NRC to Hold Webinar for Public on Nuclear Spent Fuel Storage

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is holding a webinar on Jan. 31 for the public on the from nuclear power plants, including Oyster Creek Generation Station, for as long as 200 years.

“The NRC staff is seeking to engage the public regarding the Agency’s plans to develop a draft environmental impact statement for an update of the NRC’s Waste Confidence decision and rule,” a news release from the NRC said.

The webinar will serve as a walk through and an question and answer session about the draft report “Background and Preliminary Assumptions for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)—Long-Term Waste Confidence Update."

The EIS will include an analyses of environmental impacts related to long-term handling, storage and transportation of spent fuel. It discusses several storage scenarios including at nuclear power plants, regional storage sites or a combination of storage and reprocessing of spent fuel.

The web-based session, which will run on Jan. 31 from 2 to 3:30 p.m., will be co-hosted by the Council of State Governments’ Midwestern Office and the NRC. Participants will include members of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards and other NRC organizations.

The public is invited to participate by providing comments and asking questions throughout the webinar, the release said.

Interested members of the public can participate in the webinar by registering at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/844201962. The public is encouraged to register by Jan. 25. Once registered, instructions for joining the webinar, including a teleconference number and a pass code, will be provided.

For more information contact Christine Pindeda at 301-492-3154 or Christine.Pineda@nrc.gov.

Earlier this week, the NRC asked the public for comments on the EIS. The public comment period for the report ends Feb. 17.

To comment on the report, e-mail WCOutreach@nrc.gov or send through U.S. mail to Christine Pineda, Project Manager, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Mailstop EBB-2B2, U.S. Nuclear Regulator Commission, Washington, DC 20555-001.

The report, “Background and Preliminary Assumptions for an Environmental Impact Statement- Long-Term Waste Confidence Update” can be found here. It is also attached to this story as a PDF.

The agenda for the teleconference is as follows:
2 p.m.- Ground Rules (CSG Midwest)
2:05 p.m.- Introduction (NRC)
2:15 p.m.- Overview of the Draft Report (NRC)
2:30 p.m.- Opportunity for Questions and Feedback
3:20 p.m.- Closing Remarks (NRC)
3:30 p.m.- Adjourn