Welcome to the CSG Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee Update. Below are links and summaries of several important happenings from the last few weeks. Please don't hesitate to contact Lisa (920/458-5910) or Sarah (630/925-1922) with any questions or concerns about any of these issues.

DOE Announces Draft Analysis of DUF6 Disposal

On April 3rd, DOE published in the Federal Register a Notice of Availability for the Draft Supplemental Analysis for DUF6 disposal. Over the past several years, DOE has transported the depleted uranium hexafluoride, which is a product of uranium enrichment, from Oak Ridge National Laboratories in Tennessee to Portsmouth, Ohio. Additional DUF6 is stored at a DOE site in Paducah, Kentucky. DOE will now convert the DUF6 into the more stable uranium oxide and will permanently dispose of the materials at either the Nevada Test Site or Energy Solutions (formerly Envirocare) in Clive, Utah. The committee heard details of the project at the fall meeting in Carlsbad. Transportation for this product could affect many of the Midwestern states. In the programmatic record of decision neither site was chosen for permanent disposal. This draft analysis announces that DOE found no additional environmental concerns that would impact the disposal site decision. DOE will therefore issue amended records of decision identifying a specific disposal site. DOE is seeking public comment on the draft analysis by May 18th. The committee must decide whether or not to submit comments. Please click here to vote on whether or not the committee should submit comments on the DUF6 draft analysis. The survey also includes a question about the next article.

Click here to see the announcement in the Federal Register
Click here to see the Draft Supplemental Analysis
Click here to see an overview of DOE's DUF6 conversion and disposal

DOE Extends GNEP Programmatic EIS Scoping Comment Period

In response to public request, DOE recently announced an extension of the period for scoping comments on the GNEP Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The PEIS will cover the proposed scope, alternatives, and environmental issues related to the GNEP program. One such impact is radioactive waste transportation between nuclear plants, GNEP sites, and Yucca Mountain. Last year, the committee submitted comments on the Advanced Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the program. From the committee and others' comments, DOE has outlined what will be analyzed in the PEIS. They are now seeking comments on that outline. Comments on this are due June 4. The committee must decide whether or not to submit comments. Please click on the link in the previous article to vote on whether or not the committee should submit comments on the PEIS scope.

Click here to see the Notice of Extension for comments.
Click here to see the proposed contents of GNEP PEIS.
Click here to see the committee's comments on the GNEP ANOI.

Committee Roster Almost Complete

Michigan Senator Patty Birkholz, Midwestern Legislative Conference Chair, has appointed six state legislators to serve on the committee. The new legislative members are:

Sen. Ron Jelinek, MI
Sen. Vickie McDonald, NE
Sen. Carolyn McGinn, KS
Rep. Phil Montgomery, WI
Rep. David Niezgodski, IN
Rep. Steven Olson, IA

This week, we will be sending a letter to the new members welcoming them and introducing them to the work of the committee. We'll pass along copies of the letters to the gubernatorial appointees from these states, who might wish to follow up by contacting the new members personally. As retired member Jeff Elgin noted, it's a good idea to do as much as we can to "hook" the legislative members so that they'll become active members of the committee.

We still hope to fill four more legislative seats on the committee, with appointments pending in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio. All 12 gubernatorial appointments have been confirmed.

Click here to see an updated roster with contact information

Thanks for reading! Look for our next update in your inbox in two weeks.

Sincerely,
Lisa Janairo and Sarah Wochos
Committee Staff