1999 Annual Report

March 2000

New Jersey Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility Siting Board

P.O. Box 415
Trenton, New Jersey
08625-0415

March 2000

The Honorable Christine Todd Whitman, Governor

Members of the Senate

Members of the Assembly:

We are pleased to send you the 1999 Annual Report of the New Jersey Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility Siting Board.

1999 was the first year after we suspended our siting efforts and had the support of staffing solely from the Department of Environmental Protection. The Board is committed to continue to provide educational materials regarding low-level radioactive waste to the public and to monitor the disposal alternatives in the nation for the purpose of determining the future need for a disposal facility in New Jersey.

In June 1999, we completed and distributed the Report to the Governor: Disposal Options Report. This evaluation of the status of national low-level radioactive waste disposal programs has confirmed the validity of the New Jersey Siting Board's previous position and actions to suspend active siting of a low-level radioactive waste site in our State.

In one of the most important developments this year, we have been working with the Northeast Compact to present a proposal to South Carolina for that State to join the Northeast Compact. This could provide both New Jersey and Connecticut with a long-term commitment for access to the disposal facility in Barnwell, South Carolina.

As part of our commitment to public education, we started planning a radiation workshop for elementary school science teachers.

We will continue to work with the New Jersey generators, the Northeast Compact Commission, and the public to secure safe, long-term disposal options for low-level radioactive waste.

We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Sincerely,

Paul E. Wyszkowski, P.E.

Chairman

1999 Accomplishments:

A work group of Board members and representatives of the Northeast Compact Commission and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection was set up to examine the availability of long and short term disposal options nationally and to prepare a report on their findings. This report entitled: Report to the Governor, Disposal Options Report was approved in June and distributed to interested parties. Its findings include that "…currently there are disposal facilities accessible to New Jersey generators of low-level radioactive waste and there appear to be several national developments in this waste management dilemma that are being pursued which may resolve the issue for New Jersey."

The Siting Board prepared a revised budget to reflect the resources needed for its continuing legislative mandates. These include: monitoring the disposal alternatives in the nation for the purpose of determining the future need for a disposal facility in New Jersey, providing educational materials regarding low-level radioactive waste to the public, and supporting the activities of the Northeast Interstate LLRW Management Compact Commission. The revised budget was adopted on March 4, 1999.

The technical subcommittee met with New Jersey Corporation for Advanced Technology (NJCAT) regarding validation of a benchtop thermal oxidizer unit for mixed waste.

A group of Board members and Board staff worked with the Northeast Compact to write and present a proposal to South Carolina for that State to join our compact. If accepted, the generators of LLRW in New Jersey and Connecticut would have long-term access to the disposal facility in Barnwell, South Carolina, while South Carolina would be able to exclude waste not generated in New Jersey, Connecticut or South Carolina.

The finance subcommittee determined what surplus funds would be available for refunds to the generators, assuming budgets for Board operations until June 2002. This did not include a budget item for expansion of the Northeast Compact to include South Carolina. If agreement is reached on South Carolina joining the Northeast Compact, these surplus funds may be used as New Jersey's share of a one time payment to South Carolina as the host state.

NJDEP staff provided consultation on Siting Board issues at the League of Municipalities annual convention, at the New Jersey Science Teachers Association annual convention and at the Conference of Mayors.

| TOP |

2000 Agenda:

The Board will continue to interact with and support the activities of the Northeast Compact Commission in its role to ensure safe reliable disposal of LLRW produced in this region. The proposal of South Carolina joining the states of New Jersey and Connecticut in the Northeast Compact has been well received and we will continue to take part in negotiations with representatives of South Carolina to finalize a mutually acceptable agreement on South Carolina joining the Northeast Compact Commission.

In addition, the Board will continue to monitor the overall national developments in the management of low-level radioactive waste and to keep New Jersey generators aware of any new developments.

The Board will continue to track the management of LLRW in New Jersey, and will update the New Jersey Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Plan to provide information on current and projected LLRW management needs, disposal alternatives, transportation impacts, economic viability and disposal options.

The Board will seek to promote greater public knowledge of the management of LLRW. Although safe management technologies now exist for handling, storing, and disposing of this waste, the general public has not reached a level of understanding and confidence that this can be accomplished in a manner that protects public health and safety. To partially satisfy this goal, Board members and Board staff will work with representatives of the Department of Education and select science teachers to develop and present a summer workshop. This workshop will assist elementary science teachers in the delivery of grade-level appropriate factual information about radiation and radioactive waste disposal in support of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in Science.

The members of the New Jersey Low-Level Radioactive Waste

Disposal Facility Siting Board

• Paul E. Wyszkowski, P.E., Chair, former manager, Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies
• Michael Hogan, Esq. or Gerald P. Nicholls, Ph.D., New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, representing Commissioner Robert C. Shinn, Jr.
• Michael F. Lakat, New Jersey Department of Health & Senior Services, representing Commissioner Christine Grant
• Bonnie Magnuson, League of Women Voters
• Richard J. McGoey, GPU Nuclear
• Robert P. McKeever, Global Power Systems, Inc.
• Leland Merrill, Ph.D., Former Trustee, New Jersey Audubon Society
• James A. Shissias, Public Service Electric & Gas
• Theodore J. Stahl, M.D., Clinical Professor of Radiology and Medicine UMDNJ, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• K. David Steidley, Ph.D., St. Barnabas Medical Center
• Joseph Stencel, Ph.D., Princeton University, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering

The members of the Waste Advisory Committee

• Richard K. Olsson, Ph.D., Chair, Rutgers University, Department of Geological Sciences
• James Clancy, Public Service Electric & Gas
• Thomas M. Dempsey, P.E., GPU Nuclear
• William G. Dressel, Jr., New Jersey State League of Municipalities
• Donald L. Fauerbach, New Jersey Conference of Mayors
• Leslie G. London, Esq., McManimon & Scotland
• William McGrath, Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Lauren H. Moore, Atlantic County Planning Department
• Herbert W. Roeschke, North Plainfield Planning Department
• John M. Simon, Esq., Wolff & Samson