Yucca Mountain Project Weekly Highlights for Weeks of 11 ... · Las Vegas, NV North Las Vegas, NV Various Escorts Various Escorts Various Escorts. DEC 0 2 '~ John W. Bartlett-8-Date

11

UNITED STATESNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D. C. 20555

Reply to:301 East Stewart Ave., #203Las Vegas, Nevada 9101

Tel (702) 386-6125FTSs 598-6125

David Brooks, Acting Director, HLPD, MS 4 H 3

Paul T. Prestholt and John W. ilraySr. On-Site Licensing Representatives

December 10, 1991

TO.

FROMs

DATE.

SUBJECT:

the weeks

attention

YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROJECT WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

Please find enclosed the above-referenced report forof November 22 and 29, 1991.

There is nothing requiring specific managementin the reports.

nan

cc wencs.s King Stablein, MS 4 H 3Harold R. Denton, M/S 17 F 2Dean Kunihiro, Region 5

-f r,,- ,%�� Y�- " 3j !. I- )9112l70545 911210PDR WASTEWIM-11 PDR

Department of EnergyYucca Mountain Site Characterization

Project OfficeP. 0. Box 98608

Las Vegas, NV 89193-8608

DEC 2 991

John W. Bartlett, Director, Civilian Radioactive Waste Management,HQ (EN-1) FORS

OFFICE OF GEOLOGIC DISPOSAL (OGD) WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDINGNOVEMBER 22, 1991

I. CRITICAL ITEM STATUS - YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE CHARACTERIZATION PRoJECT(YMP)

A. Site Characterization Planninq

Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) Task Force Activities

No significant new items to report this week.

Site Characterization Plan (SCP) Progress Report


SCP Study Plan (SP) Status

A comment resolution telecon was held with U.S. Department ofEnergy/Headquarters (DOE/HQ) for SP 8.3.1.8.2.1, "Analysis of WastePackage Rupture Due to Tectonic Processes and Events."

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed theirPhase 1 review and found no objections to SP 8.3.1.2.2.6,"Characterization of Gaseous-Phase Movement in the UnsaturatedZones '

STUDY PLAN BEARDO4

In Screening Review 1....................... ............ 1In Revision after Screening Review .......................... 1In Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project Office

(YMPO) and HQ Review ......................... .* so9......... 9Awaiting Comment Resolution Meeting ......................... 5Awaiting Author Revision .................................. 11In YPO/EQ Verification Audit ................. 8Verification Complete-Awaiting HQ Sign-off .................. 0Awaiting YMPO Approval .............. ...... * * 0....... . 0

YMP-5

mmxmn� w - _ , -_:--

K-'~ ~ ~~~~0; it ~ 2 !991-John W. Bartlett -2-

STIDY PLAN BREAKDOWN(continued)

Approved and Awaiting Transmittal to NRC .................. .. 2NRC Phase 1 Review ........................................ 16NRC Acceptance . .................... * ... 14Total ........................................ 67

Received Comments from the State of Nevada .................. 6Response Transmitted to the State of Nevada ................. 5

Received Comments from the NRC ........... ..................... . 6Responses Transmitted from OGD to HQ ........................ 4Responses Transmitted from HQ ........................... , 4

Early Site Suitability Evaluation (ESSE)

Comments have been received from all 14 peer reviewers. Thecomments have been assigned and distributed to the responsible coreteam authors. The ESSE Core Team is conducting a workshop atTechnical and Management Support Services (T&MSS) fromNovember 20-22, 1991, with a core team meeting scheduled forNovember 21, 1991. The purpose of the workshop/meeting is todiscuss the comments and determine actions and steps to obtainconcurrence on responses to the comments. The Initial Peer ReviewReport was distributed at the November 21, 1991, meeting.

B. Environmental Programs

Environmental Compliance and Permittin

No significant activities or events to report this week.

C. Field Operations

The Site Manager and Field Operations staff participated in andprovided support to the general public open house and site tourheld on November 16, 1991, and another tour that was held onNovember 19, 1991.

Work was completed on Drillhole JF-3 pad, Park Service HydrologyHole, by Reynolds Electrical &-Engineering Co., Inc.

The Sample Management Facility (SMF) continued receiving and -processing core and cuttings from USW-UZN-54 and completedprocessing of cuttings from USW-UZN-55. Seventy-nine corespecimens were removed for Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology andthe U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The SMF underwent CorrectiveAction Report (CAR) training and a safety and health inspection.

U 0 2 1991John W. Bartlett -3-

D. Project Planning and Control

Discussions were held with YMP and the Office of CivilianRadioactive Waste Management (OCam) on the fiscal year (FY) 1994field budget submittal.

Preliminary draft appeals to the FY 1992 Passback were prepared.The Passback amount will not be known until November 27, 1991.

Two Project Control personnel are on-site at Sandia NationalLaboratories (SNL) and USGS to assist in the preparation of FY 1992Long-Range Plan/Integrated Project Schedule.

A revised draft presentation to the Energy System AcquisitionAdvisory Board (EsAAB) was prepared. The ESAAB Meeting isscheduled for December 1991.

Support was provided for a planning meeting on budget topics to bediscussed at the January 1991 Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board(NWTRB) Meeting.

E. Quality Assurance (QA) Implementation

Yucca Mountain Quality Assurance Division (YMQAD) staff held ameeting on Phase II Procedure Consolidation. The meeting, heldNovember 19-20, 1991, was attended by representatives of YMP,T&MSS, CER, and the Office of Quality Assurance. Agenda itemsincluded discussion on the following: impacts and concerns ofpersonnel regarding consolidation, DOE's role in Design Review, andproblems associated with deletion of administrative procedures andimpacts on the change control process at HQ/YMP.

The YMQAD and staff met with representatives of Pacific Northwest-Laboratory (NL) and DOE Richland Field Office to discuss theformat of the PNL QA program. The meeting also helped to reach aresolution on the response to CAR 92-007, which was written to citea lack of an acceptable PNL QA program and the potentialperformance of quality-affecting work.

F. Public Outreach and Institutional Activities

The biannual YMP Public Update Meetings were held during this reportperiod. A new format for conducting the meetings was implemented thatgave the public-more of an opportunity to interact with YMPscientists. The YP exhibits were set up and staffed. Staff membersand scientists were on hand to answer individual questions andconcerns of the public, followed by a one-hour general group questionand answer session. The State of Nevada was invited and participatedin each meeting. Over 500 people attended the.first meeting held in

John W. Bartlett -4-

Las Vegas, Nevada, on Monday, November 18, 1991. The second meetingwas held Tuesday, November 19, 1991, in Beatty, Nevada, and wasattended by approximately 40 people. Approximately 150 peopleattended the third meeting held in Reno, Nevada, on Thursday,November 21, 1991.

The library lecture series, "Volcanoes," was presented by Frank Perry,Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos)/University of New Mexico,Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the Green Valley Library,Las Vegas, Nevada, Monday, November 18, 1991.

Project staff members briefed OCEWM outreach contractor staff memberson Institutional Outreach activities in Nevada at the Yucca MountainInformation Office ( O) in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 18, 1991.

A project overview presentation was given by Michael Foley to theCredit Professionals of Las Vegas, Nevada, Wednesday,November 20, 1991. A. C. Robison presented a project overviewpresentation to 50 members of the iwanis Club in Reno, Nevada, onWednesday, November 20, 1991.

Beatrice Reilly gave a project presentation at the American NuclearSociety 1991 Winter Meeting held in San Francisco, California.

The ninth Open House Tour of Yucca Mountain was conducted Saturday,November 16, 1991, for 306 people. Tour participants visited YMIO,Las Vegas, Nevada, the Field Operations Center, and Yucca Mountain.

G. Systems Management and Integration

Geochemistry

Investigators from Los Alamos, Lawrence Livermore NationalLaboratory (LLNL), SNL, and PNL participated in a meeting inLas Vegas, Nevada, from November 18-20, 1991, that presentedresults of a 1991 total systems performance assessment. Knowledgegained from this interaction will be incorporated into thequarterly geochemistry integration meeting in December 1991. Thetopic of that meeting will be "The Role of Geochemistry(Radionuclide Transport) in Performance Assessment."

Technical Data Management

The Technical Data Base (TDB) Quarterly Report and the TDB Handbookhave been completed and are in distribution. Efforts are nowunderway to revise the Technical Management Plan to reflect changesimplemented over the previous year.

John W. Bartlett -5-f

Geographic Information System

Work continues on the Site Atlas, adding layers to the data baseand supplying map products to YMP. New software has been installedand files are being transferred to the new system.

II. ANALYSIS & VERIFICATION DIVISION I

Participated in a YMP meeting to review and discuss performanceassessment activities by program participants onNovember 18-20, 1991, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Staff also participated inthe DOE/NRC Meeting on Regulatory Strategy, which was heldNovember 20, 1991, in Rockville, Maryland.

On November 21, 1991, staff participated in a scoping meeting inLas Vegas, Nevada, for the NWTRB meeting on Seismic Vulnerabilityscheduled for January 22-23, 1992. The waste system interface study heldon November 22, 1991, in Las Vegas, Nevada, was supported.

A draft letter was provided for action by Secretary of EnergyJames Watkins to respond to NTB concerns on ESF construction scheduledelay.

III. GENERAL INFORMATION ITEMS

TR Environmental Safety Systems

A joint Management and Operations (M&O)/DOE review with an NRC observer,was scheduled for December 11, 1991. This is to serve as a basis fordetermining the M&O's readiness for performing quality-affecting work. Alist was compiled and sent to YMP of the most important near-term studiesneeded for the orderly design development of the ESF, Repository, andWaste Package. The formal Quality Management Procedure-06-04 review ofthe ESF Construction Management Plan was started.

LLN.

The initial version of the Yucca Mountain Integrating Model (YMIM) iscomplete. This is a performance assessment tool for the EngineeredBarrier System. The results from detailed mechanistic models are inputas data tables; YIM then provides a framework to couple the modeledprocesses. TMIM is most useful for sensitivity analyses because not allof the mechanistic models need to be used in a given run.

- - ---- ---- - -- -- - --

DE^ 0 2 -19)> John W. Bartlett -6-

IV. UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR

Please note that the usage of "(P)" in the calendar indicates that theevent is open to the public. Educational presentations and state andpublic interactions are handled by the Speakers Bureau; contactLinda Artis at (702) 794-7896 for additional information. Exhibits arehandled by Kevin Rohrer at (702) 794-7769, and tours are handled byMindy Wadkins at (702) 794-7374.

Date Event Location YMPO Contact

A. DOE/BD Me

Thursday,January 16,1992

Program ManagementMeeting

Las Vegas,NV

C. Gertz

B. Internal and DOEA/V Meetings

Tuesday,December 10

NV Program Review Las Vegas,NV

C. Gertz

C. NRC Interactions

No meetings scheduled.

D. NWM Interactions (P)

Tuesday-Wednesday,January 7-8,1992

YMP Update Washington,DC

A. Simmons

Wednesday-Thursday,January 22-23,1992

Monday-Tuesday,February 10-11,1992

Wednesday-Thursday,February 12-131992

SG&G Panel Meetingon SeismicVulnerabilities

Engineered BarrierSystem

NWTRB T&S Panel

Irvine,CA

A. Simmons

Savannah River, A. SimmnonsGA

TBA A. Simmons

IK-i/

John W. Bartlett -7-

Date

E. State and Public

Monday,November 25

Wednesday,November 27

DATE TBDDecember

Wednesday,December 4



Monday,January 6,1992

Friday,January 24,1992

Date

F. Exhibits Schedulec

Monday,November 25

Wednesday-Thursday,December 4-5

Saturday,December 7

Wednesday,January 22,1992

Saturday,February 29,1992

Event

interactions

"State of the Project"

EnvironmentalProtection Agency

Indian SpringsElementary School

kmargosaElementary School

St. Francis De SalesElementary School


Las Vegas Cactus& Succulent Society

Umerican Nuclear Soc.Annual Symposium

Location

Las Vegas,NV

-Las Vegas,NV

Indian Springs,NV

Amargosa,NV

Las Vegas,NV

Indian Springs,NV

Las Vegas,NV

Gainesville,FL

Speaker

C. Gertz

C. Gertz

B. Crowe

A. Stephenson

J. Cooper

J. Cooper

R. Arnold

C. Gertz

Event Location

"State of theProject"

Technology FairExhibit, CCSN

Public Open House (P)



Las Vegas,NV

North Las Vegas,NV

Various Escorts

Various Escorts

Various Escorts

DEC 0 2 '~John W. Bartlett -8-

Date Event Escorts

G. Turs Scheduled

Tuesday,November 26

Christian ScienceMonitor

G. Fisher

Saturday,December 7

Public Open House (). Various Escorts

Friday,December 13

ChaparralHigh School

Various Escorts


Pueblo Del SolCommunity

TED


Public Open House (P) Various Escorts

Thursday,February 6,1992

RV RallyArmagosa Valley

TED



Carl P. GertzProject ManagerYMP:DLH-953

Department of EnergyYucca Mountain Site Characterization

Project OfficeP. 0. Box 98608

Las Vegas, NV 89193-8608 WBS 1.2.9.2QA: N/A

DEC 0 4 19s;

John W. Bartlett, Director, Civilian Radioactive Waste Management,HQ (RW-1) FORS

OFFICE OF GEOLOGIC DISPOSAL (OGD) WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE WEEK ENDINGNOVEMBER 29, 1991

I. CRITICAL ITEM STATUS - YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE CHARACTERIZATICN PROJECT(YMP)

A. Site Characterization Planning

Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF) Task Force Activities


Site Characterization Plan (SCP) Progress Report (PR)

The PR 4 is currently being distributed. A draft PR 5 was sent outNovember 13, 1991, for review by the Yucca Mountain SiteCharacterization Project Office (YMPO), participants, and Office ofCivilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM). Comments arerequested back to YMPO by December 9, 1991.

SCP Study Plan (SP) Status

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory CommissionPhase 1- review and found no objections"Meteorological Data Collection at the

STUDY PLAN BREAKaxN

(NRC)to SPYucca

has completed their - .8.3.1.12.2.1, - :Mountain Site.."': -1, .. -

In Screening Review ...................... ............. .

In Revision after Screening Review .......................... 1 In YMPO and U.S. Department of Energy/Headquarters -

(DOE/HQ) Review:-..,,...... ......- 9 ....- Awaiting Comment-Resolution Meeting ......................... 5Awaiting Author Revision ..................... ........ . 11In YMPO/HQ Verification Audit ..................... 5Verification Complete-Awaiting HQ Sign-off .................. 0Awaiting YMPO Approval ...................................... 3

YMP-5

0:C it 4 1991John W. Bartlett -2-

STUDY PLAN BREAKDOWN(continued)

Approved and Awaiting Transmittal to NRC .................. .. 2NRC Phase 1 Review . . ...................................... 15NRC Acceptance ........................................ 15Tota ....................... *.................. . . . . . . 67

Received Comments from the State of Nevada .................. 6Response Transmitted to the State of Nevada .............. ... 5

Received Comments from the NRC .. ............................ 6Responses Transmitted from OGD to HQ ........................ 5Responses Transmitted from HQ .......................... . 4

Early Site Suitability Evaluation (ESSE)

ESSE activities included continued review by the Core Team authorsof Peer Review comments and development of proposed resolutions tothe comments. Some Core Team members progressed to the phase ofworking with the Peer Reviewers to develop concurrence to theproposed resolution. In parallel, the ESSE staff continued withpublication support of the ESSE Report and ESSE Peer Review Report.

B. Environmental Programs

Environmental Cmpliance and Permitting


C. Field Operations

On Job Package (JP) 92-1, "Well JF-3," the auger rig is operationalthis week. On JP 91-1, "Neutron Access Boreholes," 'work is- '-proceeding on Drill Hole N-54. - - -

Completed processing and shipped 167 specimens for Nevada Bureau ofMines and Geology.

Completed processing specimens for the University of Nevada,Las Vegas, Nevada.

As of-November 25, 1991, we received five boxes of core andcuttings from USW UZN-54 and continued processing USW UZN-55cutting specimens. -6 -- - -

Preparation continued for setup and support of JF-3 drilling.

snmmmmmw=��

DE' t 4 1991

. John W. Bartlett -3-

D. Project Planning and Control

Completed the conversion of available participant schedule datafrom Primavera to APECS. Beta testing of the participant workstation was completed. Finished input into Planning and ControlSystem (PACS) of available revised participant fiscal year(FY) 1992 Scope of Work Statements.

E. Quality Assurance Implementation


F. Public Outreach and Institutional Activities

The Yucca Mountain State of the Project presentation was made bythe Project Manager on Monday, November 25, 1991. Approximately400 DOE and contractor personnel attended. The YMP exhibits wereset up for this event.

Project overview presentations were given Monday,November 25, 1991, by A. C. Robison to a senior government class atValley High School, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Wednesday,November 27, 1991, by Wendy Dixon to approximately 100 employees ofthe Environmental Protection Agency.

G. Systems Management and Integration

CbxxdhE~stry

The Geochemistry Integration Team (GIT) held its monthly meeting onNovember 25, 1991. Most of the discussion focused on planning forthe December 4-5, 1991, meeting on "The Role of Geochemistry inPerformance Assessment." The December 1991 meeting will be held inLas Vegas, Nevada.

Other topics discussed by GIT included preparation of integrationmatrices and interface needs (identified by SCP, ACS, possiblyManagement System Improvement Strategy MSIS], and a report oninterfaces with the Hydrology Integration Task Force at itsNovember 13-15, 1991, meeting on the Saturated Zone atYucca Mountain).

II. ANALYSIS & VERIFICATICN DIVISION

Completed review of the OCRWM Annual Report to Congress for Y 1991.Review comments transmitted to -5.1 on November 26, 1991.

.Prepared draft white paper on implications of carbon isotope data onvariation of water table with time.

I

* John W. Bartlett -4- DEC 4 19o

Reviewed the draft letter to NRC documenting DOE actions taken toresolve NRC's concerns regarding Objection One of the SiteCharacterization Analysis.

Reviewed the portion of the MSIS document "Accept Waste" dealing withtransportation casks.

Performed informal review of "NRC Staff Capability in PerformanceAssessment: Overview" (a presentation to the Advisory Committee onNuclear Waste).

Participated in GIT teleconference on November 25, 1991.

Assisted in finalizing the briefing package for the Energy SystemAcquisition Advisory Board Meeting scheduled for December 16, 1991.

III. GENERAL INFORMATICN ITEMS

Los Alamos National Laboratory

A presentation was made to YMP on the current planning and status ofthe ESF test program.

Lawrence Liverumre National Laboratory

Initial calculations were made of the thermal-hydrology impact ofhigher waste heat loadings on the performance of the potentialrepository site at Yucca Mountain. For heat loads of114 kilowatt/acre, with 60 year old spent fuel, in drift emplacements,the footprint of the waste could be as little as 15 percent of theSCP-conceptual design layout. Also, the waste emplacement region would-remain above the boiling point of water for 11,000 years and remain dryfor at least 30,000 years. These results were reported to the NuclearWaste Technical Review Board (NWTRB).

Sandia National Laboratories SNL)

The final revisions to Appendix I, ESF Performance AssessmentRequirements, of the ESF Design Review were incorporated as a preludeto its Quality Management Procedure-06-04 review.

The criteria were developed for the performance review of SNLactivities in Work Breakdown Structure 1.2.6.

The performance assessment was started with the options in theNorth Ramp/Portal location and alignment study.

' XrlU, W F1OF Jusas n o~tL~sX- ~ D£O 4 'S3

UFJ~~~~~ML ~~~~~~* ~~~~~ -~~~~~ ~DEC 0 199i

IV. UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR

Please note that the usage of "(P)" in the calendar indicates that theevent is open to the public. Educational presentations and State andPublic Interactions are handled by the Speakers Bureau; contactLinda Artis at (702) 794-7896 for additional information. Exhibits arehandled by Kevin Rohrer at (702) 794-7769, and tours are handled byMindy Wadkins at (702) 794-7374.

Date Event Location 0io Contact

A. DOE/HD Nee

Thursday,January 16

Program ManagementMeeting

Las Vegas,NV

C. Gertz

B. Internal and DOE/NV Meetings

Wednesday-Friday,December 4-6

Tuesday,December 10

Friday,December 13

Leadership Conference

NV Program Review

TPO Meeting

San Diego,CA

Las Vegas,NV

Las Vegas,NV

C. Gertz

C. Gertz

C. Gertz

Friday,December 13

Planning & BudgetMeeting

Las Vegas, C. Gertz

Date Event Location Speaker

C. NRC.Interactins

Tuesday,January 28,1992

Management MeetingAnnotated Outline

Rockville,MD

J. Cooper

Tuesday,February 25,1992

Waste Form J. Cooper

Tuesday,March 17,1992

Thermal Loads Albuquerque,NM

J. Cooper

mmml� � -- .

+ John W. Bartlett -6- "- 0 4 1991

Date Event Location Speaker

C. NRC Interactions (continued)

Wednesday,March 18,1992

Air, Vapor.Movements due toThermal Gradients

Albuquerque,NM

J. Cooper

Tuesday-Wednesday,April 28-29,1992

Tuesday,May 19,1992

Complimentary Albuquerque,Cumulative Distribution NMFunction

J. Cooper

InteractionsSchedulings

Rockville,MD

J. Cooper

Wednesday,May 27,1992

Wednesday,June 3,1992

DOE licensing topicalreport on erosion

Drafts on licenseapplication

Rockville,MD

Rockville,ND

J. Cooper

J. Cooper

D. NMB Interactions (P)

Tuesday-Wednesday,January 7-8,1992

YMP Update Washington,DC

A. Simmons

Wednesday-Thursday,January 22-23,1992

Monday-Tuesday,February 10-11,1992

Wednesday-Thursday,February 12-13,1992

SG&G Panel Meetingon SeismicVulnerabilities

Engineered BarrierSystem

NWTRs T&S Panel

Irvine,CA

A. Simmons

Savannah River, A. SimmonsGA

TBA A. Simmons

- John W. Bartlett -7- DECL C'. ijto

E. State and Public




Thursday,December 6

Tuesday,December 10

Tuesday,December 10

Tuesday,December 10


Monday,January 6,1992

Friday,January 24,1992

Date

F. Exhibits Schedule

Wednesday-Thursday,December 4-5

Saturday,December 7


Interactions

AmargosaElementary School

St. Francis De SalesElementary School


Cimarron MemorialHigh School

Western High School

0. K. AdcockElementary School

M. M. ChristensenSchool


Las Vegas Cactus& Succulent Society

American NuclearSociety AnnualSymposium

Event

Technology FairExhibit, CCSN



Amargosa,NV

Las Vegas,NV

Indian Springs,NV

Las Vegas,NV

Las Vegas,NV

Las Vegas,NV

Las Vegas,NV

Indian Springs,NV

Las Vegas,NV

Gainesville,EL

Location

A. Stephenson

J. Cooper

B. Crowe

J. Cooper

R. Arnold

R. Arnold

J. Blink

J. Cooper

R. Arnold

C. Gertz

North Las Vegas,NV

Various Escorts

Various Escorts

DEC 4 1991I* John W. Bartlett -8-

Date Event Location

F. Exhibits Scheduled (continued)


Date


Event Escorts

G. Tours Scheduled

Saturday,December 7



UNLV M. Powell

Friday,December 13

ChaparralHigh School

Various Escorts


Pueblo Del SolCommunity

TBD



Public ---n House (F)


Various Escorts

Various Escorts

Thursday,February 6,1992

RV RallyArmagosa

TEDValley

Carl P.YMP:DLH-1049 Project

GertzManager

Documents

Yucca Mountain Project Weekly Highlights for Weeks of 11 ... · Las Vegas, NV North Las Vegas, NV Various Escorts Various Escorts Various Escorts. DEC 0 2 '~ John W. Bartlett-8-Date