ML18074A048

Letter from Chairman Kristine Svinicki to Robert Halstead Re March 5, 2018 Meeting with Representatives from Nye County

ML18074A048
Person / Time
Site:	06300001
Issue date:	03/15/2018
From:	Kristine Svinicki NRC/Chairman
To:	Halstead R Agency for Nuclear Projects
SECY RAS
References
ASLBP 09-892-HLW-CAB04, RAS 54245, HLW License App 63-001 CAB04
Download: ML18074A048 (9)

Text

March 15, 2018 Robert J. Halstead Executive Director Agency for Nuclear Projects 1761 E. College Parkway, Suite 118 Carson City, NV 89706-7954

Dear Mr. Halstead,

I have received your letter dated March, 12, 2018, which poses questions regarding my March 5, 2018, meeting with representatives from Nye County. Please find responses to your seven questions below.

(1) Why, and when, did you agree to meet in private with Nye County?

Like many NRC Commissioners, I have a long-standing open door policy, under which I routinely accept requests from stakeholders to meet on a variety of topics. The open door policy enhances agency openness, which is one of the NRCs Principles of Good Regulation. I received a request from Nye County representatives to meet on February 23 of this year, and pursuant to my open-door policy, I agreed to the request.

(2) Why were the other parties not notified in advance of the meeting?

There is no NRC requirement that NRC Commissioners, or other adjudicatory employees, notify the parties to an adjudicatory proceeding prior to meeting with a litigant. However, given the high level of public interest in this proceeding, and to further the interests of transparency, I posted a notification of this meeting on the docket shortly after the meeting.

(3) What was the purpose of the meeting?

As noted above, I scheduled this meeting at Nye Countys request. Based on the discussion during the meeting, I believe that Nye Countys purpose in scheduling the meeting was to describe infrastructure developments over the past decade in Nye County that could be used to host adjudicatory activities if the adjudication were to restart.

2 (4) Who attended the meeting?

The meeting was attended by Dan Schinhofen, Commissioner, Nye County; Lorinda Wichman, Commissioner, Nye County; Tim Sutton, Manager, Nye County; and Rick Spees, Akerman Law Firm. I was accompanied by Maxwell Smith, my senior legal counsel and Richard Harper, my legal counsel.

(5) What was discussed at the meeting?

I opened the meeting by reminding the participants that, in light of the NRCs ex parte communications rule, we could not discuss any pending adjudicatory challenges, or contentions, to the Department of Energys construction authorization application. The representatives from Nye County acknowledged that they understood this restriction. As noted above, the representatives from Nye County discussed infrastructure developments in Nye County over the last decade, such as increased hotel capacity, the availability of larger meeting venues, and widened highway lanes. Nye Countys representatives asserted that should the adjudicatory proceeding restart, Nye County facilities would be capable of hosting some or all of the hearings in light of these developments.

(6) Were any promises or commitments made at the meeting?

No.

(7) Were any materials distributed at the meeting or any meeting summaries or notes prepared after the meeting?

No materials were distributed at the meeting, and no meeting summaries or notes were prepared after the meeting.

Should you have any further questions or require any additional information, please contact my Senior Legal Counsel, Maxwell C. Smith, at (301) 415-1850.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Kristine L. Svinicki

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION In the Matter of )

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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ) Docket No. 63-001-HLW (High-Level Waste Repository) ) ASLBP No. 09-892-HLW-CAB04

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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE I hereby certify that copies of the foregoing LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN KRISTINE SVINICKI TO ROBERT HALSTEAD have been served upon the following persons by Electronic Information Exchange and by e-mail.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLBP) Office of the General Counsel Mail Stop T-3F23 Mail Stop O-14A44 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Carrie Safford, Esq.

Construction Authorization Board 04 (CAB04) carrie.safford@nrc.gov Thomas S. Moore, Chair Jessica Bielecki, Esq.

Administrative Judge jessica.bielecki@nrc.gov thomas.moore@nrc.gov Paul S. Ryerson Administrative Judge OGC Mail Center paul.ryerson@nrc.gov OGCMailCenter@nrc.gov Richard E. Wardwell Administrative Judge U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission richard.wardwell@nrc.gov Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication Mail Stop O-7H4M Washington, DC 20555-0001 OCAA Mail Center ocaamail@nrc.gov U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of the Secretary of the Commission Mail Stop O-4F00 Washington, DC 20555-0001 Hearing Docket hearingdocket@nrc.gov

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (High Level Waste Repository) Docket No. 63-001-HLW LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN KRISTINE SVINICKI TO ROBERT HALSTEAD U.S. Department of Energy Counsel for U.S. Department of Energy Office of General Counsel Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 1000 Independence Avenue S.W. 1111 Pennsylvania Ave., NW Washington, DC 20585 Washington, DC 20004 Martha S. Crosland, Esq. Lewis M. Csedrik, Esq.

martha.crosland@hq.doe.gov lcsedrik@morganlewis.com Nicholas P. DiNunzio, Esq. Thomas D. Poindexter, Esq.

nick.dinunzio@rw.doe.gov tpoindexter@morganlewis.com James Bennett McRae Alex S. Polonsky, Esq.

ben.mcrae@hq.doe.gov apolonsky@morganlewis.com Cyrus Nezhad, Esq. Thomas A. Schmutz, Esq.

cyrus.nezhad@hq.doe.gov tschmutz@morganlewis.com Christina C. Pak, Esq. Paul J. Zaffuts, Esq.

christina.pak@hq.doe.gov pzaffuts@morganlewis.com Andrea Preate-Regni, Esq.

Office of Counsel, Naval Sea Systems Command apreate-regni@morganlewis.com Nuclear Propulsion Program Shannon Staton, Legal Secretary 1333 Isaac Hull Avenue, SE, Building 197 sstaton@morganlewis.com Washington, DC 20376 Elaine M. Hirsch, Legal Secretary Frank A. Putzu, Esq. ehirsch@morganlewis.com frank.putzu@navy.mil For U.S. Department of Energy Talisman International, LLC 1000 Potomac St., NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20007 Patricia Larimore, Senior Paralegal plarimore@talisman-intl.com 2

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (High Level Waste Repository) Docket No. 63-001-HLW LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN KRISTINE SVINICKI TO ROBERT HALSTEAD Counsel for State of Nevada Nye Co. Nuclear Waste Repository Project Office Egan, Fitzpatrick, Malsch & Lawrence, PLLC 2101 E. Calvada Boulevard, Suite 100 1750 K Street, NW, Suite 350 Pahrump, NV 89048 Washington, DC 20006 Celeste Sandoval, Quality Assurance Records Spec.

Martin G. Malsch, Esq. csandoval@co.nye.nv.us mmalsch@nuclearlawyer.com Susan Montesi:

smontesi@nuclearlawyer.com Counsel for Lincoln County, Nevada Whipple Law Firm Counsel for State of Nevada 1100 S. Tenth Street Egan, Fitzpatrick, Malsch & Lawrence, PLLC Las Vegas, NV 89017 7500 Rialto Boulevard Annie Bailey, Legal Assistant Building 1, Suite 250 baileys@lcturbonet.com Austin, TX 78735 Adam L. Gill, Esq.

Charles J. Fitzpatrick, Esq. adam.whipplelaw@yahoo.com cfitzpatrick@nuclearlawyer.com Eric Hinckley, Law Clerk John W. Lawrence, Esq. erichinckley@yahoo.com jlawrence@nuclearlawyer.com Bret Whipple, Esq.

Laurie Borski, Paralegal bretwhipple@nomademail.com lborski@nuclearlawyer.com Lincoln County District Attorney Bureau of Government Affairs P. O. Box 60 Nevada Attorney General Pioche, NV 89403 100 N. Carson Street Gregory Barlow, Esq.

Carson City, NV 89701 lcda@lcturbonet.com Marta Adams, Chief Deputy Attorney General madams@ag.nv.gov Lincoln County Nuclear Oversight Program P.O. Box 1068 Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects Caliente, NV 89008 Nuclear Waste Project Office Connie Simkins, Coordinator 1761 East College Parkway, Suite 118 connie@lcnop.com Carson City, NV 89706 Steve Frishman, Tech. Policy Coordinator For Lincoln County, Nevada steve.frishman@gmail.com Intertech Services Corporation Susan Lynch, Administrator of Technical Prgms PO Box 2008 szeee@nuc.state.nv.us Carson City, NV 89702 Mike Baughman, Consultant mikebaughman@charter.net Nye County Regulatory/Licensing Advisor 18160 Cottonwood Rd. #265 Counsel for Nye, County, Nevada Sunriver, OR 97707 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Malachy Murphy, Esq. North Building, Suite 1000 mrmurphy@chamberscable.com Washington, DC 20004 Robert Andersen, Esq.

randersen@clarkhill.com Christopher Clare, Esq.

cclare@clarkhill.com 3

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (High Level Waste Repository) Docket No. 63-001-HLW LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN KRISTINE SVINICKI TO ROBERT HALSTEAD Clark County, Nevada For Eureka County, Nevada 500 S. Grand Central Parkway NWOP Consulting, Inc.

Las Vegas, NV 98155 1705 Wildcat Lane Phil Klevorick, Sr. Mgmt Analyst Ogden, UT 84403 klevorick@clarkcountynv.gov Loreen Pitchford, Consultant Elizabeth A. Vibert, Deputy District Attorney nwop@comcast.net Elizabeth.Vibert@ClarkCountyDA.com Eureka County Public Works Counsel for Eureka County, Nevada PO Box 714 Harmon, Curran, Speilberg & Eisenberg, LLP Eureka, NV 89316 1726 M Street N.W., Suite 600 Ronald Damele, Director Washington, DC 20036 rdamele@eurekanv.org Diane Curran, Esq.

dcurran@harmoncurran.com Counsel for Churchill, Esmeralda, Lander, and Mineral Counties, Nevada Eureka County, Nevada Office of the District Attorney Armstrong Teasdale, LLP 701 S. Main Street, Box 190 3770 Howard Hughes Parkway Eureka, NV 89316-0190 Suite 200 Theodore Beutel, District Attorney Las Vegas, NV 89169 tbeutel.ecda@eurekanv.org Tara Baugh tbaugh@armstrongteasdale.com Nuclear Waste Advisory for Eureka County, Nevada Kolesar & Leatham 1983 Maison Way 400 S. Rampart Boulevard Carson City, NV 89703 Suite 400 Abigail Johnson, Consultant Las Vegas, NV 89145 eurekanrc@gmail.com Robert F. List, Esq.

rlist@klnevada.com For White Pine County, Nevada Esmeralda County Repository Oversight Program-Intertech Services Corporation Yucca Mountain Project PO Box 2008 PO Box 490 Carson City, NV 89702 Goldfield, NV 89013 Mike Baughman, Consultant Edwin Mueller, Director mikebaughman@charter.net muellered@msn.com Mineral County Nuclear Projects Office P.O. Box 1600 Hawthorne, NV 89415 Linda Mathias, Director yuccainfo@mineralcountynv.org For Lincoln and White Pine County, Nevada Jason Pitts, LSN Administrator P.O. Box 126 Caliente, NV 89008 jayson@idtservices.com 4

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (High Level Waste Repository) Docket No. 63-001-HLW LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN KRISTINE SVINICKI TO ROBERT HALSTEAD For White Pine County, Nevada California Energy Commission Michael Wheable, District Attorney 1516 Ninth Street 801 Clark Street, Suite 3 Sacramento, CA 95814 Ely, NV 89301 Kirk C. Oliver, Esq.

mwheable@whitepinecountynv.gov Senior Staff Counsel kirk.oliver@energy.ca.gov White Pine Co. Nuclear Waste Project Ofc 959 Campton Street California Department of Justice Ely, NV 89301 Office of the Attorney General Mike Simon, Director 1515 Clay Street, 20th Fl, PO Box 70550 wpnucwst1@mwpower.net Oakland, CA 94612-0550 Timothy E. Sullivan, Deputy Attorney General Counsel for Inyo County, California timothy.Sullivan@doj.ca.gov Gregory L. James, Attorney at Law 712 Owens Gorge Road California Department of Justice HC 79, Box Office of the Attorney General Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546 300 S. Spring Street, Suite 1702 E-Mail: gljames@earthlink.net Los Angeles, CA 90013 Megan Hey, Esq.

Counsel for Inyo County, California megan.hey@doj.ca.gov Law Office of Michael Berger 479 El Sueno Road Santa Barbara, CA 93110 Counsel for State of South Carolina Michael Berger, Esq. Davidson & Lindemann, P.A.

michael@lawofficeofmichaelberger.com 1611 Devonshire Drive Robert Hanna, Esq. P.O. Box 8568 robert@lawofficeofmichaelberger.com Columbia, SC 29202 Kenneth P. Woodington, Esq.

Inyo Co Yucca Mtn Repository Assessment Ofc kwoodington@dml-law.com P. O. Box 367 Independence, CA 93526-0367 Cathreen Richards, Associate Planner Counsel for Aiken County, SC crichards@inyocounty.us Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, PA 1201 Main Street, Suite 2200 P. O. Box 11889 Counsel for State of Washington Columbia, SC 29211-1889 Office of the Attorney General Thomas R. Gottshall, Esq.

P. O. Box 40117 tgottshall@hsblawfirm.com Olympia, WA 98504-0117 Ross Shealy, Esq.

Todd R. Bowers, Esq. rshealy@hsblawfirm.com toddb@atg.wa.gov Andrew A. Fitz, Esq.

andyf@atg.wa.gov Michael L. Dunning, Esq.

michaeld@atg.wa.gov H. Lee Overton, Esq.

leeo1@atg.wa.gov Danielle French, Esq.

daniellef@atg.wa.gov Teresa Trippel, Esq.

teresat@atg.wa.gov 5

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (High Level Waste Repository) Docket No. 63-001-HLW LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN KRISTINE SVINICKI TO ROBERT HALSTEAD Florida Public Service Commission Nuclear Energy Institute Office of the General Counsel Office of the General Counsel 2540 Shumard Oak Boulevard 1776 I Street, NW Suite 400 Tallahassee, FL 32303 Washington, DC 20006-3708 Samantha M. Cibula, Esq. Jerry Bonanno, Esq.

scibula@psc.state.fl.us jxb@nei.org Anne W. Cottingham, Esq.

Counsel for Native Community Action Council awc@nei.org Alexander, Berkey, Williams & Weathers LLP Ellen C. Ginsberg, Esq.

2030 Addison Street, Suite 410 ecg@nei.org Berkeley, CA 94704 Curtis G. Berkey, Esq. Counsel for Nuclear Energy Institute cberkey@abwwlaw.com Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP Rovianne A. Leigh, Esq. 1200 Seventeenth Street NW rleigh@berkeywilliams.com Washington, DC 20036 Scott W. Williams, Esq. Jay E. Silberg, Esq.

swilliams@abwwlaw.com jay.silberg@pillsburylaw.com Timothy J.V. Walsh, Esq.

Native Community Action Council timothy.walsh@pillsburylaw.com P.O. Box 140 Baker, NV 89311 Counsel for Nuclear Energy Institute Ian Zabarte, Member of Board of Directors Winston & Strawn LLP mrizabarte@gmail.com 1700 K Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20006-3817 William A. Horin, Esq.

Counsel for Prairie Island Indian Community whorin@winston.com Public Law Resource Center PLLC David A. Repka, Esq.

505 N. Capitol Avenue drepka@winston.com Lansing, MI 48933 Carlos L. Sisco, Senior Paralegal Don L. Keskey, Esq. csisco@winston.com donkeskey@publiclawresourcecenter.com Prairie Island Indian Community Legal Department Counsel for National Association of Regulatory 5636 Sturgeon Lake Road Utility Commissioners (NARUC)

Welch, MN 55089 1101 Vermont Avenue NW, Suite 200 Philip R. Mahowald, Esq. Washington, DC 20005 pmahowald@piic.org James Ramsay, Esq.

jramsay@naruc.org Robin Lunt, Esq.

rlunt@naruc.org 6

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (High Level Waste Repository) Docket No. 63-001-HLW LETTER FROM CHAIRMAN KRISTINE SVINICKI TO ROBERT HALSTEAD Counsel for Joint Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Group For Joint Timbisha Shoshone Tribal Group Fredericks, Peebles, & Morgan LLP Indian Village Road, P.O. Box 206 1001 Second St. Death Valley, CA 92328-0206 Sacramento, CA 95814 Joe Kennedy, Executive Director Felicia M. Brooks, Data Administrator joekennedy08@live.com fbrooks@ndnlaw.com Tameka Vazquez, Bookkeeper Ross D. Colburn, Law Clerk purpose_driven12@yahoo.com rcolburn@ndnlaw.com Sally Eredia, Legal Secretary seredia@ndnlaw.com Darcie L. Houck, Esq.

dhouck@ndnlaw.com Brian Niegemann, Office Manager bniegemann@ndnlaw.com John M. Peebles, Esq.

jpeebles@ndnlaw.com Robert Rhoan, Esq.

rrhoan@ndnlaw.com Fredericks, Peebles, & Morgan LLP 3610 North 163rd Plaza Omaha, NE 68116 Shane Thin Elk, Esq.

sthinelk@ndnlaw.com

[Original Signed by Herald M. Speiser ]

Office of the Secretary of the Commission Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 15th day of March, 2018 7