Public cont'd - hdbk114820020118

DOE-HDBK-1148-2002

15.

Post-Meeting Written Comments

One of the more vocal meeting attenders also sent a letter to WSRC with additional

comments on the process (Ref. A8). He suggests that independent oversight be

conducted to validate the standards that are selected.

WSRC Response to Comment: The level of independent review used for the F/H

Groundwater Remediation N&S Pilot was adequate for the scope and hazards

addressed. Should this process be implemented further, the level of independent review

will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The N&S Process Description recognizes

the need for varying levels of independent review - "The use of a team for confirmation

of the necessary and sufficient set of standards is intended to provide an adequate basis

for approval of the set. The criteria for the team members, and the degree of individual

and team independence needed for this purpose will have to be determined by the

convened group (steering committee) in each case. For simple cases, the identification

process itself may provide sufficient evidence of the adequacy and feasibility of the set.

For more complex or controversial cases, it will be necessary to use more rigorous and

independent methods for confirmation, for example, a formal independent peer review."

16.

Post-Meeting Comments

The day after the public meeting, both local newspapers published positive articles

about the meeting, the N&S Process, and the benefits resulting from the use of the

Process (Ref. A9, A10).

B-10