1. Annual Mid-Atlantic States Conference Dates Confirmed
2. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Public Hearings Concerning Oyster Creek
3. Bureau of Nuclear Engineering (BNE) Representation at a Meeting of Northeast States’ Task Force

1. Annual Mid-Atlantic States Conference Dates Confirmed

The New Jersey Health Physics Society has agreed to sponsor this year’s annual meeting of the Mid-Atlantic States Radiation Control Programs which will be held on October 16, 17, 2007 at the Inn @ Lambertville Station in Lambertville, New Jersey. This meeting, which rotates locations between the member states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland, features presentations and training in the various disciplines of radiation protection. This years meeting, which is being hosted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Radiation Protection Programs, will include full day training for MQSA certified inspectors, radiologic technologists and medical physicists. Attendees of this training session will earn 6.5 CEU’s towards maintaining their MQSA certification. In addition, papers will be presented covering topics in radioactive materials, non-ionizing radiation, medical x-ray and homeland security.

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2. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Public Hearings Concerning Oyster Creek

On March 30, 2007 AmerGen submitted a motion to dismiss the “Citizens” contention that AmerGen’s scheduled monitoring frequency for the sand bed region of the drywell is not sufficient to maintain an adequate safety margin for the drywell shell at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) ruled against that motion on June 20, 2007.

Consequently, the ASLB, will proceed with a hearing on the “Citizens” contention. Although the hearings, set for September 24-25, 2007 are open to the public, the only testimony that will be heard is by regulators, plant officials and members of a six-group citizens’ coalition.

No specific location has yet to be designated for the hearing, however, it will be in Ocean County.

The NRC spokesman said that this will be the first time an actual hearing will take place regarding a license renewal application, as a result of a challenge to the license renewal process.

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3. Bureau of Nuclear Engineering (BNE) Representation at a Meeting of Northeast States’ Task Force

A BNE engineer represented New Jersey at a meeting of the Northeast States Task Force for the Transportation of High Level Radioactive Waste. The meeting was held on June 5, 2007 in Providence, RI. The meeting was sponsored by and paid for by the federal Department of Energy (DOE). This is a task force begun by the DOE as part of their effort to site and eventually operate a spent fuel repository at Yucca Mountain.

As part of the meeting, a tour of the Millstone nuclear power plant was set up by the Connecticut representative for June 6, 2007. About twenty state and federal employees left New London, CT on a 40-foot Coast Guard cutter and rode over to Millstone.

The group observed buoys placed by the Coast Guard just offshore of Millstone as part of the defensive strategy for terrorism. Earlier, the Director of Radiation Programs for the Connecticut DEP presented information about an unannounced security drill performed at Millstone. The Connecticut DEP employee, and FBI agent, and a Coast Guard officer, took an unmarked boat to Millstone and entered the exclusion area.

Entry was spotted by plant security personnel quickly, notifications were made and Marine Police responded. Response was considered a success.

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