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POLICY ISSUE
INFORMATION

SECY-07-0017

January 23, 2007

• PURPOSE
• DISCUSSION
• COORDINATION

PURPOSE:

To inform the Commission of a planned change in the United States membership on the Bureau of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development's Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA). This paper does not address any new commitments nor resource implications.

DISCUSSION:

The RWMC is one of the NEA standing technical committees. The goal of the RWMC, as reflected in the NEA Strategic Plan, is as follows:

Additional background regarding the RWMC activities to achieve this goal, are included in the enclosure. Because of the value to the United States, of RWMC work, managers from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) participate in the RWMC, as NRC managers do in other NEA standing technical committees. For example, Jim Dyer, Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, serves on the Bureau of the NEA Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities. The previous U.S. representative on the RWMC Bureau was Margaret Federline. Bob Bernero, previous Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, also served in a leadership capacity on the RWMC.

A number of changes are occurring in the RWMC Bureau. For example, a new Chairman, from Germany, was elected at the last meeting (in March 2006), but was not able to continue serving in his position because of changes in his responsibilities in Germany. Margaret Federline, the previous chairperson, was asked to fill this role until a new Chairman can be elected in March 2007. Also, the Canadian Bureau member is stepping down because of Canadian government changes. In addition, a new Japanese Bureau member began his term in 2006.

Because of the status of the high-level waste regulatory program in this country, NEA has expressed interest in the United States continuing to serve on the RWMC Bureau. Both DOE and EPA have encouraged NRC to continue to represent the U.S. on the RWMC Bureau. DOE plans to continue serving as head of the U.S. delegation at the RWMC annual meetings and EPA plans to continue participating in these meetings, as well. NRC's continued membership on the RWMC Bureau involves, according to what has been the case previously, preparation for and participation in, two Bureau meetings each year (where one of the Bureau meetings coincides with the annual RWMC meeting).

At a meeting of the RWMC Bureau at NRC Headquarters during the week of December 15, 2006, the NEA Secretariat was informed, subject to internal NRC approvals, that the proposed next U.S. representative on the RWMC Bureau will be Jack Strosnider, Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. Mr. Strosnider has a broad knowledge of the NRC and U.S. radioactive waste management programs, and well understands the NEA organizational structure and its methods of work, since he was a member of the NEA Secretariat for two years. The Office of the Executive Director for Operations supports the nomination of Mr. Strosnider as the next U.S. representative on the RWMC Bureau.

COORDINATION:

The Office of International Programs concurs in this paper. The Office of the General Counsel has reviewed this paper and has no legal objection.

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