Camper Discusses Past Innovations and Future of Low-Level Waste Industry“We currently have a complex regulatory infrastructure that works to adequately protect public health and safety. Low-level waste (LLW) is safely managed and disposed,” said Mr. Larry Camper, Director of the Radioactive Materials Division of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). “However, a number of very challenging issues are emerging that will test the existing regulatory infrastructure. Given the record for developing new commercial LLW disposal capacity, it may be time to consider what actions should be taken to ensure that there will be viable commercial disposal available in the future.”
Mr. Camper received the 2010 Richard S. Hodes, M.D. Honor Lecture Award yesterday in recognition of his contributions to low-level radioactive waste management in the U.S. through his role in the development and implementation of substantial regulatory and management improvements in several key NRC regulatory programs.
“I appreciate Mr. Camper sharing his perspective of the LLW industry. He provided a very concise picture of how we got to where we are in the US today and presented some very insightful thoughts on current and future issues,” said Michael Mobley, Chairman of the Southeast Compact Commission, who presented the Award to Mr. Camper.
“It is reasonable to assume that the LLW industry will continue to be a stimulating and rewarding part of the larger nuclear industry in which to work and make professional contributions,” Mr. Camper stated in his closing remarks. “Hopefully, these issues will continue to attract young scientists, physicists, and engineers into the LLW arena, so that they may work toward finding solutions to the challenges facing the industry. The next thirty years promise to be as exciting or even more exciting than the past thirty years within the LLW industry.”
The Southeast Compact Commission for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management established the Richard S. Hodes, M.D. Honor Lecture Award to honor the memory of Dr. Richard S. Hodes, who served as chair of the Southeast Compact Commission from its inception in 1983 until his death in 2002.
Nominations for the 2011 Hodes Honor Lecture Award are now being accepted. The deadline for submittal of nominations is June 30, 2010. Details are on the Commission website at www.secompact.org or you may contact Ted Buckner at 919/821-0500 or tedb@secompact.org.
LIAISONS PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICEMany organizations in the United States share common interests with the Southeast Compact Commission, such as the safe management of radioactive waste and the protection of public health and the environment. The Commission endeavors to stay abreast of the activities of organizations sharing common goals and interests through the use of volunteer liaisons. |
SECC and Member States Present Oral Arguments Before U.S. Supreme Court In Lawsuit Over Radioactive Waste Disposal Responsibilities
On January 11, 2010 the United States Supreme Court held oral arguments in the pending lawsuit, Alabama et al v. North Carolina. Attorneys for the plaintiffs and defendant, as well as the Solicitor General of the United States, presented their arguments before the Court and responded to questions from the Justices. The States of Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and Virginia and the Southeast Compact Commission for Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court in June of 2002 to enforce $90 million in sanctions against the State of North Carolina. The suit alleges that North Carolina failed to comply with the provisions of North Carolina and the Southeast Compact laws and did not meet its obligations as a member of the Compact.
Carter Phillips of the law firm Sidley Austin represented the member states and the Commission. He argued that North Carolina breached the terms of its agreement with other member states when it failed to take the appropriate steps to develop a new disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste. “It is, of course, impossible to predict how the Court will decide the case based on the oral argument, but it was clear that the Justices were engaged with the issues that the Plaintiffs presented and recognized the importance of the case,” said Mr. Phillips. “The Court’s decision to grant the parties 90 minutes for the argument, by itself, reflects the significance the Court attaches to this litigation.” “We were particularly heartened by the support as amici curiae of the other Compact Commissions that are dealing with the problems of the proper disposal of low-level radioactive waste,” said Michael Mobley, Chairman of the Commission. “It is clear that they recognize that the future of the compacting process is very much at stake in the outcome of this case.” For more information, contact Ted Buckner at 919/821-0500 or <tedb@secompact.org>.
COMMISSION ADOPTS POLICY STATEMENTS
|
Current News
