October 23, 2002 SECY-02-0189

For: The Commissioners

From: John W. Craig, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: SECY-02-0189 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING OCTOBER 18, 2002

Contents Enclosure

Nuclear Reactor Regulation A

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B

Nuclear Regulatory Research C

Nuclear Security and Incident Response D

General Counsel E*

Administration F

Chief Information Officer G

Chief Financial Officer H*

Human Resources I

Small Business & Civil Rights J*

Enforcement K*

State and Tribal Programs L*

Public Affairs M

International Programs N*

Office of the Secretary O

Region I P*

Region II P

Region III P*

Region IV P

Executive Director for Operations Q*

Congressional Affairs R

*No input this week.

/RA/

John W. Craig

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

M. Layton, OEDO
October 23, 2002 SECY-02-0189

For: The Commissioners

From: John W. Craig, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: SECY-02-0189 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING OCTOBER 18, 2002

Contents Enclosure

Nuclear Reactor Regulation A

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B

Nuclear Regulatory Research C

Nuclear Security and Incident Response D

General Counsel E*

Administration F

Chief Information Officer G

Chief Financial Officer H*

Human Resources I

Small Business & Civil Rights J*

Enforcement K*

State and Tribal Programs L*

Public Affairs M

International Programs N*

Office of the Secretary O

Region I P*

Region II P

Region III P*

Region IV P

Executive Director for Operations Q*

Congressional Affairs R

*No input this week.

/RA/

John W. Craig

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

M. Layton, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\WEEKO18.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

MLayton:paa JWCraig

10/23/02 10/24/02
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 18, 2002

The Weekly Information Report is compiled by the Office of the EDO and includes highlights of

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: M. Layton, OEDO by E-mail: mcl@nrc.gov. 

Use GO TO (Ctrl+Home) to advance to the page number for a specific Office.

PgDn and PgUp can also be used to advance through the text.

OFFICE Page OFFICE Page

NRR 2 STP *

NMSS 4 OPA 17

RES 8 IP *

NSIR 9 SECY 19

OGC * Region I *

ADM 10 Region II 21

CIO 11 Region III *

CFO * Region IV 23

HR 15 OEDO *

SB/CR * OCA 24

OE *

*No input this week
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Oconee 2, Preliminary Head Inspection Results

During the qualified bare metal visual inspection of the Oconee 2 reactor vessel head and

control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) nozzle penetrations, evidence of through-wall leakage

was detected on 7 CRDM nozzle penetrations. None of these 7 nozzles had been previously

repaired. Five additional nozzle-to-head penetrations were masked by boron deposits

suspected of being from a separate source. Of these five, two had been previously repaired. 

Non-Destructive Evaluation will be performed to characterize the status of these masked

penetrations.

San Onofre, Unit 1 (SONGS-1)

On October 12, 13, and 14, 2002, Southern California Edison successfully removed the reactor

pressure vessel and the “A” steam generator from the SONGS-1 containment structure. This is

a major milestone in the rapidly progressing decommissioning of the SONGS-1 site. Over the

past year, a great deal of equipment removal has taken place at the site. The plan is to move

the reactor vessel by barged to Charleston, SC and from there it will be shipped by rail to the

Barnwell facility.

Steam Generator Tube Structural and Leakage Integrity Models Training Course

On October 15-16, 2002, the staff of the Materials and Chemical Engineering Branch (EMCB)

sponsored a training course on steam generator tube structural and leakage integrity models. 

The course was attended by staff from the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), Office

of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES), and the Regions. The course was taught by experts

from Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). ANL is the main contractor for RES’s steam

generator tube integrity program.

The purpose of the course was to: 1) expose new NRC reviewers to the various models used in

assessing tube integrity, and 2) to re-familiarize more experienced reviewers of recent

developments and the strengths and limitations of various models.

Health Physics Society Symposium

An Emergency Preparedness and Health Physics (EPHP) staff member attended the Northeast

Chapter of the Health Physics Society's Symposium on "Management of Terrorist Events

Involving Nuclear Reactors or Radioactive Materials." The all day symposium was held on

October 8, 2002, and addressed how the society, as a professional organization, could support

the efforts addressing terrorist activities from a national level to a local level. Several papers

were presented related to this area, including one on why nuclear power plants were poor

targets.
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE A

Special Inspection at Comanche Peak 1

Steam generator staff from the Materials and Chemical Engineering Branch, along with a

regional inspector, are participating in a special inspection at Comanche Peak Steam Electric

Station, chartered on October 17, 2002. A shutdown was initiated by the licensee on

September 28, 2002, in response to elevated primary to secondary leakage in one of their

steam generators. Inspection data gathered by the licensee after shutdown indicated that data

gathered for the leaking tube during a previous steam generator examination may not have

been properly identified and characterized. In addition, pressure tests of the leaking tube have

indicated that accident leakage margins which are assumed to exist in the plant design and

licensing basis were not present. Preliminary calculations indicate structural margins may not

be met. The special inspection team will evaluate the effectiveness of the examination methods

for the previous steam generator inspection, as well as for the current inspection.
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

NRC Issues Orders to Implement Security Enhancements for Independent Spent Fuel

Storage Installations

On October 16, 2002, NRC issued orders, to licensees, affecting 31 independent spent fuel

storage installations (ISFSIs) across the U.S. The orders modify either the general or sitespecific license issued to the ISFSIs to require compliance with specified interim safeguards

and security compensatory measures. 

Louisiana Energy Services Public Information Forum

On October 14, 2002, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) and Region II

staff participated in a public information forum sponsored by Trousdale County, Tennessee, on

the proposed Louisiana Energy Services (LES) gas centrifuge enrichment plant. About 200

people attended the forum. Representatives from LES, the Tennessee Environmental Council,

and a local engineer also participated. NMSS staff made presentations on the licensing and

environmental review process, and Region II staff made a presentation on the inspection

program. Issues raised by the public included: depleted uranium tails disposition; effluent

releases; transportation; physical security; extending the comment period on the LES policyissue white papers; and benefits to local residents.

Confirmatory Action Letter Issued to Nuclear Fuel Services

On October 15, 2002, Region II issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) to Nuclear Fuel

Services (NFS). The CAL was sent in response to the issues associated with the NFS Material

Control and Accounting (MC&A) program implementation identified in NRC inspection report

70-0143/2002-010 and discussed in a meeting between NRC and NFS management on

October 3, 2002. Most of the actions specified in the CAL require a response from NFS by late

October 2002.

Exemption from Requirement to Perform Biennial Emergency Exercise, Paducah Gaseous

Diffusion Plant

On October 10, 2002, the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards forwarded, for

publication, in the Federal Register, a Notice of Approval of Request for Temporary Exemption,

concerning the U.S. Enrichment Corporation’s (USEC’s) Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. 

The notice includes an Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI). The EA and FONSI were provided to the States of Illinois and Kentucky, and the

Department of Energy, for pre-publication consultation; no objections were received.

USEC requested the exemption to permit the Paducah plant to delay its Emergency

Preparedness (EP) biennial exercise to next summer, to avoid conducting it while USEC is in

the midst of efforts to implement the new security requirements called for by the Commission

Order issued on June 17, 2002. The EP exercise was scheduled for November 13, 2002, and
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

will now be held between July 15, 2003, and August 15, 2003, a time frame when NRC

personnel are available to participate.

Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards Holds Quarterly Meeting

On October 10, 2002, the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards held its

quarterly meeting at Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offices in Washington, D.C. The

purpose of the meeting was to review progress on addressing Federal radiation protection

issues. Among the issues discussed were: the guidance currently being prepared for publicly

owned sewage treatment plants (due by end of the year); the NRC/EPA Memorandum of

Understanding on sites undergoing decommissioning; and U.S. participation in a Nuclear

Energy Agency review of an International Commission on Radiological Protection report on

protection of non-human species from ionizing radiation.
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Asian Trip in Support of Research Plan for Digital Instrumentation and Controls

On September 21 through October 12, a member of the Division of Engineering Technology

staff and a contractor traveled to Asia in support of the activities outlined in NRC Research Plan

for Digital Instrumentation and Controls (SECY-01-0155). The visits included the Korea Atomic

Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), the Korea

Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), the Hanaro research reactor, and the

Wolsong Nuclear Power Plant; Taiwan’s Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER), the

Republic of China Atomic Energy Council (ROCAEC), INER, and Taiwan Power Company

(TPC); and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Toshiba, Hitachi, the Nuclear Engineering

Corporation (NUPEC), the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), the

Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), and the High Temperature Test Reactor

(HTTR). The discussions focused on digital instrumentation and control applications in their

respective nuclear plants as well as interest in prospective international collaborative research

initiatives on the safety aspects of instrumentation, control, and human-machine interface

(IC&HMI) technologies for nuclear power plant applications. In addition, the staff member also

visited nuclear power plants and plant system suppliers to survey the state of the technology for

digital instrumentation and controls (I&C) in Asia. 

An international collaboration research initiative is being explored which would provide a forum

for technical exchange of research findings and serve as a vehicle to identify potential areas for

collaborative research activities among the international participants. Each of the research

organizations visited identified areas of common research interest. Each organization

expressed interest in continuing discussions about the formation of such a program. In

particular, the research organizations in South Korea and Taiwan suggested that the initiative

be added as an item of discussion under the existing Joint Standing Committee on Nuclear

Energy Cooperation (JSCNEC). Staff from the Division of Engineering Technology will continue

the dialog on the international collaborative research initiative to determine if a formal joint

research effort is warranted.

SPAR Model Development Program

On October 11, 2002, a member of the Division of Risk Analysis and Applications staff gave a

presentation to the ACRS on the SPAR Model Development Program. His presentation

covered the following areas: (1) Low Power/Shutdown (LP/SD) SPAR Model Development

Program Plan, (2) Insights from the Onsite QA Review of the LP/SD SPAR Model for Surry 1

& 2, and (3) Cancellation of Development of Revision 4i SPAR Models and possible

enhancement of SPAR 3 models to meet future needs. One member requested more detail on

the SPAR 4i project, but the committee agreed that considering other, more important needs

(e.g., development of external events, low power/shutdown, and LERF models, and making the

analysts’ interface with the SPAR models more user-friendly), the decision to cancel the

development of Revision 4i SPAR models was a reasonable decision. 
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE D

Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Public Meeting Between NRC Staff and Stakeholders on the Fitness-for-Duty Rule

On October 16-18, 2002, the NRC staff met with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and other

stakeholders at NRC Headquarters. The topics discussed were (1) draft rule language,

(2) anticipated costs and savings associated with the draft rule revisions, and (3) contemplated

Part 26 requirements for decommissioning and Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations.

The staff and stakeholders agreed that future stakeholder meetings would be scheduled on an

as-needed basis.

Dry Storage ISFSI Orders Issued to Licensees October 16, 2002

The Orders to dry storage ISFSI licensees were issued on Wednesday October 16, 2002. The

order packages included RIS 2002-12D, "Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations Using

Dry Storage NRC Threat Advisory and Protective Measures System." 

NSIR met with representatives of NEI on Wednesday October 16, 2002 to discuss the staff’s

comments regarding NEI’s implementing guidance for the ISFSI ICMs. NEI will send the

guidance to NRC shortly for NSIR’s endorsement. 

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-IV-02-055, St. Patrick Hospital - MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION.

2. PNO-IV-02-056, The Queen’s Medical Center - MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION.

3. PNO-IV-02-057, Construction Inspection and Testing - LOST OR STOLEN PORTABLE

GAUGE.

4. PNO-IV-02-058, Kleinfelder, Inc. - STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE RECOVERED.

5. PNO-IV-02-059, GEOCON Northwest, Inc. - STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE.

6. PNO-I-02-018, Crest Foam Industries - UNAUTHORIZED REMOVAL OF A NUCLEAR

DENSITY GAUGE FROM STORAGE
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Cost Recovery for Contested Hearings Involving U.S. Government National Security Initiatives

(Part 170)

A final rule that amends the Commission’s fee regulations was published in the Federal

Register on October 17, 2002 (67 FR 64033). This amendment to 10 CFR 170 establishes a

provision for assessing Part 170 fees to the affected applicant or licensee so that NRC can

recover its full costs of contested hearings on licensing actions which involve U.S. Government

national security initiatives. This final rule is a special exception to the Commission’s

longstanding policy of not charging this type of fee for contested hearings. Under this

exemption, the Commission will charge its contested hearing costs directly to the involved

licensee or applicant rather than recovering its costs through the annual fees assessed to all

licensees within the affected class. The final rule becomes effective November 18, 2002.
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests received during the period of

October 11, 2002 through October 17, 2002:

Philotechnics Ltd., License No. 37-28329-01 and 37-29329-02, issuances and amendment

requests (FOIA/PA-2003-0010)

Enforcement activities regarding Vermont hospitals from 1985 (FOIA/PA-2003-0011)

Nuclear cardiac diagnostic imaging, total listing of facilities granted and not granted licenses in

states of NJ, PA, MD, and FL (FOIA/PA-2003-0012)

License for irradiator, pre-1995, 21-00741-13, information regarding leaks and spills (FOIA/PA2003-0013)

OI report 3-2001-005 (FOIA/PA-2003-0014)

Employment discrimination at Florida Power & Light Co., all records. (FOIA/PA-2003-0015)
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Arrivals

BOWMAN, Gregory REACTOR INSPECTOR RI

CARON, Dana PHYSICAL SECURITY INSPECTOR RI

COLANTONI, Carey REACTOR INSPECTOR RI

CRANSTON, Gregory* REACTOR INSPECTOR NRR

DEL-VALLE, Waldemar NUCLEAR SAFETY INTERN RII

SILVA, Patricia CHEMICAL ENGINEER NMSS

Retirements

HICKS, Mona SENIOR POLICY & PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT

SPECIALIST

HR

Departures

CRONENBERG, August SENIOR STAFF ENGINEER ACRS

*Transferring from RI
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Media Interest

The exposure of 32 nuclear power plant workers at St. Lucie to low levels of radiation during a

maintenance outage drew media interest. 

Press Releases

Headquarters:

02-122 NRC Invites Public to Submit Nominations for Advisory Committee on

Nuclear waste

Regions:

I-02-062 NRC Assigns New Resident Inspector to Hope Creek Nuclear Plant

I-02-063 NRC Seeks Public Input on Environmental Statement for Proposed R.E.

Ginna Nuclear Power Plant License Renewal

II-02-047 NRC Staff to Hold Public Meeting with FP&L on October 25 to Discuss

Initial St. Lucie Plant License Renewal Inspection

IV-02-043 Nancy Salgado Named Senior Resident Inspector at Palo Verde

IV-02-044 Michael Peck Named Senior resident Inspector at Callaway
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-02-0176 9/30/02 Proposed Rulemaking to Add New Section

10 CFR 50.69, “Risk-Informed

Categorization and Treatment of Structures,

Systems, and Components” (WITS

199900061)

Information Papers

1. SECY-02-0174 9/27/02 Litigation Report - 2002 - 03

2. SECY-02-0181 10/10/02 SECY-02-0181 Weekly Information Report -

Week Ending October 4, 2002

3. SECY-02-0177 10/1/02 Initial Analysis and Plan for Addressing

License Termination Rule Issues

Memoranda

1. M021001B 10/16/02 Staff Requirements - Briefing on

Decommissioning Activities and Status

(SECY-02-0169)

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Governor Scott McCallum, Governor of Wisconsin, dated October 10, 2002,

responds to request that the NRC and the State of Wisconsin establish an agreement

pursuant to Section 274b of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended . 

2. Letter to Senator Robert C. Byrd, dated October 7, 2002, provides legislative proposals to

enhance security at nuclear facilities regulated by the NRC. Universities. 

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Notice of establishment of the Peer Review for Source Term Modeling.
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) Management Meeting

On October 15, 2002, representatives from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) attended a

management meeting in the Region II Office. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss

TVA's nuclear strategic objectives. 

Duke Energy–annual Government Training Workshop

On October 15-16, 2002, the Regional State Liaison Officer, accompanied by officials of the

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Region IV, participated in the annual

government training program sponsored by Duke Energy, Inc., which was conducted this year

at the McGuire nuclear facility, Cornelius, North Carolina. Approximately sixty five North

Carolina and South Carolina State and local government officials were in attendance, as well as

appropriate utility representatives. The purpose of this training was to discuss emergency

preparedness subjects of mutual interest, and the current NRC and FEMA perspectives on

radiological emergency response planning.

Florida Power and Light Company - St. Lucie Nuclear Plant

There was continued media interest in the personnel contamination events that occurred earlier

in the outage during the reactor vessel head hydrolazing and the incore detector replacement

work. The licensee also reported this week that one of the worker's involved in the hydrolazing

was improperly released from the site with low level, discrete particle contamination on his

under garments. The resident inspector has been monitoring these issues, and the Region will

conduct a follow-up inspection in the near future.

Louisiana Energy Services (LES) Public Information Forum

On October 14, the Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety participated with the Office of

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards representatives and others, in a Public Information

Forum for the LES gas centrifuge enrichment plant proposed to be located in Hartsville,

Tennessee. Approximately 200 members of the public attended.
October 18, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

Regional Administrator Visit to the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

On October 11-12, 2002, the Regional Administrator visited the San Onofre Nuclear Generating

Station and met with licensee management. The purpose of the visit was to tour Unit 1 which is

presently being decommissioned, observe the heavy lift of the reactor vessel, observe

placement of the reactor vessel in it’s shipping container, and attend the exit for the verification

inspection for safeguards interim compensatory measures.

Meeting with Framatome ANP, Inc.

The Director, Division of Nuclear Materials Safety, and other members of the NRC staff,

conducted a video teleconference on October 15, 2002, with the Framatome ANP, Inc.,

representatives to discuss the NRC’s review of Framatome’s performance for the period

January 1, 2000, through April 30, 2002. 

Pacific Gas and Electric Management Changes

On October 17, 2002, the licensee announced that the Board of Directors has elected the

Station Director to Vice President Diablo Canyon Power Plant Operations and Station Director. 

The Vice President Diablo Canyon Operations is now Vice President and General Manager,

Diablo Canyon. The licensee is creating a new position, Director, Operations Services, that will

have responsibility for operations, radiation protection, chemistry, and environmental reporting. 

The reorganization was done in anticipation of a new generating company as part of the plan of

reorganization. This plan proposes the Senior Vice President Generation and Chief Nuclear

Officer as President of GenCo; the Vice President and General Manager, Diablo Canyon, as

Chief Nuclear Officer; and the Vice President Diablo Canyon Power Plant Operations and

Station Director as Site Vice President.
October 18, 2002 

Office of Congressional Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 18, 2002

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 70

OCA

Contact

DATE

&

PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Gerke 10/24/02

Cleveland

10:00 Jack Grobe, First Energy, UCS Davis-Besse Field Brie

Combs Tentative TBD Dr. Paperiello, DOE, DOD,

DOS

Combating Terrorism: PreventingNuclear Terrorism

Reps. ShNatl Secu

 InternatiGovernm