Evaluation of Criteria for Selecting a Salt Processing Alternative for High-Level Waste at the Savannah River Site: Interim Report (2001)

Washington, DC 20585

April 13, 2000

Dear Dr. Crowley:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your Committee Members for your extraordinary effort providing the Department with an independent technical review of alternatives for processing the high-level radioactive waste salt solutions at the Savannah River Site. We agree with your interim comments noting that additional research and development is required for each option, and we are proceeding with addressing your comments in our research and development plans for fiscal years 2000 and 2001. I am looking forward to receiving your final report this month so that we can make adjustments in the current plans if needed.

I believe that the complexity of the salt processing technology alternatives warrants your continued involvement in our continuing research and development efforts. Therefore, I would like to request that you and your Committee continue to support the Department throughout the next year by providing us with your independent review of each technology road map, and the selection criteria.

Dr. Huntoon has tasked me, as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Project Completion, to provide the leadership and program management for technology development and selection of a preffered treatment alternative. I am working closely with the Office of Science and Technology, as well as the DOE-Savannah River Operations Office, to make sure that this effort is adequately supported. An Action Plan has been prepared, and is enclosed, which provides details of the roles and responsibilities for the project. I will be providing the Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management with quarterly progress reviews on each of the technology activities throughout the ensuing months, and I propose that we follow those reviews with a briefing to your Committee to keep you abreast of the salt processing project's progress. Of course, additional briefings, meetings, and documentation will be made available to the Committee as you deem necessary to support your review.

Based on the current schedule, we would be seeking your Committee 's review of the items identified above in early summer 2000. Due to the short time available between now and the anticipated time we require your support, may I suggest that you utilize your existing Committee to expedite matters.

Mr. Ken Lang of my staff will be contacting you directly to coordinate the details. Mr. Lang can be reached at (301) 903-7453.

Thank you in advance for your continued support of DOE. I look forward to working with you in this endeavor.

Sincerely,

Mark W. Frei

Deputy Assistant Secretary for
Project Completion

Office of Project Completion

Washington, DC 20585

June 15, 2000

Dear Dr. Crowley:

Thank you for your May 16, 2000, letter responding to my request that the National Research Council continue its support of the Department 's high-level waste salt processing alternatives at the Savannah River Site.

I am pleased that you would like to continue to provide technical assistance to the Department throughout the planned research and development phase of this project, pending approval of the Board on Radioactive Waste Management and the National Research Council Governing Board.

Your proposals to (1) comment on the criteria that will be used to select a processing alternative; (2) evaluate the results of the research and development work that is undertaken on the candidate processing alternatives; and (3) provide the Department with an assessment of whether the technical uncertainties have been sufficiently resolved to proceed with downsizing the list of alternatives will meet our needs throughout the remaining research and development period. I found the interim report you provided on your current evaluation to be particularly useful in planning the research and development now underway, and I am confident that an interim report for this phase of the study will be valuable in the selection of alternative processing technologies.

Mr. Kenneth Lang of my staff is available to support you and the committee for this review. Mr. Lang can be reached at (301) 903-7453.

Thank you for your continued support of DOE.

Sincerely,

Mark W. Frei

Deputy Assistant Secretary
for Project Completion

Office of Environmental Management