arnold welcomed all attendants after Betsy spoke and encouraged members to focus on the importance of partnership and consider that alliance is necessary for success in virtually all aspects of shared existence. Richard’s observations were followed by presentations by DOE-EM. Ellen Edge (DOE-EM) updated the attendees on the work of DOE-EM including the Packaging and Transportation program, and she too lent her voice to the sentiment that seemed to connect one topic to another: success through collaboration. TRMTC members quizzed Ellen on various aspects of this collaboration including whether lists are publicly available regarding which DOE-EM legacy sites are shipping wastes and where those shipments are going. There was a flurry of questions regarding small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced reactors including the Back End Management of Advanced Reactor fuel (BEMAR), which prompted an interjection by Steve Maheras of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) emphasizing that this work is in progress and of interest to the public as well as the Department of Defense (DOD). Gerard Jackson of DOE Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) suggested that there are "concepts not contracts" for materials associated with SMRs, as there is as of now no firm idea of what precise material will be involved in that future technology. 

James Mason of CBFO spoke briefly about WIPP shipments, of which there are 14 or 15 per week. He said that this past week saw 18 shipments, which was the most received since 2014, and which was due to delayed shipments out of Idaho due inclement weather in recent weeks. He said they anticipated a dip in waste received in the coming weeks, suggesting that waste availability ebbs and flows as do so many things. James also spoke about the TEPP trainings he has been facilitating. He explained that he has been focusing on rural areas such as Vaughn, NM that are small and lacking a workforce able to deployed in the event of an incident. Elizabeth Helvey (NorthWind) indicated she would be interested in seeing a list identifying the frequency of shipments from various sites, suggesting that understanding the scale of shipments from various installations would be helpful in advancing Tribal interests. James assured Elizabeth that a semi-annual letter is distributed with the requested information. 

The discussion then turned to the larger topic of cleanup. Richard asked whether shipments were limited to radiation waste and whether DOE-EM legacy sites were shipping “rad waste.” Betsy Forinash stated “cleanup is holistic,” and whilst radioactive waste often takes priority due to the sizeable public awareness, it is not the only kind of waste involved in cleanup. It was suggested that Tribal engagement in establishing standards of cleanup might be considered, as Tribal standards may not be coextensive with Federal standards.

Jack Volpato of the Carlsbad Mayor’s Nuclear Task Force was invited to speak about the siting of a spent nuclear fuel (SNF) interim storage facility in Carlsbad and the legal, legislative, and public hurdles involved in that process. Some tribal members objected to his comments that there was local, community support for the project that would transform a veritable wasteland into a productive facility supplying constant and well-paying jobs. Tribal members emphasized that their ties to the land surpass customary understandings of time and space, and that a tribal homeland may be far removed from current tribal territory. As such, unless tribal members were involved in the designation of the Carlsbad land slated for interim storage, it cannot be said to have been received positively by the entire community. 

After a short break, the DOE-NE team took center stage and supplied updates from the Office of Integrated Waste Management (DOE-IWM) including the Consent-Based Siting Process, the package performance demonstration, and site evaluations. The updates suggested there is a tremendous momentum within the DOE-IWM and that great strides are being made to cultivate public support. Miriam Juckett (PNNL) emphasized her desire to receive member feedback on what kind of package performance demonstration would be most compelling. The immediate feedback was that the demonstration must be applicable to real-world scenarios. In the final session, members of the Federal Railway Association (FRA) spoke on the State Rail Safety Program and updates to the Safety Coordination and Compliance Oversight Plan (SCCOP). Jeff Moore (FRA) suggested that the SCCOP, whilst labeled as “final,” was indeed still open for edits and amendments. He invited stakeholders to provide edits thereto and he would aim to compile those edits in a new draft in time for the NTSF meeting in June 2024.

The meeting ended with a tribal roundtable in which tribal members spoke about transportation items within their respective locations. The inescapable conclusion is that this work on transportation of radioactive materials takes a community of invested individuals willing to collaborate and work holistically toward a distant and sometimes unimaginable goal.

Nuclear News

Updates on Efforts to Reduce Cook Nuclear Plant's Taxable Value

Indiana Michigan Power, the company that owns Cook Nuclear Power Plant in Lake Township, Michigan, petitioned the Michigan Tax Tribunal to reduce the plant's taxable value by nearly 30% back in May 2022. It was reported on January 11 in the Harbor Country News that a hearing date has been set for October 14 - 31, 2024. According to the article, Berrien County Administrator Brian Dissette told county commissioners in November that the county would lose "between $3 million to $3.5 million in tax revenue if the nuclear plant's taxable value is reduced." Indiana Michigan Power officials provided a written statement in which they said "the appeal of the assessed value of the nuclear plant for property tax purposes is necessary to ensure the assessed value is reasonable and appropriate." The statement also indicated that the officials understand the value reduction might affect the county's tax base. Read more about this ongoing situation here.

Michigan Public Service Commission Draft Report Concludes New Nuclear is Necessary

The Enercon draft report commissioned by the Michigan Public Service Commission is a nuclear feasibility study report that resulted from Public Act 166 of 2022. Enercon, an engineering and environmental services firm, was contracted to examine the feasibility of nuclear power generation within the state according to a number of parameters including the relative advantage and disadvantages of nuclear power, economic impacts, emissions reductions, and nuclear power policies among others. The 168-page report is well worth the time to peruse, and ultimately concludes that "additional new nuclear and continuing nuclear power generation for the state of Michigan will be necessary to achieve the Michigan Clean Energy Future Bill's goal." The report also states, "new nuclear power plants... are certainly feasible, but pursuing new plants will neither be easy nor without costs. Benefits will include multi-generational clean energy production, providing desirable local employment and spill-over economic benefits."

NRC Holds Oral Argument on Perry License Renewal

On January 30, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Atomic Safety and Licensing Board held a virtual oral argument on a petition requesting a hearing on Energy Harbor’s application to renew the operating license of Perry Nuclear Power Plant, near Perry, Ohio. The application renewal is for a 20-year extension to the operating license. The Board was composed of three administrative judges from the NRC’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel. According to the NRC announcement of the meeting, “Boards conduct adjudicatory hearings on NRC licensing and enforcement actions, and they are independent of the NRC staff. A Board’s ruling may be appealled to the Commission.” The oral argument was scheduled to allow the Board to consider the admissibility of contentions from petitioners Ohio Nuclear Free Network and Beyond Nuclear. These petitioners challenged Energy Harbor’s application on safety and environmental grounds. A decision on the admissibility of the petitioners’ objections is expected within 45 days.

NRC Approves HALEU Transport Package

World-Energy reported on January 15 that the NRC issued a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) in mid-December 2023 for NAC International’s patented Optimus-L packaging system to transport high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) tri-structural isotropic particle (TRISO) fuel. NAC stated, “this is the first time the NRC has licensed high-capacity packagings for HALEU TRISO fuel in the US and lays the foundation for future licensing of NAC’s Optimus systems to carry other HALEU contents.” According to the article, “TRISO fuel comprises spherical kernels of enriched uranium oxycarbide (or uranium dioxide) surrounded by layers of carbon and silicon carbide, giving a containment for fission products which is stable up to very high temperatures.” These HALEU TRISO fuels are the preferred fuel for advanced reactors currently being designed. The approval of these high-capacity packaging systems is an important step forward in building out the infrastructure necessary for advanced reactors by ensuring that fuel transportation is not a limiting factor in the development of modern nuclear power.

Empowering American Nuclear Energy

On January 19, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability published a press release regarding the hearing entitled "The Next Generation: Empowering American Nuclear Energy" held by the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs. Subcommittee members used the hearing as an opportunity to question Biden Administration officials from various Federal offices including DOE, NRC, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about how the US can approach the task of building out domestic power generation. The press release highlights three "key takeaways,” which are quoted below.

1. "The Biden Administration is ignoring the reality that our current system cannot handle their radical Green New Deal."
2. "We must take steps now to build out the United States' nuclear power generation capacity to benefit the environment, stabilize the grid, and bolster U.S. national security."
3. "There are clear national security implications for the United States' reliance on foreign uranium, including from adversarial nations such as Russia and China, to fuel its nuclear power plants."

According to the press release, during the hearing, Dr. Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary of DOE-NE, acknowledged that a "key priority" for her office and the administration is to ensure a reliable uranium supply chain and admitted that it is "not a sustainable approach" to remain dependent on other nations for nuclear fuel. Dr. Huff suggested that it will likely take three to four years for local private industry to develop adequate enrichment capacity.

Nuclear-generated Warm Water Used to Melt Ice on the Kankakee River

CBS news reported on January 17 that homes along the Kankakee River in Will County, Illinois are at risk due to an ice jam on that river that is inhibiting standard water flow. The ice collected on the river during the recent arctic cold snap and is forcing water to pool in residents' backyards. However, sometime before 11am on January 16, workers began siphoning water from the Dresden Generating Station's cooling lake into the Kankakee River to thaw the ice. The Generating Station's cooling lake is a holding reservoir for water ordinarily used to cool the nuclear power plant. Allison Anderson, the director of the Will County Emergency Management Agency, explained that this water also can function as a "mitigation tool" to facilitate thawing on the river. CBS news stated, "until Mother Nature warms things up, the situation in Wilmington will be frozen and fluid."