INFORMATION REPORT

March 28, 2002 SECY-02-0056

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-02-0056 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING MARCH 22, 2002

Contents Enclosure

Nuclear Reactor Regulation A

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B

Nuclear Regulatory Research C*

Incident Response Operations 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:

J. Colaccino, OEDO
March 28, 2002 SECY-02-0056

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-02-0056 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING MARCH 22, 2002

Contents Enclosure

Nuclear Reactor Regulation A

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B

Nuclear Regulatory Research C*

Incident Response Operations 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:

J. Colaccino, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\WEEK322.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

JColaccino:paa JWCraig

03/28/02 03/28/02
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING MARCH 22, 2002

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: J. Colaccino, OEDO by E-mail: jxc1@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 * IP 18

IRO 9 SECY 19

OGC * Region I 20

ADM 10 Region II 21

CIO 11 Region III *

CFO * Region IV 23

HR 15 OEDO *

SB/CR 16 OCA 24

OE *

*No input this week
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

NRC Bulletin 2002-01: Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Degradation and Reactor Coolant

Pressure Boundary Integrity dated March 18, 2002

The NRC issued this bulletin to require pressurized-water reactor addressees to submit:

(1) information related to the integrity of the reactor coolant pressure boundary including the

reactor pressure vessel head and the extent to which inspections have been undertaken

to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, and

(2) the basis for concluding that plants satisfy applicable regulatory requirements related to

the structural integrity of the reactor coolant pressure boundary and future inspections will

ensure continued compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, and 

(3) a written response to the NRC in accordance with the provisions of Title 10, Section

50.54(f), of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50.54(f)) if they are unable to

provide the information or they can not meet the requested completion dates.

Public Meetings on Reactor Pressure Vessel Head Degradation

On March 19, 2002, the NRC held a public meeting (Category 2 meeting per SECY-01-0137)

with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and the EPRI Materials Reliability Project (MRP). 

During this meeting, the industry provided preliminary results of a survey they conducted on the

reactor pressure vessel head inspection and maintenance practices at all PWRs. The NRC is

evaluating the information presented by the industry at the meeting. At the end of the meeting,

the NRC discussed the information they requested in NRC Bulletin 2002-01 and entertained

questions from all stakeholders. Approximately 100 people attended the meeting with many

more tying in via a phone connection.

On March 20, 2002, the NRC held a public meeting (Category 3) to discuss the findings at

Davis-Besse and to address stakeholder concerns. The NRC is continuing to interact with the

public, the industry and the licensee for Davis-Besse. As additional information is obtained, it

will be communicated to stakeholders. 

The Augmented Inspection Team at Davis-Besse is still on-going. Following completion of the

inspection, the NRC will hold a meeting open to public observation (Category 1) in the plant

vicinity to discuss the inspection findings. 

Turkey Point License Renewal ACRS Subcommittee Meeting

On March 13, 2002, the ACRS subcommittee on plant license renewal met in Florida City, to

discuss the staffís safety evaluation for Turkey Point, the resolution of open items, and safety

concerns sent to them by a local resident. Before the meeting, the ACRS toured the plant and

had a demonstration of a station blackout event on the plant simulator. During the meeting, the

staff described the resolution of the four open items. In addition, the staff addressed the
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE A

following issues raised in a letter to the ACRS from Mark Oncavage, a petitioner in the Turkey

Point license renewal: (1) effects of voids in the containment on plant aging, (2) capability of the

plant to withstand hurricanes, (3) capability of the plant to withstand terrorist attacks, and (4)

spent fuel capacity.

The subcommittee requested that the staff present the resolution of open items to the full

committee on April 11, with specific attention to the scoping criteria for seismic II over I piping

systems, and the impact criteria for non-safety related piping as it relates to the generic

resolution of interaction of non-safety systems with the safety systems; the Westinghouse

Owners Groups topical reports; the Oncavage issues, particularly the corrective actions to

resolve the containment voids under the equipment hatch at Turkey Point and any generic

insights for identifying and correcting voids in concrete; and the status of the station blackout

scoping issue generically and for Turkey Point.

Published Regulatory Guides

On March 19, 2002, the NRC published proposed amendments to 10 CFR 50.55a (67 FR

12488) that would, if adopted, incorporate by reference three NRC published regulatory guides

listing ASME BPV and OM Code Cases that the NRC has reviewed and approved for use. 

These code cases provide alternatives to the requirements in the ASME Boiler and Pressure

Vessel Code and the ASME Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants. 

This action would permit NRC licensees to implement certain ASME Code Cases without

seeking prior NRC approval. The seventy-five day comment period for the proposed rule

expires on June 3, 2002.

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station

On March 15, 2002, the NRC staff issued an Order approving the transfer of operating authority

under Facility Operating License and transfer of Materials License for Pilgrim Nuclear Power

Station from Entergy Nuclear Generation Company to Entergy Nuclear Operations,

Incorporated. The conforming amendments to the Facility Operating License and Materials

License will be issued when the staff is notified that all transfer approvals have been completed

by the licensee.

Public Workshop on Extended Power Uprate Lessons Learned

In SECY 01-0124, the NRC staff indicated its intent to hold a public workshop on extended

power uprate lessons learned following completion of the first few extended power uprate

reviews. The staff held this public workshop on March 19, 2002. The purpose of the workshop

was to share and discuss lessons learned from recent extended power uprate applications and

obtain feedback on issues that should be pursued by the staff in process improvement efforts

related to extended power uprates. Ninety one attendees participated in the workshop. 

Attendees also included representatives from licensees, nuclear steam supply system (NSSS)

vendors, architectural engineering firms, the press, other engineering firms involved in power

uprate work, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

and NRC staff. The workshop included presentations on NRC and vendor programs related to

power uprates, as well as, licensee and NRC experience and lessons learned from recent

extended power uprate work. Presentations were made by NRC staff, General Electric, Exelon
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE A

(Re: Dresden and Quad Cities recent experience), NMC (Re: Duane Arnold Energy Center

recent experience), Westinghouse, Entergy (Re: Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 2 recent

experience), and Framatome. 

In addition to presentations, the workshop included breakout sessions during which the

attendees were divided into groups to identify areas in extended power uprate processes that

could be improved and provide ideas on how to improve these areas. 

The staff believes the workshop was beneficial for focusing its next steps in the area of power

uprate process improvements. Participants provided good and candid feedback that the staff

will consider in its evaluation of the benefits of developing an SRP and in the development of an

effectiveness and efficiency plan for power uprates. 
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Department of Energy External Regulation Meeting

On March 19, 2002, members of the NRC Liaison Team participated in a meeting of the

Department of Energy (DOE) External Regulation Task Force in Crystal City, Virginia. 

Congress has directed DOE to prepare an implementation plan for its non-defense science

laboratories, to transition to NRC and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration

(OSHA) external regulation. The plan would affect 10 facilities. The NRC Liaison Team

includes representatives from the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, the Office

of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Regions. Milton

Johnson, the Deputy Director of DOEís Office of Science, indicated that there is strong DOE

support for external regulation. He specifically mentioned that Undersecretary Robert Card was

very interested in responding to Congress with a report favorable toward beginning

implementation of external regulation by October 2002. Issues discussed at the meeting

included the role of the States, the cost of external regulation, oversight of the accelerator

laboratories (NRC, OSHA, or the applicable State), and legislative concerns. The Liaison Team

is preparing resource estimates for such a transition and plans to have it available for Office

review and comment by the beginning of April 2002.

Pre-Application Meeting with Louisiana Energy Services

On March 19, 2002, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards staff met with staff from the

Louisiana Energy Services (LES) partnership (Urenco, Exelon, Duke Energy, and Entergy) to

discuss LES plans to submit a license application for a 3-million Separative Work Unit uranium

enrichment facility. LES intends to build the plant on an existing, still undetermined, nuclear

facility site. LES staff indicated that it is planning to submit a license application in the fourth

quarter of 2002. LES wants a short and predictable licensing process with a goal of receiving a

license by the third quarter of 2004. LES staff also said it wants to begin production by 2006. 

LES staff indicated that it would like to have pre-application meetings beginning in April 2002,

on environmental review issues, codes and standards, security, handling restricted data, plant

control systems, conduct of operations, site characterization, and quality assurance.

Meeting to Draft a Safety Requirements for Fuel Cycle Facilities

From March 11-15, 2002, an individual from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards

participated in a 5-day working-level consultantís meeting at the International Atomic Energy

Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, to develop DS 316, "Safety of Fuel Cycle and Isotope

Production Facilities," for submittal to the IAEA's nuclear safety committee (NUSC) for review. 

DS 316 contains siting; design; construction; commissioning; operation; and decommissioning

requirements for facilities that conduct uranium mining and milling; UF6 conversion; uranium

enrichment; reactor fuel fabrication, including mixed-oxide fuel fabrication; spent reactor fuel

reprocessing; and radioactive waste treatment and storage. Nuclear reactors and radioactive

waste disposal facilities are excluded. Once finalized, a fuel cycle facility operator/designer or a

country may use this document to establish or strengthen its safety requirements for designing

and operating fuel cycle facilities. If requested, an IAEA safety review team may also use
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

DS 316 to inspect and evaluate fuel cycle facilities. At the meeting, there were five other

participants from the United Kingdom, France, and Japan. Another meeting to address any

comments from NUSC and to develop DS 316 further is being contemplated for this summer.

Trojan Potential Enforcement Action

On March 13, 2002, the NRC notified Portland General Electric (PGE) of two apparent

violations involving PGEís license to operate an independent spent fuel storage installation at

Trojan Nuclear Plant (Trojan). The apparent violations are the result of PGEís failure to

oversee its cask vendor properly in the design and fabrication of casks. This resulted in PGE

beginning to load casks that did not meet the NRC-approved 10 CFR Part 72 license. NRC is

giving PGE the opportunity either to respond in writing to the apparent violations or to request a

pre-decisional enforcement conference.

Meeting on Guidance for 10 CFR Part 35, "Medical Use of Byproduct Materialî

On March 13, 2002, a planning meeting was held at the NRC Headquarters in Rockville,

Maryland. Six representatives of groups in the regulated community met to help plan future

public meetings, on revisions to licensing guidance being undertaken in support of the revision

of 10 CFR Part 35. A radiopharmacist joined 11 internal stakeholders as observers; they also

had the opportunity to comment during the proceedings. Francis Cameron of the Office of the

General Counsel facilitated the meeting. Mr. Cameron is working with Division of Industrial and

Medical Nuclear Safety staff to plan public meetings for April, on licensing guidance, and a

public meeting for late May, on inspection guidance.

Final Rule: "List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC-MPC Revision"

On March 15, 2002, a direct final rule entitled "List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks:

NAC-MPC Revision" was published in the Federal Register (67 FR 11566). The direct final rule

is to amend 10 CFR Part 72 by revising the listing for NAC-MPC casks in 10 CFR 72.214 to

include Amendment No. 2 to the Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1025. Amendment 2 will

allow for modification of the design of the cask system, to accommodate a new type of fuel. 

The MPC system component modifications include increased length of the fuel basket and

canister, transfer cask, and vertical concrete cask. Changes also include a redesigned fuel

basket to accommodate 26 fuel assemblies, with an alternate 24-fuel assembly configuration

and increased transfer cask radial shielding. The CoC has been revised in its entirety to

include a reference to the new type of fuel and a revised format. The Technical Specifications

(TSí) also have been revised in their entirety to include specifications for the new type of fuel,

new operational limits, and to incorporate a revised format for the TSí. The direct final rule will

be effective on May 29, 2002, unless significant adverse comments are received by April 15,

2002.

Staff Met with the Department of Energy on Resolving Issues Associated with ThermalMechanical Effects at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

On March 12-13, 2002, staff from the Division of Waste Management and the Center for

Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (Center) took part in a meeting with the Department of

Energy (DOE). The Center hosted the meeting in San Antonio, Texas. At this prelicensing
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

meeting, known as an Appendix-7 meeting, DOE presented and discussed its approach to

resolving the Repository Design Thermal-Mechanical Effects Key Technical Issue (RDTME

KTI). At a technical exchange meeting with DOE held in February 2001, the NRC wrote, and

DOE agreed to, 23 RDTME KTI issue resolution agreements. Many of the agreements

required DOE to present a rational and defensible basis to consider the effects of potential

rockfall, drift degradation, and collapse on repository design and performance. DOEís overall

method presented at this meeting consists of laboratory and in situ testing, and modeling, to

develop an understanding of the time-dependent rock behavior under critical combinations of

thermal, seismic, and in situ stresses. This understanding would provide the technical basis for

closing 15 RDTME KTI issue resolution agreements. The Appendix-7 meeting was DOEís first

major step in issue resolution for the RDTME KTI. DOE also agreed to schedule more

meetings in the next few months to advance issue resolution in the RDTME KTI.

Training Workshop on RESRAD-RECYCLE

On March 15, 2002, staff from the Division of Waste Management coordinated the first training

workshop on the RESRAD-RECYCLE code. Argonne National Laboratory, the codeís

developer, provided hands-on training to over 20 participants from different NRC offices and the

Department of Energyís (DOEís) Office of Environmental Management (EM) at this workshop. 

DOE plans to use RESRAD-RECYCLE for dose assessments in its Draft Programmatic

Environmental Impact Statement on the disposition of scrap metal, which is currently under

development by EM staff. Also discussed in the workshop were the results of an international

validation study of the RESRAD-RECYLE code at a Swedish metals processing facility.

Meeting with United Kingdom Officials on Reactor Decommissioning

On March 7-8, 2002, staff from the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and the Office of

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards met with representatives of the Nuclear Installation

Inspectorate (NII), the Nuclear Safety Directorate (NSD), and the Health and Safety Executive

(HSE) of the United Kingdom (UK). NSD is the independent government regulator for the

nuclear power program in the UK. NII conducts the facility inspections for NSD.

NII is interested in the U.S. approach to decommissioning nuclear reactor facilities and disposal

of radioactive waste, and applicability to UK facilities. The UK criterion for license termination is

ìNo Danger,î and there are no disposal facilities for ìintermediate level waste,î that is defined

as greater than 12 MBq/m3

. Licensees are currently proposing a SAFESTOR-type approach

for about 85 years, to allow radioactive decay to reduce both potential worker exposure and

waste volume and activity.

Staff explained the current reactor decommissioning process, including shutdown, postshutdown activities report, and license termination plan. Staff also noted that an advance

notice of proposed rulemaking on reactor entombment has been issued.

Staff Participates in Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum Meeting

On March 11-12, 2002, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards staff participated in a

meeting of the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum in Charleston, South Carolina. Other

participants in the meeting, in addition to State and Compact officials, included the low-level
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

waste (LLW) disposal site operators; the General Accounting Office; the Army Corps of

Engineers; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the Department of Defense; and the

Nuclear Energy Institute. A State of Texas official reported that Maine has plans to withdraw

from the Texas compact (which also includes Vermont). Texas has no active program for

developing a new disposal facility, and Maine Yankee, the primary source of LLW in the State,

is undergoing decommissioning. A number of the presentations at the meeting addressed

alternatives to conventional disposalñthe NRC approval of the 10 CFR 20.2002 landfill disposal

for the Big Rock Point plant; entombment of nuclear power reactors; NRCís supplement to the

reactor decommissioning Generic Environmental Impact Statement (NUREG-0586), which is

addressing rubblization; and EPAís recently issued mixed- waste rule.
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE D

Incident Response Operations

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Meeting of Federal Response Subcommittee

On March 21, 2002, staff from Incident Response Operations attended a meeting of the

Federal Radiological Preparedness Coordinating Committee, Federal Response Subcommittee

(FRS). The purpose of the FRS meeting was to discuss changes to the Federal Radiological

Emergency Response Plan (FRERP). Changes recommended by the staff included:

1) clarifying the responsibilities during a terrorist event; 2) adding one-voice communications

information to the foreign-event section; 3) distinguish the NRCís responsibilities as the Lead

Federal Agency for on-site and off-site response; 4) make clear what assets identified in the

FRERP can be deployed without the need for a Stafford-Act declaration, and what require such

a declaration. All the FRS agencies agreed with the staffís recommendations. Other

recommended changes covered topics like: 1) tying the FRERP closer to the format of the

Federal Response Plan (FRP), adopting FRP terminology, and having a crosswalk matrix;

2) define the planning basis for the FRERP, i.e. is it just an accident, or does it include a

terroristís threat; and 3) clarify the role of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal

Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in responding to a terroristís event. The FEMA

representative present agreed to develop a proposed outline as the next step in the process.

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-III-02-006A, FirstEnergy Corporation (Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant),

SIGNIFICANT METAL LOSS IN REACTOR VESSEL HEAD (UPDATE).

2. PNO-III-02-007, Southeast Missouri State University, AMERICIUM-241

CONTAMINATION.

3. PNO-III-02-008, St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, REPORTED

MISADMINISTRATION.

4. PNO-III-02-009, Fort Knox Army Base, UNPLANNED CONTAMINATION EVENT AND

LOST/MISSING HYDROGEN-3 SIGHTING DEVICE.

5. PNO-IV-02-015, Otis Air National Guard Base, DEVICE CONTAINING LICENSED

MATERIAL FOUND.

6. PNO-IV-02-015A, Otis Air National Guard Base, UPDATE - DEVICE CONTAINING

LICENSED MATERIAL FOUND.
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Incorporation by Reference of ASME BPV and OM Code Cases (Part 50)

A proposed rule that would amend the regulations that incorporate by reference certain

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code Cases was published in the Federal

Register on March 19, 2002 (67 FR 12488). The proposed rule would provide alternatives to

the requirements in the Boiler Pressure Vessel Code and the Operation and Maintenance Code

that the NRC has reviewed and found acceptable. The comment period on this action closes

June 3, 2002.
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

General License Tracking System (GLTS Version 2) Implementation

General License Tracking System (GLTS Version 2) was successfully implemented on March 7,

2002. GLTS Version 2 was designed to provide functionality critical to the progress of NMSS

programs that provide oversight for general licensed nuclear devices. GLTS Version 2 supports

implementation of a registration program for general licensees.

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

March 15, 2002 through March 21, 2002:

Consultation, record release determination, energy policy issues. (FOIA/PA-2002-0186)

Materials Licensing Tracking System, active licensees. (FOIA/PA-2002-0187)

Daily plant status reports, 3/1/02 through 3/15/02. (FOIA/PA-2002-0188)

Daily plant status reports, 3/1/02 through 3/18/02. (FOIA/PA-2002-0189)

Cask performance, storage and/or transportation casks for use with high-level waste. 

(FOIA/PA-2002-0190)

Correspondence between NRC and identified organizations from 1979 to present: Nuclear

Energy Institute (NEI), NUMARC, U.S. Council on Energy Awareness, Edison Electric Institute,

and the American Nuclear Energy Council. (FOIA/PA-2002-0191)

Holtec International, 1/1/01 to present, ìHi-Starî spent nuclear fuel transportation casks,

regarding calculations, tests, evaluations of redesign of cask closure. (FOIA/PA-2002-0192)

NUREG-1738, ìTechnical Study of Spent Fuel Pool Accident Risk at Decommissioning Nuclear

Power Plants.î (FOIA/PA-2002-0193) 

Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton, OH, violations in radiation therapy program and all enforcement

actions. (FOIA/PA-2002-0194)

Nuclear energy, general information. (FOIA/PA-2002-0195)

Report of inquiry initiated in 2001. (FOIA/PA-2002-0196)

Bush Administration energy task force, referral by Department of Commerce. 

(FOIA/PA-2002-0197)
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Arrivals

BEACH, Mary Ellen CHIEF, WORKFORCE PLANNING &

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

HR

CHANG, Kenneth MECHANICAL ENGINEER NRR

CLOYD, SherVerne OFFICE AUTOMATION ASSISTANT NMSS

CUADRADO CARABALLO, Jose NUCLEAR SAFETY INTERN NMSS

DAVIS, Jennifer GENERAL SCIENTIST NRR

MAY, Angela SECRETARY NMSS

WALKER, Sandra OFFICE AUTOMATION ASSISTANT NRR

WICHMAN, Keith CONSULTANT NRR

Departures

HENRY, Antoinette CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR OIG

MCGUIRE, Suzanne INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SPECIALIST OIP
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE J

Office of Small Business & Civil Rights

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Small Business Program

Mauricio Vera, Small Business Program Manager, SBCR participated in a meeting of the Office

of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Directors Inter-Agency Council,which featured

as guest speaker, Angela Styles, Administrator for Federal Procurement Policy in the Office of

Management and Budget. Ms. Styles reiterated many of the points expressed by President

Bush in a March 19 speech at the Women's Entrepreneurship Summit. The Administration

believes that procurement reforms enacted over the past several years have not focused on the

adverse impact to small businesses. A major concern is contract bundling, and the President

made a commitment to address this issue and discourage agencies from consolidating

contracts. While bundling may save funds by gaining operational efficiencies, these gains are

more than offset by losses in competitive efficiencies. Agency accountability in contracting with

small businesses will be a priority with this Administration.
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Media Interest

There was interest in two NRC meetings and a generic bulletin regarding reactor pressure

vessel head degradation at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant.

New Jerseyís request for potassium iodide pills was widely reported.

An public meeting in White Plains, N.Y. on the future of Indian Point 2 drew hundreds of

participants.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

02-029 NRC Issues Confirmatory Action Letter on Davis-Besse; Schedules

Meetings; Establishes Web Link for Info on Reactor Vessel Degradation

02-030 Note to Editors: Location Change for March 19 Meeting in Rockville

02-031 NRC Requires Pressurized Water Reactor Licensees to Submit

Information on Reactor Vessel Heads

02-032 NRC Amends Licensing, Inspection and Annual Fees Rule 

Regions:

I-02-018 NRC to Meet with Exelon to Discuss Limerick Plant Performance

I-02-019 NRC to Meet with Public on Oyster Creek Dry Cask Storage

I-02-020 NRC to Meet with PSEG to Discuss Safety Performance Of Hope Creek

and Salem Nuclear Power Plants

I-02-021 NRC to Meet with Entergy to Discuss Pilgrim Plant Performance

II-02-014 NRC to Meet with Duke Energy Officials to Discuss Safety Performance

at Oconee Nuclear Power Plant

II-02-015 NRC to Meet with Southern Nuclear Officials to Discuss Safety

Performance at Farley Nuclear Power Plant

II-02-016 NRC to Meet with TVA Officials to Discuss Safety Performance at Watts

Bar Nuclear Power Plant

II-02-017 NRC to Hold Public Meetings on St. Lucie Nuclear Plant License Renewal

II-02-018 NRC to Hold Meeting March 28 at Westinghouse Fuel Plant to Discuss

NRC Performance Review of Licensed Activities
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE M

IV-02-009 NRC to Meet with TXU To Discuss Safety Performance at Comanche

Peak

IV-02-010 NRC to Meet with OPPD To Discuss Safety Performance at Fort Calhoun
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Japanese Visit to NRC

On March 25, 2002, six regulators from Japan (two from the Nuclear Safety Commission, and

four from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) will participate in orientation and training

for an emergency drill at Arkansas One Nuclear Power Plant. During the drill on March 27, two

Japanese observers will be at the Incident Response Center, two will be at the Region IV

Operations Center, and two will observe at the Arkansas site. The Japanese are attending the

drill in response to an invitation extended by Chairman Meserve when he visited Japan in April

2000. 
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-02-0021 1/30/02 Final Rule on Revision of the Skin Dose

Limit, 10 CFR Part 20

M020320A 3/20/02 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-02-0021-Final Rule on Revision of

the Skin Dose Limit, 10 CFR Part 20

Commission Voting

Record on 02-0021

3/20/02 Final Rule on Revision of the Skin Dose

Limit, 10 CFR Part 20

Information Papers

1. SECY-02-0042 03/14/02 SECY-02-0042 Weekly Information Report -

Week Ending March 8, 2002

2. SECY-02-0040 3/7/02 Status of USNRC Research Conducted by

the Russian Research Center (I.V.

Kurchatov Institute) and the Russian

Academy of Sciences and Proposed

Agreements

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes Renewal Notice, dated March 20,

2002. 

2. ACRS Subcommittee Meeting on Planning and Procedures Notice of Meeting, dated

March 18, 2002. 

3. ACRS Joint Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittees on Materials and Metallurgy and on

Plant operations Notice of Meeting, dated March 18, 2002

4. ACRS Meeting of the Subcommittee on Reactor Fuels Notice of Meeting, dated

March 18, 2002. 

5. ACRS Subcommittee Meeting on Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena Notice of Meeting,

dated March 14, 2002. 
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region I

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Calvert Cliffs

Commissioner Nils Diaz visited Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Inc. (CCNPPI) on March 18,

2002. Commissioner Diaz was joined by Deputy Director, DRP, Region I. Besides discussions

with CCNPPI managers and staff, Commissioner Diaz toured the facility, including the Unit 1

containment building, where the licensee was making the final preparations for girth cuts to

remove the steam generator steam drums.

Indian Point 2

Chairman Meserve and Region I Administrator along with representatives from FEMA, met on

March 19, 2002 with Congressional Representatives Kelly and Gilman to discuss Indian Point

Emergency Preparedness, security and plant performance. Representatives Kelly and Gilman

requested both Agencies to continue with their reviews of emergency preparedness and

responses to inquiries from constituents about the adequacy of evacuation plans.

Connecticut Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee Meeting

A meeting of the Connecticut State Nuclear Energy Advisory Committee was held on the

evening of March 21, 2002, at the Waterford (CT) Town Hall. NRC staff made separate

presentations addressing implementation of the Reactor Oversight Process and describing the

final inspection report of the Special Team Inspection of the investigation into the Millstone 1

missing spent fuel pins. Following each presentation, staff also answered questions from

members of the committee and the public regarding the Millstone plant performance and the

NRCís inspection of the missing fuel investigation performed by the members. 

Approximately 10 people, including media representatives, were in attendance at the meeting,

which lasted approximately two hours.
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Duke Energy Corporation - License Renewal Inspection

On March 18-22, 2002, Region II completed the inspection of the licenseeís program to

determine whether the systems, structures, and components are adequately scoped in the

licenseeís application for license renewal for the Catawba and McGuire nuclear power facilities. 

The Deputy Director, Division of Reactor Projects was at the Duke Energy Corporate offices in

Charlotte, NC to attend the public exit meeting, which was held on March 22.

Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Annual Assessment Meetings

During the week of March 18-22, 2002, Region II Branch Chiefs in the Division of Reactor

Projects held the ROP Annual Assessment meetings for the Browns Ferry, Sequoyah, St.

Lucie, Turkey Point, N. Anna, Surry, Vogtle, Catawba, and McGuire nuclear plants. The

meetings were held at or near the nuclear plants and were open to the public. There was

coverage by a local television station in Chattanooga, Tennessee for the Sequoyah meeting

and significant media and public attendance at the Browns Ferry meeting.

Integrated Material Performance Evaluation Program (IMPEP) Review

A team consisting of representatives from the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

(NMSS) and a representative from the State of Arkansas conducted an IMPEP review of the

Region II materials licensing and inspection and State liaison programs. The exit meeting was

held on March 22 and was attended by the Regional Administrator and the Director of the

Division of Medical and Nuclear Safety, NMSS.

Duke Energy - Oconee Nuclear Station

On March 21, 2002, a team of individuals from Region II and the Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation completed a special inspection at the licenseeís Oconee nuclear station. The

teamís purpose was outlined in a charter, issued on March 18, by the Regional Administrator. 

In summary, the team was to inspect and assess the licenseeís actions to follow up on a

degraded condition for the licenseeís standby shutdown facility as reported by the licensee on

March 7, 2002. 
March 22, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

Waterford 3 End-of-Cycle Meeting

On March 20, 2002, Region IV conducted the end-of-cycle meeting for Entergyís Waterford 3

facility. Of the approximately 20 people in attendance, only one was a member of the general

public. Other than that individual, the attendees were members of the licenseeís staff and state

and local officials. There was no media interest in the meeting. 
March 22, 2002 

Office of Congressional Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 22, 2002

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 46

OCA

Contact

DATE

&

PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

KeelingClosedBriefing

04/10/02S-407

4:00 Chairman Meserve, Los

Alamos, LLNL, Cal Tech

Radiological Dispersal Devices Senators 

Foreign R

Combs 04/25/02

2322 RHOB

10:00 Chairman Meserve, Secretary

Abraham, Gov. Guinn (NV),NEI, GAO,US PIRG, NARUC,and others

Yucca Mountain Nuclear WasteRepository

Reps. BaEnergy anEnergy an

Note: The House of Representatives is in recess until April 9. The Senate is in recess until April 8.