The Tribal Caucus of the National Transportation Stakeholders Forum (NTSF) met Jan. 25-26, 2017, at the Hilton Charlotte University Place Hotel in Charlotte, N.C.
NTSF is the organization through which the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) communicates at a national level with tribes and states about shipments of radioactive waste and materials. It connects representatives of tribal and state governments, federal agency officials, local governments and industry to address key institutional issues related to transporting radioactive waste.
Tribal Caucus executive session (tribal members only)
Tribal Caucus open meeting
Welcome to Charlotte- New tribal representatives
Report from Recent Meetings
DOE-NE Transportation Core Group Meeting
NRC Tribal Policy Statement
Consent-Based Siting Meetings
NTSF-related Reports
Rail/Routing, Heather Westra, PIIC
Information/Communication, Heather Westra, PIIC; Katie Meehan, NCSL
Transportation Materials, Talia Martin, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes
Management Plan, Richard Arnold, CGTO
180(c) Exercise, Heather Westra, PIIC
U.S. Department of Energy Program Updates and Q&A
Joanne Lorence, Michael Wangler, Demitrous Blount, Office of Packaging and Transportation | Presentation
Erica Bickford, Office of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition | Presentation
Updates from State Regional Groups
Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Overview and Q&A
Keith Waldrop, EPRI | Presentation
WIPP Reopening: Updates from Carlsbad Field Office
James Mason, Carlsbad Field Office | Presentation
WIPP Reopening: Updates from State of New Mexico
Eletha Trujillo, State of New Mexico, will share the State’s perspective of WIPP’s reopening and the State’s collaboration with nearby Tribes.
NTSF Annual Meeting Updates and Q&A
Michael Wangler and Uldis Vanags provided information on the upcoming NTSF Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA June 5-8, 2017. | Presentation
The Tribal Caucus discussed participation in the annual meeting and topics for a potential tribal plenary or breakout session.
Screening of Red Power Energy and Discussion to Follow
The group viewed the Red Power Energy documentary, which is told from the Native American perspective about the tribal lands that are part of today’s energy debate. The film explores the economic, cultural, and environmental issues surrounding the development of renewable and nonrenewable energy resources on American Indian lands.
Waste Control Specialists Updates and Q&A:
Policy and Legislative Perspective
Betsy Madru, Waste Control Specialists, provided the group with the state perspective on the current private initiatives for interim storage.
Technical Perspective from AREVA, Inc.
Jeffery Isakson, TN Americas, discussed current technology for cask manufacturing, fuel transportation, and the WCS consolidated interim storage project. | Presentation
START Routing Tool Demonstration
Erica Bickford, DOE-NE, provided an overview of various factors for consideration in route inspection. The purpose of this presentation is to gauge tribal interest in experiencing and contributing to the decision-making process.
Tribal Roundtable Discussion
Interested tribal participants provided brief information on current transportation topics or interest areas for his/her respective tribe. Topics of conversation may focus on transportation of radioactive waste, emergency response and preparedness, the reopening of the WIPP facility, or any other items of interest.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Updates and Q&A
David Pstrak, NRC, provided updates on NRC activities, including decommissioning, the management aging process in storage (MAPS) report, updates on Waste Control Specialists (WCS) licensing process, and the waste classification systems. | Presentation
Stuart Easson, NRC, provided updates on the recently released Tribal Policy Statement, as well as a recent Memorandum of Understanding between the NRC, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Transportation.
Closing Remarks
Tribal Business Session
Tribal Caucus executive session (tribal members only)