o Training grants would be provided each year after the year in which the assessment and planning grant was awarded. The training grants would be made up of two parts: A base grant “not expected to exceed $100,000, adjusted annually for inflation.” A variable amount determined by a funding formula that considered population, route miles, number of shipments, and shipping sites. • Funding mechanism: “DOE will implement Section 180(c) by funding direct grants to eligible States and Tribes.” Applications would only be accepted through grants.gov. • Pass-through: Not required, but states would be required to consult with local governments. • Timing and eligibility: o Assessment and planning grants would begin four years prior to the first shipment through a jurisdiction. Training grants would begin three years prior to the first shipment and continue every year that shipments are scheduled. o Governors would be asked to select one agency or representative to apply for assistance and administer the award. o Applicants would provide a detailed two-year work plan for a five-year project. o Lapses were not addressed.
In addition, the notice published the merit review criteria that the topic group had developed.
Comments from the regional groups addressed some of the omissions – e.g., contingency re-routing, rulemaking, funding during lapses, and state fees.
All work on Section 180(c) ceased when the Yucca Mountain project was terminated in 2009.
PHASE 3 (2010 S )
In May 2012, DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) established cooperative agreements with the regional groups to carry on the work formerly done by OCRWM. With Yucca Mountain out of the picture, the work focused on implementing the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (BRC). The BRC had recommended that DOE begin “prompt efforts” to prepare for the eventual shipment of spent fuel and high-level waste. One of the recommended efforts was finalizing the policy on Section 180(c) implementation. In keeping with the approach used during Phase 2, DOE-NE organized an ad hoc working group of the NTSF. From December 2012-September 2013, the NTSF Section 180(c) Implementation Ad Hoc Working Group held one teleconference, 12 webinars, and one in-person meeting at the 2013 NTSF meeting in Buffalo. During these calls and meetings, the Working Group addressed 10 of the 11 issues with the following interim results: • Retained: State fees, pass-through of funds, contingency re-routing, matching funds, and funding for operations-related activities.
Page 4
January 23, 2014
File name: BackgroundandProgress.docx
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker