Radiological Health Advisory Board Meeting

1. Radiological Health Advisory Board Meeting November 4, 2009

2. Agenda • Welcome and introduction – Les Foldesi, MS, CHP, Director, Division of Radiological Health • Approval of agenda • Approval of minutes for May 6, 2009 meeting • Report from the chair

3. Agenda (cont) • Old business • Opportunity for public comments • New business • Next meeting • Adjournment

4. Two major program activities for radioactive materials and X-ray machine are funded entirely from special funds, i.e. Fees General Fund (GF) reduction anticipated for GF used to support X-ray program ($49,167) New GF target is $442,774 used to support other radiological issues, such as emergency preparedness, non ionizing radiation (tanning beds, lasers etc) Mammography contract renewed for FFY ($126,600) State Budget for SFY2010

5. Radioactive Materials • Currently we have about 430 active specific licenses • We have converted about half of the NRC licenses to State licenses. • VDH has taken possession of orphan sources for proper disposal. Note: Navy picked up their sources in October. • Duty Officers trained to access licensee database to respond to US Customs’ inquiries regarding shipments of radioactive materials.

6. Radioactive Materials (cont) • From our initial billing, we have concluded that more of our licensees had qualified for the small business fee under the NRC than was projected during rulemaking for our fee schedule. • VDH also received several complaints from licensees that are small businesses concerning higher fees.

7. Radioactive Materials (cont) • VDH staff proposed a fee schedule to significantly reduce fees so that only about a dozen or so licensees will have a higher fee rather than 60. • VDH also received a petition that requested the agency reconsider its fee schedule • Staff anticipate the State Health Commissioner will take action on these two items in the coming weeks.

8. In recruitment is a wage position- inspector, unable to recruit qualified individual. Mammography contract renewed for the next FFY. VDH notified CT facilities and PIs serving CT facilities of overexposure to patients during brain perfusion studies using CT at an unnamed facility. Staff will visit the Hampton University Proton Beam Therapy Facility in January. X-ray Machine Program

9. Plume Phase evaluated exercise for Surry Nuclear Power Station on August 4, 2009 Staff provided support to Dominion for other exercises including a security exercise. Staff are reviewing a draft of the State Plan. Emergency Preparedness Program

10. Docket FEMA-2008-0022 public comment period closed in August 2009. Combines all FEMA guidance REP14 and 15 Also revision of NUREG 0654, Supplement 4 (security drills) EPA issued three guidance documents for radiation laboratories VDH is scheduled to participate in an exercise for radiation laboratories using spiked samples EMP (cont)

11. Although funding for this activity has been eliminated, VDH staff continues to respond to citizen inquires regarding this issue. Volunteer, Brian Kessler, is answering radon calls. Radon

12. VDH is continuing to replace old air sampling equipment. Sign of the times- EA Terrell Dairy went out of business. This dairy provided milk samples to represent the North Anna environment. Environmental Monitoring Program

13. Les Foldesi attended meeting of the Southeast Compact Commission on June 16 and 17 in St. Petersburg, FL. Topics covered: NW Compact lost suit in federal district court re: private site not under Compact’s regulations. SE Compact will have its suit against NC heard in this session of the US Supreme Court. Master’s Brief is not favorable to SE Compact. Amicus brief by other Compacts filed on behalf of SE Compact. Radioactive Low-Level Waste

14. Other LLW issues Federal legislation pending to strip NRC of its authority to accept foreign LLW into the country. Federal legislation concerning the blending of LLW to allow re-classification to lower class of LLW which has a disposal option. Radioactive Low-Level Waste

15. Virginia Coal and Energy Commission subcommittee intends to contract with the National Research Council (NRC) to conduct a study. The NRC Executive Committee meets this week in closed session to discuss the proposed scope of the study. Uranium Mining in VA

16. Major supplier for Northern Hemisphere is Canada’s Chalk River reactor, 50 yrs and failing. Replacement reactors Maple I and II have major design problem. This reactor uses HEU from USA which presents diplomatic and home land security concerns. LEU is encouraged in future reactors Obama administration is providing funds for replacement reactor in USA. Medical Isotope Shortage

17. Dominion’s third reactor at North Anna Mining and milling uranium in Pittsylvania County AREVA teaming up with Northrop Grumman to build reactor components BWXT designing and building a medical isotope production reactor (Lynchburg or St. Louis- Mallinckrodt???) Hampton University Proton Beam Therapy Facility- August 2010 patient treatments begin New Nuclear Engineering Programs- VCU, corporate sponsored programs Nuclear Renaissance?? Virginia’s Perspective

18. Proton Beam Accelerator

19. QUESTIONS?

20. Old Business Public Comments (5 minutes each) New Business Next meeting? Adjourn