May 2021 | The Council of State Governments (CSG) | Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee
Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee Newsletter
Upcoming Events
*All times are Central Time
May 4 - 6:
May 7:
National Transportation Stakeholders Forum (NTSF) Planning Committee - 11:30 AM*
May 12:
Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (MRMTC) Planning Guide Review Work Group Meeting - 10 AM*
May 12-13:
May 17 - 21:
May 18:
June 2:
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Webinar: Experiences in Setting Up Funds for Back End Liabilities in Nuclear Power Programmes - 6:30 AM*
June 2:
2021 NTSF Virtual Event: Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program - TBD
June 14:
June 15:
Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (TRMTC) Annual Meeting - 11 AM*
June 16:
Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB) High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLRW) Committee Virtual Spring Meeting - 11 AM*
June 17:
2021 NTSF Virtual Event: Vermont Yankee RadWaste Canister (RWC) Shipment Campaign Update - TBD
June 29:
2021 NTSF Virtual Event: Day in the Life of a Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Shipment - TBD
July 7:
IAEA Webinar: Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Information System (SRIS): Benefits for Members States, Benefits for Collaboration between International Organizations - 6:30 AM*
July 8:
2021 NTSF Virtual Event: Nuclear Power Plant Site Evaluations Status Report - TBD
July 21:
IAEA Webinar: Nuclear Decommissioning in the Context of Sustainability and Circular Economy - 6:30 AM*
July 21:
2021 NTSF Virtual Event: Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Aging Management Program for Dry Cask Storage and Transportation/Transportation Regulatory Readiness Review Project - TBD
July 22:
MRMTC Regional Tribal Engagement (RTE) Work Group Quarterly Meeting - 11 AM*
September 20 - 21:
September 22 - 24:
2021 Radwaste Summit - Las Vegas, NV
October 11:
MRMTC RTE Work Group Quarterly Meeting - 2 PM*
Committee Happenings
As we reach the midpoint of Spring 2021, you may be asking yourself, "why haven't I yet been able to register for the premier event of the season?" Well fear not, because you can now register for the Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (MRMTC) Spring Virtual Meeting! The two-hour meeting will be held via Zoom on June 14 at 1 PM Central Time.

Attendees will hear updates from the three Department of Energy (DOE) offices that work with the MRMTC; Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Office of Packaging and Transportation (OPT), and Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO)/Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Hopefully, this will be a great chance to learn how the Biden Administration plans to approach radioactive material transportation and management. Additionally, MRMTC members and attendees will have the chance to hear from their counterparts in other states on issues pertinent to the region. There will also be a newcomers orientation for new appointees so they can hit the ground running and fully understand what the MRMTC does. The committee is seeking appointments from Indiana, North Dakota, and Wisconsin and hopes to have those positions filled by June.

In other committee news, the MRMTC Regional Tribal Engagement (RTE) Work Group held its second quarterly meeting of 2021 on April 12. During the meeting, the group learned that the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has organized a Nuclear Government Coordinating Council which seeks to provide effective interagency, intergovernmental, and cross-jurisdictional coordination of activities, strategies, and policy that are relevant to the cybersecurity, infrastructure security, and resilience of the nuclear sector. It is hoped that this council can serve as a good venue to increase communication between railroad companies and tribal, state, and local stakeholders.

Finally, former MRMTC Co-Chair Kelly Horn (Illinois) presented at the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Virtual Used Fuel Management Conference (pictured below). Participating in the Transportation session, Mr. Horn provided insights and a state's perspective related to requirements, expectations, and experience related to spent nuclear fuel (SNF) transportation. Mr. Horn and the other speakers stressed the importance of preparing for SNF transportation due to the possibility of private consolidated interim storage facilities (CISF) accepting SNF by 2024.
National Transportation Stakeholders Forum
Speaking of virtual events involving radioactive material transportation, the first 2021 National Transportation Stakeholders Forum (NTSF) Virtual Event of the year is in less than two weeks! On May 18, at 1 PM Central Time, join Jeff Galan of the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for "International Nuclear Material Shipment Coordination." This virtual event will include a discussion about various shipments, including the successful completion of the National Research Universal and National Research Experimental (NRU/NRX) reactors Spent Fuel Campaign. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited will also share their experiences working on transports to the U.S. and compare them to how operations are handled within Canada. You must preregister to attend this event.

In other NTSF news, several updates have been made to the wiki site, including moving the calendar to the homepage, removing redundant or unneeded pages, and condensing the webinars page. Unfortunately, the site's host, WIkidot, has recently made changes to their subscription plans that has severely limited future expansion of the wiki. NTSF members are actively considering alternatives and hope to reach a solution soon.

The NTSF Planning Committee met on April 21 and will be meeting again on May 7. During the meeting, it was announced that the draft of the NTSF Management Plan will soon be shared with the Planning Committee. In late May, Rail/Routing Ad Hoc Working Group (AHWG) members will receive a revised DOE Railcar Safety Inspection Protocol for review. Then, the group will meet virtually in late June or early July to discuss next steps. Finally, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) gave a report on a non-DOE radioactive material transportation accident that you can read about in Nuclear News below.

In regional news, the Northeast High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Task Force held part one of their Spring Virtual Meeting on April 27. In addition to typical task force business items, attendees also learned about some exciting policy developments at the federal level. For example, Congress has directed DOE to begin working on CISFs for SNF, language in DOE's appropriations instructs the department to focus on SNF located near cities and Tribes, an appointment for Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy is expected very soon, and DOE will resume the consent-based siting (CBS) process for the disposition of SNF. Two other committees that make up the NTSF will be holding their own meetings soon. On June 15, the Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (TRMTC) will virtually hold its Annual Meeting. Then, on June 16, the Western Interstate Energy Board (WIEB) High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLRW) Committee will host its Virtual Spring Meeting.

Finally, while not an NTSF work product, a new report was published that should be of interest to all NTSF members. The 2021 update of the "Nuclear Power Plant Infrastructure Evaluations for Removal of Spent Nuclear Fuel" is now available. This update changes the previous title to show that DOE intends to conduct site evaluations for operating nuclear power plants too, not just shutdown sites. Additionally, this year's update adds information from new site evaluations at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant in New Jersey and the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Massachusetts.
Focus This Month
New Recommendations from the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB)
Last month, the U.S. NWTRB released a report to the U.S. Congress and the Secretary of Energy. "Six Overarching Recommendations for How to Move the Nation's Nuclear Waste Management Program Forward" synthesizes the nine-person board's decade-long experience reviewing DOE's activities related to the management and disposal of SNF and high-level waste (HLW). According to the NWTRB's letter, they believe this report, "if adopted as core principles, will support the creation of a robust, safe, and effective nuclear waste management capability for the nation, including laying the groundwork for a successful geologic repository." Each of the six recommendations is accompanied by a number of associated action items. A few action items will be highlighted here, but please review and read the full report for a better sense of the board's recommendations.

  • Ensure an Integrated Organizational Approach
  • Further enhance integration of research & development (R&D) programs executed by DOE's Office of Environmental Management (EM), NE, and other DOE offices to optimize collaboration, minimize duplication, and maximize the effectiveness of the order.
  • Find additional innovative ways of information sharing through DOE-led conferences or workshops that might encourage the different entities to improve communications and engagement.
  • Anticipate Required Infrastructure and Personnel Needs
  • Develop and communicate an integrated plan regarding physical infrastructure, information technology, and personnel needs over the next decade.
  • Expand the Research Paradigm to Embrace Hypothesis Testing
  • Test alternative hypotheses using careful experimental design over multiple scales from laboratory to full-scale in-situ tests in a underground research laboratory (URL).
  • Apply an Iterative, Adaptive Approach in Developing and Managing the Nuclear Waste Management Program
  • Be open and structured to adapt to surprises during all aspects of the nuclear waste management program and always be willing to reevaluate and rethink previous decisions.
  • Establish mechanisms as part of on-going evaluations to facilitate and incentivize solicitation of input and feedback from all affected stakeholders, including: independent scientists and engineers outside of the nuclear waste management program; local, state, and tribal governments; nuclear utilities; and the interested public.
  • Expand Engagement with the International Community to Benefit from Lessons Learned
  • Build on current initiatives and continue to expand engagement with the international community, recognizing the need for global cooperation in science and technology in this world-wide grand environmental challenge.
  • Embrace Openness, Transparency, and Engagement
  • Inform and engage the public and other affected stakeholders early in the planning and review of all aspects of the nuclear waste management program.
  • Develop site-suitability criteria prior to the start of site selection so as to minimize any ambiguity and latitude in their interpretation, thus helping to ensure the objectivity of the process and public confidence in its outcome. If, at any point during the siting process, the criteria need to be changed, a transparent and meaningfully participatory process to do so needs to be followed.

The U.S. NWTRB recognizes that several constraints make implementing some of these recommendations challenging but that some areas can begin being addressed immediately. Furthermore, the adoption of these recommendations as core principles will require protracted commitment and effort from DOE.
Nuclear News
Midwest Efforts to Build More, and Save Current, Nuclear Power
Missouri House Bill (HB) 261 seeks to create the Missouri Nuclear Clean Power Act. Under this bill, electricity generating utilities could charge ratepayers for the costs associated with constructing power plants and facilities before they are operational, as long as the plant in question is rated for at least 200 megawatts (MW) and utilizes renewable sources (nuclear). HB 261 has passed the Missouri House of Representatives and currently sits in the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee. The bill's lead sponsor, Rep. John Black, says that New Hampshire and Missouri are the only states that don't currently allow for this construction work in progress (CWIP) billing.

The Missouri Times has more information.

Meanwhile, in Illinois, employees of, and community members near, the Byron Nuclear Generating Station are rallying residents and state lawmakers to support HB 1472, more commonly known as the Climate Union Jobs Act. One of several bills working through the Illinois General Assembly focused on creating a 100% renewable energy grid, HB 1472 would preserve the state's nuclear fleet in part by creating 74 million MW-hour carbon mitigation credits. Furthermore, an independent audit of Exelon's finances that was commissioned by Gov. J.B. Pritzker found that the state should subsidize the company's Byron and Dresden plants in order to meet the 100% carbon-free goal. Synapse Energy Economics found that these plants could be subsidized for much cheaper than the 2016 $235 million/year for 10 years deal that has kept the Quad Cities and Clinton plants running. The proposed Byron and Dresden program would cost about $150 million/year for five years.

MyStateline.com and the Chicago Tribune have more coverage of the Illinois developments.

Uranium Hexafluoride Truck Shipment Crashes in North Carolina
As mentioned in the NTSF section above, a non-DOE radioactive material transportation accident occurred recently. On March 31, a truck carrying uranium hexafluoride (UF6) from Baltimore, MD, to Columbia, SC, collided with a van on southbound I-95 in North Carolina. Four UX-30 overpacks containing solid UF6 were mounted on a flat rack. During the crash, the flat rack dislodged from the truck bed and two of the overpacks were released from the flat rack and ended up in the highway median. No injuries or radioactive release occurred. Because the shipment originated in France, it was being transported under Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, not NRC or DOE regulations. With the help of the North Carolina Rapid Response Team 3, the company managing the shipment, Hittman Transport Services, placed the beat-up overpacks back onto a new flat rack and delivered the undamaged UF6 to its destination 48 hours later. Under DOT regulations, UF6 shipments do not require advance notifications for states or Tribes.

Daily Mail has more coverage, including photographs of the accident.

Updates from the Land of 10,000 Lakes
At a time when many electric service customers across the country are seeing skyrocketing bills due to February's winter storms, some Minnesotans will be getting refunds from Xcel Energy. This comes after a $9.6 million settlement between the energy company and DOE. Under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA), companies like Xcel have formed contracts with DOE to dispose and store commercial SNF. Since DOE has never accepted the SNF, Xcel received the breach of contract settlement. $2.9 million of the refund will go towards the PowerOn bill payment assistance program for customers enrolled in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The rest of the money will be credited to commercial and industrial customers.

In other Gopher State news, the Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate removed the state's prohibition on issuing certificates of need for new nuclear power plants as part of an energy omnibus bill. It is expected that the Democrat-controlled Minnesota House will not agree to lifting this restriction. Regardless, discussion of the bill led Sen. Jason Rarick to float the idea of bringing a nuclear plant to the northern Minnesota Iron Range. Sen. Rarick argued that a small modular reactor could be used to power heavy-industry users, such as mining companies, in the area.

Daily Energy Insider has more on the settlement and the Pioneer Press has more on the Minnesota Senate.
Two UX-30 overpacks can be seen in the median and a flat rack can be seen in the road of a North Carolina highway after a March 31 crash. Photo courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
Thank you for reading. Watch for the next edition to come out on
June 3, 2021.
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Please do not reproduce or create new content from this material without the prior express written permission of CSG Midwest.

This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy under Award Numbers DE-NE0008604,
DE-EM0004869, and DE-EM0005168.

This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.