NWTRB schedules meeting on DOE waste management progress

The Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board announced it will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, August 27, to review information on the Department of Energy's activities to manage spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste and to receive program updates from the DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy.

This will be a hybrid meeting (in-person/virtual) to be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (EDT) at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. Details for joining and viewing the meeting, along with a full agenda, will be available on the board's website approximately one week before the meeting.

While the NWTRB lost all its board members-excluding chair Peter Swift-earlier this month following termination by the White House, the board's staff and budget remain unchanged for the remainder of fiscal year 2025.

The board is an independent federal agency tasked with evaluating the technical and scientific validity of DOE activities related to managing and disposing of SNF and HLW.

Agenda: During the meeting, senior leaders from DOE-NE will provide an overview of the activities and new priorities of the DOE's Office of Spent Fuel and High-Level Waste Disposition. Staff from the DOE will also provide updates on the activities of the Office of Disposal Research and Development, the Office of Storage and Transportation, and the Office of Consent-Based Siting.

The meeting will be open to the public, and there will be an opportunity for comments at the end of the meeting. Public comments may also be submitted during the meeting via the online meeting viewing platform using a dedicated form.

A recording of the meeting will be available on the NWTRB's website following the meeting, and a transcript of the meeting will be available on the website by November 7.