State Agency Program Reports to the Texas Radiation Advisory ...

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• Siren upgrade: STP has submitted an updated request for FEMA approval of new sirens tobe installed around the ten-mile emergency planning zone (EPZ). Once approved, the old sirenswill be removed and donated or salvaged for use by other organizations.Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant• A walk-thru reception center drill was demonstrated on August 03, 2010, in Cleburne, andthe FEMA-evaluated exercise was August 18, 2010. The final FEMA After Action Report(AAR) indicated no deficiencies or areas requiring corrective action (ARCA), but it containedseven planning issues to be addressed by local jurisdictions. DSHS, in cooperationwith Comanche Peak and the City of Cleburne, is currently addressing these planningissues.• A medical drill (MS-1) was conducted on September 14, 2010, at the Lake Granbury MedicalCenter in Granbury, and the draft report received showed no deficiencies, ARCAs or planningissues. In addition, contained in the FEMA report was recognition for “Best Practices”for the hanging of a contaminated waste bag in the ambulance from the overhead hand rail.This allowed the emergency medical service (EMS) crew to slide the waste bag from thefront to the back of the rear ambulance area without having to reach across a patient to dropgloves and other possibly contaminated waste into the waste bag.• A Combined Functional Drill was conducted on September 22, 2010, and included approximately15 participants located primarily in the emergency operations facility (EOF). Thisdrill was designed to prepare onsite emergency response organizations for possible radiologicalevents and to demonstrate proficiency during evaluated exercises. During the onsite debrief,DSHS identified a few coordination issues concerning PAR notification and concurrenceby DSHS.• Comanche Peak is presently upgrading their sirens with the required battery back-up powersystems. They have completed the installation for the five-mile EPZ, and they are in theprocess of working on finishing the upgrade for the entire ten-mile EPZ.Pantex Plant• DSHS hosted a tabletop meeting with local city and county emergency management personnelfrom Armstrong, Carson, Potter, and Randall counties in the panhandle region on October6, 2010. The tabletop identified personnel and equipment needs and training required for atwo-day Pantex exercise scheduled for June 22–23, 2011.• A majority of Pantex operations resumed after the July 2010 flood, which was classified a2000-year event. Pantex is receiving approximately $60 million in funding to repair the damagefrom the flood.Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)• Staff supporting the WIPP program participated in public meetings in Kermit, Monahans,and Andrews on August 24–26, 2010. The meetings were initiated by the Department of Energy(DOE) to provide information on a proposed route change for transuranic waste shipmentsto the WIPP site near Carlsbad, New Mexico. The current route along IH-20 departsthe interstate at US-285 and continues through New Mexico to the WIPP site. Recently, sink
holes have been detected in New Mexico along the existing route. DOE is proposing to movethe route to depart IH-20 at Big Spring, Texas, and follow State Highway 176 to Andrews,south along State Highway 115, then west on State 128 into New Mexico and on to the WIPPSite.New Inspection Positions• We received approval in early October to hire five new inspectors (Environmental SpecialistIVs), one new manager (Health Physicist II), and one inspector/trainer (Health Physicist I).These positions are primarily to implement the new Laser Hair Removal Program and to helpus keep pace with the growth of registrants in Texas. We are developing our organizationalplans and posting documents for these positions at this time.Section II.Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TECQ)Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal: On September 10, 2009, the Executive Director of theTCEQ granted, signed, and issued to Waste Control Specialists LLC (WCS) a radioactive materialslicense that authorizes the near-surface disposal of Class A, B, and C low-level radioactivewaste from the Texas Compact and federal mixed hazardous and low-level radioactive wastefrom the federal government. On January 12, 2010, an amendment application was filed requestingfacility design changes, modification of construction plans, and changes to environmentalmonitoring. There are several preconstruction conditions currently being reviewed by TCEQ relatedto the pending amendment application and a requirement for TCEQ written approval priorto the commencement of construction that is also currently under consideration.On June 1, 2010, WCS submitted an initial Compact Waste Disposal Rate Application to TCEQ.This submission is currently under review to determine an equitable allocation of the disposalcost that can be charged to the compact waste generators, and the establishment of a rate of returnand the fee schedule based on radioactive, physical, and chemical properties of each type oflow-level radioactive waste and in accordance with Texas Health & Safety Code, Chapter 401.TCEQ has extended a period for comments from the public from November 2, 2010, to November16, 2010, on the process for development of a rate schedule to be recommended by theTCEQ Executive Director. All comments should be sent to radmat@tceq.state.tx.us or mailed viaUSPS to TCEQ Radioactive Materials Division, P.O. Box 13087, MC-233, Austin, Texas 78711.By-Product Material Disposal: TCEQ continues to evaluate WCS’s submittals and responsesto the requirements of operational license conditions. TCEQ reviews of compliance reports andthe results of environmental monitoring programs are ongoing. Current environmental measurementsare focused on variable groundwater levels in wells around the by-product materialdisposal site footprint and the effectiveness of the monitoring program. Such data are importantfor understanding the impacts of infiltration on designed structures, like the disposal site cap.TCEQ and its contractors have conducted additional electromagnetic verification studies to provideinformation on Office of the Attorney General (OAG) groundwater. In cooperation with siteinspectors, TCEQ monitors photographs of WCS site conditions, especially when significant
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