In this issue:
ASME PRESIDENT ROCKWELL SUBMITS COMMENTS ON BRC REPORT
ASME President Victoria A. Rockwell recently provided comments in the form of a general position statement to the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Energy Future (BRC) draft report that was originally released on July 29, 2011 and was open for comment until October 31, 2011.
In the statement, President Rockwell writes: “A holistic approach to the planning, and execution of a national strategy for the entire nuclear fuel cycle is critically important to not only our nation’s energy security, and global competitiveness, but also to our economic strength as well. A comprehensive, technically sound, and consensus-based solution will also reassure domestic and international partners and stakeholders.”
President Rockwell’s statement also contains recommendations. Among them are the following:
- ASME supports prompt, consensus-based efforts to develop one or more geologic disposal facilities, as well as one or more interim storage facilities to consolidate storage of commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) canisters.
- The BRC should address alternatives that include reprocessing sites co-located at: (1) interim storage / consolidated storage sites; or (2) disposal sites in order to reduce the amount of SNF and high level waste (HLW) for disposal, and to minimize transportation.
- ASME supports a consent-based approach to siting but believes that any approach must be comprehensive and should not exclude any permanent location, even if previously selected, for a geologic repository.
- ASME supports the recommendation for a new organization, identified within the BRC report as a corporation, with a board of directors comprised of various stakeholders, and confirmed by the Senate.
- ASME supports efforts to develop a “consolidated interim storage and fuel handling” facility but also recognizes that such a facility could not be developed expeditiously. Therefore, all prudent security, and safety, action for existing “wet” storage in spent fuel pools (SFP) and dry cask storage should be continuously monitored in order to safeguard against any potential risks.
- ASME urges adoption of policies that strengthen and preserve U.S. innovation in nuclear energy, technology, and workforce development.
- ASME supports active U.S. leadership and engagement in international efforts to address safety, waste management, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and security concerns.
- In order to maximize stakeholder engagement, support, and retention, ASME believes that the BRC should consider adding a policy recommendation that urges government bodies with regulatory authority over the nuclear industry to strongly consider best practices for accelerating the design, siting, and construction of “new nuclear waste management facilities.”
- ASME supports collaborative efforts to ensure the release of the Nuclear Waste Funds.
- ASME recognizes that the report is intended to identify a strategy for SNF, regardless of the Yucca Mountain repository, but strongly encourages the Commission to include that facility within the discussions.
The Administration’s decision to no longer support Yucca Mountain triggered the BRC. The BRC is being led by former representative Lee Hamilton and former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft. The process consisted of three preliminary subcommittee reports focused on the issues of transportation and storage, disposal, and reactor and fuel cycle technology, brought together into a single report for Energy Secretary Steven Chu. The final report will be submitted to President Obama in January 2012.
Since the cancellation of Yucca Mountain, a number of lawmakers in the House have convened hearings questioning the legality of the decision. Both Secretary Chu and NRC Chairman Jaczko have maintained that they operated within the law. For more information, please see the August 1, 2011 Edition of Capitol Update.
To review the BRC report, please visit: http://brc.gov/
President Rockwell’s full statement will soon be available at: http://www.asme.org/about-asme/advocacy-government-relations/programs--public-policy----society-policies/energy
Robert Rains handles public policy-related environmental issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
ASME PAST PRESIDENT VACHON CALLS FOR ADMINISTRATION'S REAFFIRMATION OF SUPPORT FOR STRENGTHENING S&T, EDUCATION AND BUSINESS RELATIONS WITHIN THE HEMISPHERE
ASME Past President Reginald I. Vachon has called on the Obama Administration to reiterate its support for expanding science, technology and engineering capacity-building, research and education throughout Latin America. In a recent letter to Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director Dr. John Holdren, Vachon expressed the hope that the recent ratification of Free Trade Agreements with Columbia and Panama will provide fresh impetus to strengthen S&T, education and business relations within the hemisphere.
Writing in his roles as Chairman of the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) and Regional Vice President (North America) of the Pan American Federation of Engineering Societies (UPADI), Vachon observed, “The American engineering community clearly believes in the cultural, social, economic, scientific and technical benefits for the U.S. and Latin America and Caribbean nations that can be derived through engineering curriculum improvements from university-government-private industry partnerships fostered.” He cited the “Engineering for Americas” (EftA) Program, an effort conceived and spearheaded by the U.S. engineering community, as an effective mechanism to achieve these goals..
Specifically, Vachon called on the Obama Administration to reaffirm the President’s and U.S. government’s endorsement of science, technology and engineering cooperation at the upcoming Ministerial in Panama City next month. “At the same time, I ask for and encourage your advocacy for the U.S. Department of State Permanent Mission to the OAS to consider favorably funding an EftA Program Proposal submitted by OAS to directly support and expand the aforementioned university partnerships over the next several years. EftA was launched by the U.S. and a reinforcement of it through some modest funding to OAS would signal that we continue to hold its objectives as top priorities for our hemispheric relations.”
Melissa Carl handles public policy-related science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education issue for ASME. She can be reached at: carlm@asme.org.
Paul Fakes handles public policy-related research and development (R&D) issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
fakesp@asme.org
SENATE PASSES FY 2012 NASA, NIST, AND NSF FUNDING BILL
The full U.S. Senate approved H.R. 2112, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 appropriations measure which funds the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) on November 1st. The vote was 69 to 30. The measure is part of a “minibus” (as compared to an all-inclusive omnibus measure), H.R.2112 also contains funding for the Departments of Agriculture and Housing and Urban Development, and is 457 pages in length.
Funding for NASA, NIST and NSF is briefly summarized below. Each number is in comparison with the current funding levels.
- NASA: The House bill provides $16,810.3 million, a decline of 8.9 percent or $1,637.7 million. The Senate bill provides $17,938.8 million, a decline of 2.8 percent or $509.2 million.
- NIST: The House bill provides $700.8 million, a decline of 6.6 percent or $49.3 million. The Senate bill provides $680.0 million, a decline of 9.3 percent or $70.1 million.
- NSF: The House bill provides $6,859.9 million – level funding. The Senate bill provides $6,698.1 million, a decline of 2.4 percent or $161.8 million.
The measure now heads to a conference between House and Senate appropriators to develop a final, compromise funding bill for these agencies.
Additional information is available at: http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news.cfm?method=news.view&id=8a6855d1-9e55-460c-9c76-d5bae4dae0dc
Paul Fakes handles public policy-related research and development (R&D) issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
fakesp@asme.org
HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE HOLDS SECOND HEARING ON EPA'S UTILITY MACT RULE
On November 1, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a second day of hearings on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) upcoming standards for toxic emissions from power plants. Those standards are now due on December 16th since the EPA requested and was granted another extension by the court.
The rule, also known as the “Utility MACT Rule,” would set the first federal limits on mercury, heavy metals, acid gases and other toxic chemicals as required by the 1990 amendments to the Clean Air Act. For more information, please see the November 1, 2011 Edition of Capitol Update.
The hearing entitled "Lights Out II: Should EPA Take A Step Back To Fully Consider Utility MACT's Impact On Job Creation" focused on assessing EPA's rulemaking process, holding the agency accountable for its decisions, and understanding what action is needed in the future to ensure that the regulatory process works in support of job creation and consumers.
Committee Chair Darrel Issa (R-CA) was the lone Republican representative for much of the first panel, as members of the Committee took turns questioning Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli regarding his views on the scope of the Clean Air Act and the EPA’s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to protect human health. Cuccinelli stressed that there must be a balance between both, and that he was not challenging the EPA’s authority to implement a stricter standard, but that he was questioning the EPA’s rationale on the grounds that it will cause severe economic harm, particularly to the southwestern portion of his state. EPA has released data that projected a cost for utilities and power generators to comply with the rule at $10.9 billion each year. EPA has also stressed that the health benefits of the rule will enhance American productivity lost due to reduced sick leave. Chair Issa was unmoved, arguing that the rule would do little to enhance the goals of the “Clean Air Act” but would bludgeon industry.
“Rushing this process to completion, along an artificial timeline, is not the path to sound public policy—it is the road to unintended consequences and mistakes. Chairman Issa continued, “While two dozen attorney generals from around the country have filed a brief to support a one year implementation delay to allow thorough consideration of many impacts of the Utility MACT rule, EPA’s Deputy Administrator Robert Perciasepe disagreed with the delay. When asked what was “magic” about the December 16th date, Perciasepe replied "Twenty-one years waiting. Health benefits denied."
Hearing-related documents, including the written statements of the witnesses and an archived webcast of the hearing, are available at:
http://oversight.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1488%3A10-27-2011-qlights-out-ii-another-look-at-epas-utility-mact-ruleq&catid=12&Itemid=20
Robert Rains handles public policy-related environmental issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION SUBCOMMITTEE HOLDS HEARING ON FOSTERING U.S. INNOVATION
On November 2nd, the Science, Space and Technology (SS&T) Committee’s Technology and Innovation Subcommittee convened a hearing to examine the current state of small, innovative startup companies. During “Creating and Growing New Businesses: Fostering U.S. Innovation,” the Subcommittee sought testimony on obstacles limiting those with the ideas and desire to either start a new company or to take a fledgling company to a place of rapid growth. This hearing was the second in a series focused on advancing U.S. innovation in a constrained budget environment.
One of the witnesses, Mr. Steve Dubin, Former CEO of Martek Biosciences and Senior Advisor to DSM Nutritional Products, emphasized the importance of government support for basic research and early-stage commercialization research programs: “Finding private financing for early stage research was extremely difficult in Martek’s early days, and is even more difficult today, but since Martek’s inception, a range of government supported and funded programs – both at the state and federal level – have played a critical role in Martek’s survival and growth. This support was leveraged to raise over $400 million from the capital markets to enable Martek to reach its current state. Without programs like the Small Business Innovation Research Grants, the University of Maryland Technology Advancement Program, and even NASA, I would not be standing here today to share our story of success.”
Mr. Brink Lindsey, Senior Scholar in Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation, added that a recent study supported by the Kauffman Foundation and the National Bureau of Economic Research detailed the importance of entrepreneurial companies to economic growth, finding that the net entry of new firms has contributed about 30 percent of total productivity growth in the manufacturing sector and virtually all productivity growth in the retail sector.” Mr. Lindsey went on to note that “the ultimate answer to restoring both innovation and vigorous job growth lies in policy reforms that create a more favorable environment for the creation and growth of new businesses”.
The hearing charter, opening statement of Chairman Ben Quayle (R-AZ) and written statements of the witnesses may be viewed at: http://science.house.gov/hearing/technology-and-innovation-subcommittee-hearing
Paul Fakes handles public policy-related research and development (R&D) issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
fakesp@asme.org
NASA RELEASES THIRD STATUS REPORT ON COMMERCIAL PARTNER PROGRESS
NASA has posted the third status report on its Commercial Crew Development 2 (CCDev2) program to the agency's Commercial Space Transportation website. The report highlights the progress and accomplishments for the agency's commercial spaceflight development efforts. The bi-monthly report is targeted toward non-technical stakeholders and the American public, to keep them informed of NASA's achievements in regaining human spaceflight leadership through American-made access to space.
The report finds that NASA’s industry partners continue to meet their established milestones in developing commercial crew transportation capabilities that will ferry U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station, reducing the amount of time America has to depend on Russia for launch services. NASA has outlined an ambitious program moving forward that relies on U.S. private industry to assume transportation of cargo and crew to the International Space Station, while the agency focuses on deep space exploration.
NASA's Commercial Crew Development program is investing financial and technical resources to stimulate efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation capabilities.
For the report and more information about CCDev2, please visit: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial
The two previous reports may be reviewed at: http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/commercial/document_library.html
Paul Fakes handles public policy-related NASA issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
fakesp@asme.org
NIST RELEASES UPDATE TO SMART GRID FRAMEWORK
An expanded list of standards, new cybersecurity guidance and product testing proposals are among the new elements in an updated roadmap for Smart Grid interoperability that were released on October 25th for public comment by NIST.
The NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 2.0, builds upon and updates a January 2010 report. NIST's first outline, Release 1.0, laid out an initial plan for transforming the nation's aging electric power system into an interoperable Smart Grid—a network that will integrate information and communication technologies with a power-delivery infrastructure, enabling two-way flows of energy and communications.
Release 2.0 adds 22 standards, specifications and guidelines to the 75 NIST recommended as immediately applicable to the Smart Grid in the first roadmap. New to the 2.0 version is a chapter on the roles of the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP), an organization created by NIST in November 2009 to provide an open forum for members to collaborate on standards development.
Further improvements and additions to the original document include:
- An expanded view of the architecture of the Smart Grid;
- A number of developments related to ensuring cybersecurity for the Smart Grid, including a Risk Management Framework to provide guidance on security practices;
- A new framework for testing the conformity of devices and systems to be connected to the Smart Grid – the Interoperability Process Reference Manual;
- Information on efforts to coordinate the Smart Grid standards effort for the United States with similar efforts in other parts of the world; and,
- An overview of future areas of work, including electromagnetic disturbance and interference, and improvements to the SGIP processes.
The request for public comment on NIST Framework and Roadmap for Smart Grid Interoperability Standards, Release 2.0, is available from the Federal Register at: www.federalregister.gov/articles/2011/10/25/2011-27556/nist-framework-and-roadmap-for-smart-grid-interoperability-standards-release-20-draft-request-for#p-3,
and will be open for public comment until 5:00 PM Eastern time on November 25, 2011.
The document itself may be found on the NIST Smart Grid Collaboration Wiki at: http://collaborate.nist.gov/twiki-sggrid/bin/view/SmartGrid/IKBFramework
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
NRC APPROVES FINAL RULE AMENDING ABWR REACTOR DESIGN
On November 1st, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) directed its staff to publish a final rule amending the Advanced Boiling Water Reactor (ABWR) design certification to address the effects of the impact of a large commercial aircraft, in accordance with the NRC’s 2009 aircraft impact assessment rule. STP Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) had submitted an application to amend the ABWR design in June 2009. The rule approved today by the Commission, along with the staff’s discussion of the rule basis, is available at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/commission/secys/2011/2011-0106scy.pdf
The rule certifies that STPNOC’s option for the ABWR design has appropriately accounted for aircraft impact effects. This means that following such an impact, only minimal operator actions would be necessary to meet two conditions: a) the reactor core remains cooled or the containment remains intact; and b) spent nuclear fuel cooling or spent fuel pool integrity is maintained. The rule will become effective 30 days after its publication in the Federal Register, which is expected shortly.
The NRC certified the original ABWR design in 1997, and it can be referenced by a company applying for a license to build and operate a nuclear power plant. The NRC has taken several steps to improve security at existing nuclear power plants, including adopting a rule in March 2007 that requires both existing and potential new reactors to defend against a more realistic threat. The agency also issued a February 2002 Order requiring all existing nuclear power plants to develop and adopt mitigative strategies to cope with large fires and explosions from any cause, including potential aircraft impacts. The NRC issued an updated security rule in March 2009, codifying these requirements for all existing and future nuclear power plants.
The NRC does not believe nuclear power plant operators should be required to prevent the impact of large commercial aircraft; that responsibility rests with the federal government. The NRC works closely with other federal agencies such as NORAD, the Federal Aviation Administration and the intelligence community to provide layered protection against such a threat. The agency expects these efforts would effectively preclude an aircraft attack from occurring. Should such an unlikely event take place at a new plant designed in accordance with the new rule, the NRC expects the plant would be better able to withstand such a crash than the same design without the changes resulting from the rule.
Robert Rains handles public policy-related energy issues for ASME. He can be reached at:
rainsr@asme.org
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