Bill Willoughby, Draft Motion Manager said that the current draft motion was a follow-up motion to CAB Recommendation 153, " TRU Waste Priority and Off-site Shipments". Nothing that Recommendation 153 had brought some response from DOE-HQ, Mr. Willoughby said the WMC decided that it needed more specific information regarding the TRU shipments to WIPP schedule. Therefore, a new draft motion was prepared to recommend that DOE-HQ:

1. Provide the finds to implement the Performance Management Plan (PMP) proposals to accelerate TRU waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP).
2. Provide the written assurances that shipping units (TRUPACT II and TRUPACT II) will be made available and that WIPP will increase its capacity to receive wastes to meet the PMP schedules associated with the Waste Management 3 and 4 proposals.
3. Review DOE Order 435.1 and report to the SRS CAB by January 21, 2003 on (1) the possibility and expected ramifications of raising the TRU waste threshold level, and (2) the available disposal paths for this newly defined waste stream and any potential disposal paths for current TRU wastes besides WIPP that are environmentally acceptable with no increase in risks to SRS workers or the public.

Virgil Sauls, DOE-SR Director of Waste Operations Division commended the CAB on its earlier Recommendation 153 and said that because of it, DOE-HQ received the CAB’s message "loud and clear" that resources should be provided for SRS to meet its commitments on shipping TRU waste to WIPP. Mr. Sauls advised the WMC that just one day earlier, SRS had just completed discussions with Dr. Inez Triay, Manager of the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) and that shipments are now being scheduled to begin at the rate of one to two per week. This is identified on the CBFO Rolling eight-Week Schedule. With this accelerated shipping schedule, Mr. Sauls said that SRS would maintain two shipments per week out to Fiscal Year 2003. In addition, Mr. Sauls said that this schedule would also permit SRS to receive an additional shipment from the Mound site. Emphasizing that Dr. Triay is focusing on the complex as a whole, Mr. Sauls noted that Dr. Triay’s major drivers include getting all legacy waste to WIPP earlier, saving taxpayer dollars, and working toward steady-state operations. After a discussion concerning Mr. Sauls’ confidence in the shipping schedule agreements reached between Carlsbad and SRS, the WMC decided that the draft motion’s recommendation 2 would become a moot point, and as a result, removed it from the document.

Mr. Willoughby then introduced two e-mail documents submitted by Bill Lawless and Lee Poe for consideration in modifying the draft motion. Bill Lawless suggested that the proposed motion should reflect what was decided in the past that SRS ensure loading TRUPACTs with TRU wastes that are considered the highest risk possible. A group discussion then ensued that since SRS does not have the capability at this time to handle the high activity TRU waste (a new facility is required), the site should not hold up shipping the TRU waste that can be shipped. By a unanimous vote of the WMC, it was agreed to leave the draft motion as it is.

In his e-mail, Mr. Poe suggested that DOE-SR evaluate the concentration limit of TRU waste instead of DOE-HQ. Mr. Poe noted that "the risk associated with the Old Radioactive Waste Burial Ground (ORWBG) Pu is small and the decision has been reached that the Pu will not be removed from the ORWBG and sent to WIPP along with the other later waste stored retrievably. The analysis should be made (in a parametric manner) to show the added risk and cost decreases. The assumption would be that the DOE Order can be changed if justified." Following an extensive discussion on Mr. Poe’s suggestion, the WMC agreed that changing DOE Orders affects the entire complex; therefore, DOE-HQ is the proper authority to evaluate the recommendation. By unanimous vote of the WMC it was agreed to leave the recommendation as is.

However, there was some discussion relative to tabling the motion until additional information would be made available on resources such as HANDSS-55 and a Sort/Segregation Facility, which are needed to accelerate handling higher activity TRU waste and repackaging existing TRU waste. Mr. Sauls advised the group that the CBFO is helping SRS to find additional resources to support SRS’s accelerated shipping schedule; however, at this time not enough information is available that could be included in the draft motion. When asked if SRS can stay on track without the additional resources, Mr. Sauls said that at this point he was just not sure. However, Mr. Sauls emphasized that what is needed now is a Sort and Segregation Facility. In this way, should SRS run out of drums to ship, then with the new facility, SRS would be able to open drums to remove and repackage waste.

Meryl Alalof suggested, and the WMC concurred, to present the current draft motion to the Board at its meeting the next day and when more information regarding the conceptual design of the new facilities is available, the WMC can revisit the issue and if necessary, work on developing a new draft motion for the October CAB meeting. Mr. Willoughby then tasked Helen Villasor to make the editorial changes to the current draft motion before it was to be presented to the full Board at its meeting the next day.

Helen Villasor provided information that on October 24, 2002, Columbia County in Georgia would be conducting an emergency preparedness exercise by simulating a nuclear accident involving a TRUPACT-II transporter traveling west on Interstate 20 with two loaded waste containers. Workers from at least 12 agencies will treat injuries, clean the area of hazardous material and keep the public informed. This is the first such exercise of this type in Georgia and also the first exercise held east of Texas. Mr. Sauls said that these exercises are being coordinated through the Carlsbad office. With there being no further public comments, Mr. Willoughby adjourned the meeting at 8:00 p.m.