INFORMATION REPORT

August 1, 2002 SECY-02-0147

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-02-0147 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING JULY 26, 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
August 1, 2002 SECY-02-0147

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-02-0147 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING JULY 26, 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\WEEK726.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

MLayton:paa JWCraig

08/ /02 08/ /02
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JULY 26, 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 18

NSIR 9 SECY 19

OGC * Region I 20

ADM 10 Region II 21

CIO 11 Region III 22

CFO * Region IV 23

HR 15 OEDO *

SB/CR * OCA *

OE *

*No input this week
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

North Anna and Surry

At 12:00 p.m. on July 23, 2002, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

gave the Management at Dominion Virginia Power the required 72-hour notice before declaring

a strike. In the event this strike occurs, it will impact North Anna and Surry Power Stations, and

the fossil fuel units. The IBEW consists of the mechanics, electricians, welders, transmission

line workers, and reactor operators. Region has a contingency plan to send extra inspection

personnel to North Anna and Surry Nuclear Power Stations to provide 24 hour coverage in the

control rooms during the early stages of the strike should it occur. Dominion has plans in place

to have reactor operators at the stations work two 12 hour shifts each day. In addition,

Dominion plans to staff the reactor operator positions with licensed operators from the

corporate and management positions not impacted by the strike.

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee (ENVY), Entergy Nuclear Operations (ENO), and Vermont

Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation (VYNPC) have notified the NRC by letter dated July 22,

2002, that the consummation of the license transfer of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station

(VY) could become effective on July 31, 2002. This letter indicates that it is contingent upon

the fulfillment of the conditions set forth in the purchase and sale agreement between the

parties and subject to the receipt of all regulatory approvals. A letter stating that all approvals

have been obtained is expected late Friday, July 26 or early Monday, July 29. VY and Entergy

are still addressing a number of issues that they hope to work out between now and the closing

date. The last approval needed is from the Security and Exchange Commission. On May 17,

2002, the NRC staff issued an Order approving the direct transfer of VY from VYNPC to ENVY

as an owner and ENO as an owner and operator of the plant. The staff will issue the

conforming amendment on the closing date upon notification by the licensee that the transfer

has taken place.

Public Meetings to Discuss Draft Regulatory Guidance on Control Room Habitability

On July 16 and July 18, 2002, members of the Probabilistic Safety Assessment Branch (SPSB)

hosted public meetings in NRC Region II (Atlanta, GA) and Region IV (Dallas, TX) to discuss

draft regulatory guidance on control room habitability. A similar meeting in NRC Region III

(Columbus, OH) is scheduled to take place on August 6, 2002. A similar meeting was held in

NRC Region I on July 1, 2002. The intent of these meetings is to solicit feedback from NRC

stakeholders regarding the draft generic letter and regulatory guidance on control room

habitability issues. The following key technical issues were discussed at the meetings: 

(1) establishment of technical specifications, (2) control room testing methods and test

frequency, (3) design bases, and (4) impact of smoke and fire on control room habitability. 
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE A

Contention Related to the Duke License Renewal Application for McGuire Units 1 and 2 and

Catawba Units 1 and 2

On January 24, 2002, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) admitted contentions filed

by Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) and the Blue Ridge Environmental

Defense League (BREDL), petitioners in the Catawba and McGuire license renewal proceeding. 

The petitioners contended that the applicant’s severe accident mitigation alternative (SAMA)

analysis was incomplete because it (1) failed to include information from a recent study of direct

containment heating by Sandia National Laboratory, and (2) failed to include a dedicated

electrical line from hydroelectric generating dams adjacent to each site (McGuire and Catawba). 

The staff and Duke subsequently filed appeals to the Commission.

On July 23, 2002, the Commission issued an order (CLI 02-17), stating that the petitioners did

not provide information related to costs and benefits to support their call for consideration of a

dedicated line. However, the Commission concluded that the petitioners’ contention is

admissible to the extent that it raises the question of whether values from the Sandia study

should have been utilized in the McGuire and Catawba analyses of mitigation alternatives for

hydrogen control during station blackout. The Commission indicated that the merits of the

issue would need to be considered in light of more recent consideration of information from the

Sandia report in Duke’s response to staff requests for additional information on this matter. An

earlier Commission order reversed the ASLB’s decision to admit a second contention pertaining

to the potential use of mixed-oxide fuel in the McGuire and Catawba reactors. A certified

question from the ASLB relating to the admissibility of a contention pertaining to terrorism is still

under review by the Commission.

Advanced CANDU Reactor-700 (ACR-700)

The NRC hosted a public meeting on July 24, 2002, at the NRC Headquarters with Atomic

Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) representatives to begin discussions of the pre-application

review for the ACR-700 design. AECL provided a presentation on the evolution of the ACR-700

design as well as a proposed licensing plan and schedule. A more detailed technical

presentation will be conducted at NRC headquarters by AECL representatives on

September 25 and 26, 2002. 

NRC Participation at the NEI Annual Health Physics Information Forum

On July 15-17, 2002, staff participated in the annual Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Health

Physics Forum, held in Clearwater Beach, FL. The Forum presents an opportunity to discuss

regulatory issues and activities of interest to nuclear power plant health physicists. NRC staff

and industry representatives made presentations on current and emerging issues, which was

followed by questions from the general audience. Topics discussed at the meeting included: 

the Reactor Oversight Process; radioactive material control; effective dose equivalent

dosimetry; radioactive effluents; and emergency preparedness issues related to terrorism. 

Radioactive material control issues generated the most discussion and interest. 
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

International Atomic Energy Agency Consultants’ Meeting on Geologic Disposal

On July 15-19, 2002, staff from the Division of Waste Management attended an International

Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Consultants’ Meeting on Geologic Disposal in Vienna, Austria. 

Earlier this year (April 2002), IAEA held a technical meeting seeking comment on an initial draft

of its Safety Requirements Document for Geological Disposal of Radioactive Waste. The

purpose of this Consultants’ Meeting was to consider revisions to the Safety Requirements

Document, based on comments and recommendations from participants/attendees of the

previous Technical Meeting. The Consultants’ Meeting considered a wide range of geologic

disposal issues, including: (1) common regulatory framework; (2) safety objectives; (3) safety

assessments; (4) operational safety; (5) long-term safety (i.e., postclosure safety);

(6) monitoring; and (7) institutional control. Later this year (December 2002), IAEA intends to

seek approval from its Radioactive Waste Safety Standards Advisory Committee to send the

document to the Member States for comment.

Staff Participates in 2002 Gordon Conference on Aqueous Corrosion

On July 14-17, 2002, staff from the Division of Waste Management and the Center for Nuclear

Waste Regulatory Analyses (Center) participated in the 2002 Gordon Conference on Aqueous

Corrosion in New London, New Hampshire. The conference addressed recent developments in

the mechanistic understanding of aqueous corrosion, as well as advances in experimental

techniques. The format of the conference promoted an environment that fostered interaction

among the participants. This year’s conference included presentations on: (1) passive

corrosion; (2) initiation of localized corrosion; (3) environmentally-assisted fracture;

(4) microbially-influenced corrosion; (5) advanced test methods based on the use of the

Synchrotron radiation sources; (6) effects of magnetic fields on corrosion; and (7) use of

magnetometry to detect corrosion. Staff from the Center presented information on the initiation

and repassivation of stable pitting and crevice corrosion. Investigators from the Department of

Energy’s Yucca Mountain Project presented recent data on: (1) stress corrosion cracking of

Alloy 22 observed under applied potentials; (2) passive film analysis results of Alloy 22;

(3) screening methods of microbially influenced corrosion; and (4) updated potentiostatic test

results. Staff from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory presented evidence of lead

accumulation at crack tips from failed Alloy 600 steam generator tubing of pressurized water

reactors, as an indication of lead-induced stress corrosion cracking.

Supplemental Petition to Intervene on the Diablo Canyon Independent Spent Fuel

Storage Installation

On July 18, 2002, the San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace (SLOMFP), et al., filed a

Supplemental Hearing Request and Petition to Intervene regarding Pacific Gas and Electric’s

(PG&E’s) 10 CFR Part 72 license application for an Independent Spent Fuel Storage

Installation at Diablo Canyon. Counsel for SLOMFP and 11 other parties submitted seven

contentions supplementing their initial petitions for intervention (dated May 22, 2002), as

directed by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) in its initial prehearing conference
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

Order, dated June 6, 2002. The contentions fall into the following areas: (1) PG&E’s seismic

analysis is inadequate; (2) PG&E is in bankruptcy; therefore financial qualification cannot be

demonstrated; and (3) PG&E’s Environmental Report is inadequate, because terrorist acts are

not considered, the purpose of the facility is not fully described, and all impacts and/or

alternatives are not fully considered and evaluated. The NRC staff and PG&E have until

August 19, 2002, to file their responses to these contentions. The ASLB has scheduled a prehearing conference in San Luis Obispo, California, on September 10, 2002.

Louisiana Energy Services Announces New Partners and New President

On July 22, 2002, Louisiana Energy Services (LES) announced an agreement to add Cameco

and Westinghouse as new partners to the LES Partnership. The other entities of the LES

Partnership are Urenco, Fluor-Daniel, Exelon, Entergy, and Duke Energy. LES also announced

that George Dials would become the President of the LES Partnership. LES plans to build a

3.0-million separative-work-unit gas-centrifuge enrichment facility in the U.S. The staff has held

a series of pre-application meetings with LES and expects to receive a construction application

by the end of this calendar year.
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

International Cooperative Agreement on Thermal-Hydraulic Code Applications and

Maintenance between the USNRC and the Russian Research Centre “Kurchatov Institute”

(RRC-KI)

On July 25, 2002, the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) forwarded an international

cooperative agreement to Russia for signature between the NRC and the RRC-KI Relating to

Cooperation in the Thermal-Hydraulic Code Applications and Maintenance Program (CAMP).

This Agreement defines the terms and conditions by which the USNRC and the RRC-KI of

Russia will continue cooperation in CAMP on the basis of mutual benefit and reasonable equity

and reciprocity. For their participation in the program, RRC-KI will provide in-kind technical

information in the form of code assessment reports for three thermal-hydraulic system

experiments and/or separate effects tests per year for each year of this Agreement. This

Agreement will become effective on August 31, 2002, upon signature and will remain in force

for a period of five years.

Cooperative Nuclear Safety Research Meeting with Korean Ministry of Science

The first cooperative nuclear safety research meeting between the Office of Nuclear Regulatory

Research (RES), and the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Of The Republic of

Korea, was held on July 23-24, 2002, in Rockville, Maryland, for the purpose of facilitating

bilateral cooperation in the area of nuclear safety research. The U.S. delegation was headed

the Director of NRC’s Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. The Korean delegation was

headed by Mr. Hang Sik Park, Director-General for Nuclear Safety, MOST. The MOST

delegation included representatives from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), the

Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), the Korea Electric Power Research Institute

(KEPRI), and KEPCO Nuclear Fuel Co., Ltd. (KNFC). MOST and RES have existing

cooperative research agreements in the area of thermal-hydraulic code applications and

maintenance, severe accident research, probabilistic risk assessment, steam generator tube

integrity, and human factors research. However, a number of additional cooperative activities

were agreed upon during this meeting. A Summary of Record was issued. Both sides agreed

that the next NRC - MOST cooperative nuclear safety research meeting would be held in Korea

in 2003 at a mutually convenient time (yet to be determined). 
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE D

Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Yucca Mountain Classification Guide

On July 11, 2002, staff from the Division of Nuclear Security attended the kick-off meeting of

the Department of Energy (DOE) working group to discuss the scope, breadth, and parameters

of the classification guide for the Yucca Mountain Guide. There may be limited information that

is classified at Yucca Mountain. However, numerous sensitive unclassified (i.e., Unclassified

Controlled Nuclear Information, Safeguards Information, and Sensitive Homeland Security

Information) aspects of Yucca Mountain will be addressed in the guide. 

Meeting with Worldcom

The Division of Incident Response Operations staff participated in a Chief Information Officer

sponsored meeting with the General Services Administration (GSA) and Worldcom on July 24,

2002. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss issues relating to the Worldcom bankruptcy

filing. GSA, represented by the Acting Assistant Commissioner, Office of Service Delivery,

assured the staff that Worldcom was still a partner in good standing in the FTS 2001 contract

and that NRC should expect the same level of service from them. Worldcom, represented by

the Vice President, Government Markets, informed the agencies that since Worldcom had been

granted bankruptcy protection, it was able to secure funding to cover its operating costs and

therefore, NRC can expect "business as usual." Worldcom also reassured the staff that the

personnel cuts reported in the press left the FTS support personnel virtually untouched. The

unique design of the NRC Emergency Telecommunications System was discussed and the

staff was assured that numerous technicians knowledgeable in this technology will remain to

support NRC requirements.

National Response Team Meeting

The Division of Incident Response Operations staff attended the National Response Team

(NRT) meeting at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Emergency Operations Center

on July 25, 2002. The new EPA Chair for the team was introduced. Items of interest included

the formation of a joint NRT/Office of Homeland Security working group for Chemical,

Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) Weapons of Mass Destruction. The

current area of discussion is clean-up criteria for recovery at re-entry (i.e., “How clean is clean

enough?”). The current focus is on chemical and biological contamination. However, NRC, the

Department of Energy, and other Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan agencies

should be contacted soon concerning nuclear and radiological criteria and other Weapons of

Mass Destruction issues.

Disaster Management eGov Meeting

The Division of Incident Response Operations staff participated in a July 25, 2002, meeting at

the Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters to discuss progress on the Disaster

Management eGov initiative. The main emphasis of the meeting was to solicit support for the

Content Team to coordinate the collection of agency information that will be made available via
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE D

the disasterhelp.gov portal, which is being developed under this initiative. Funding for the

initiative was also discussed. The Office of Management and Budget representative indicated

that this would be a topic of discussion at the July 31, 2002, Project Management Corporation

meeting.

Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan Revision Meeting

The Division of Incident Response Operations staff participated with representatives from the

Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Energy, the Environmental

Protection Agency, and the Defense Threat Reduction Agency in a working group meeting of

the Federal Response Subcommittee of the Federal Radiological Preparedness Coordinating

Committee (FRPCC) on July 24, 2002. The meeting was one of a series of FRPCC working

group sessions to update the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP) to

reflect current Federal planning/preparedness and Office of Homeland Security initiatives. The

meeting involved participant review of the current draft revision of the FRERP and resolution of

comments from the respective agencies. It was decided that selected issues would be referred

to the full FRPCC for discussion and decision at the meeting on July 30, 2002. 

Federal Response Plan - Emergency Support Function Leaders Group Meeting 

The Division of Incident Response Operations (DIRO) staff participated in a Federal Response

Plan (FRP) strategic planning meeting on July 25, 2002, at Federal Emergency Management

Agency Headquarters. Attendees included representatives from most of the FRP signatory

federal agencies. The meeting was a follow-on to the May 10, 2002, meeting and focused on

issues relative to the FRP Emergency Support Function (ESF) Annexes in view of lessons

learned from September 11 and the proposed establishment of the Department of Homeland

Security. The meeting included a status report on each of the twelve ESF Annexes by the

respective lead agency and a general discussion of current issues. It was reconfirmed that

federal agencies consider the FRP to be sound as the overall federal plan, but refinements in

ESF Annexes are necessary. The NRC will participate in the planned revision process, as an

agency with responsibilities under several of the ESF Annexes. The next Emergency Support

Function Leaders Group meeting is planned for late September 2002.

RASCAL Training

The Division of Incident Response Operations provided training to the New England area State

emergency response responders on RASCAL, the computer software that the NRC Operations

Center uses to predict projected doses from radiological accidents. The training was conducted

in Worcester, Massachusetts on July 23 and 24, 2002. 

Visit by Major Goddard of North American Aerospace Defense Command

On July 25, 2002, Major Paul Goddard, Canadian Forces, currently assigned to the North

American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), visited with the Office of Nuclear Security

and Incident Response (NSIR) personnel and toured the NRC Headquarters Operations Center

at the invitation of the Division of Incident Response Operations (DIRO). Major Goddard met

with the Director of NSIR to discuss issues of mutual interest to NRC and NORAD. Major

Goddard also met with representatives of the NSIR Threat Assessment Team regarding the
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE D

coordination of activities during airborne threats. NSIR and NORAD plan to have additional

interactions, including participation in additional live-fly exercises.

DIRO and NRC Region IV personnel will be attending the NORAD Amalgam Virgo 02 Exercise

debriefing at Peterson Air Force Base on August 6, 2002, and the kickoff meeting for the

Amalgam Virgo 03 Exercise on August 7, 2002.

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-II-01-012A, Florida Testing and Environmental, RECOVERED PORTABLE GAUGEUPDATE.

2. PNO-II-02-024, North Anna/Surry, POTENTIAL EMPLOYEE STRIKE AT NORTH ANNA

AND SURRY NUCLEAR STATIONS.

3. PNO-II-02-025, Burns, Cooley, Dennis, Inc., STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE.

4. PNO-II-02-026, Atlantic Drilling Supply, GAUGE LOST DURING TRANSPORT.

5. PNO-II-02-027, Federal Express, AIRLINE CRASH CARRYING RADIOACTIVE

MATERIALS.
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Geological and Seismological Characteristics for Siting and Design of Dry Cask Independent

Spent Fuel Storage Installations and Monitored Retrievable Storage Installations (Part 72)

A proposed rule that would amend the licensing requirements for dry cask modes of storage of

spent nuclear fuel, high-level radioactive waste, and power reactor-related Greater than Class

C waste on an independent spent fuel storage installation or in a monitored retrievable storage

installation was published in the Federal Register on July 22, 2002 (67 FR 47745). The

proposed amendments would update the seismic siting and design criteria including geologic,

seismic, and earthquake considerations. The comment period on this action closes October 7,

2002. 
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

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

July 19, 2002 through July 25, 2002:

OI 3-2001-011 and related records prepared by the NRC (FOIA/PA-2002-0340)

Allegation, RIII-01-A-0100, all documents (FOIA/AP-2002-0341)

Robinson Plant, reported violations of regulatory rules and procedures from January 1, 2000 to

December 31, 2001 (FOIA/PA-2002-0342)

Resident Inspector training materials (FOIA/PA-2002-0343)

Contracts, status of specific, as listed in NRC Forecasts of Contract Opportunities - FY01

(FOIA/PA-2002-0344)

Davis Besse and D. C. Cook nuclear generating stations, communications between

Commission and OEDO, NRR, Commission TA, and U.S. Congress, October 1, 2001 and

November 28, 2001, all correspondence and documents (FOIA/PA-2002-0345)
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

2002 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Leadership Conference Attended

On July 26, 2002, two representatives from the Office of Human Resources attended the 2002

CFC Campaign Leadership Conference held at the Washington Plaza Hotel in Washington,

D.C. The conference included useful presentations on such topics as Campaign Planning and

Tracking; Keyworker Selection, Training, and Management; Having Fun with Special Events;

and Marketing the CFC Message. In addition, there was a CFC Charity Fair, where qualified

charities disseminated information about their organizations.

Leadership Potential Program Class 2 Project: Map & Compass

The NRC Leadership Potential Program (LPP) Class 2 has developed the “Map and Compass”

project to help new employees function more effectively and efficiently. A web site, the “Map,”

provides quick, easy-to-lookup information about many of the common NRC processes,

services, or activities. A recommendation for a buddy system, the “Compass,” provides another

tool that offices/regions can consider implementing to help acclimate new employees. With the

buddy system, an organizational component can choose to assign a staff member to assist a

new employee.

A survey conducted by the LPP Class 2 of employees hired within the past two years endorsed

the development of the “Map & Compass” as a useful tool to help them function more

effectively and efficiently. It is also expected that this project will be useful to all employees. 

Arrivals

BASILE, Margaret Kim CONSULTANT OCIO

BERRYMAN, Robert REACTOR INSPECTOR RI

DUVIGNEAUD, DyLanne NUCLEAR SAFETY INTERN NRR

HIXON, Jeffrey NUCLEAR SAFETY INTERN RES

NETZEL, Ivy REACTOR ENGINEER RIII

SCHROEDER, Daniel REACTOR INSPECTOR RI

WILLIAMS, Julian* CONSULTANT RI
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE I

Departures

BAUER, Zeena CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR RIV/OI

CRIGGER, Marlene INFORMATION SERVICES ASSISTANT OCIO

GALLAGHER, Kenneth** SENIOR LICENSEE FINANCIAL POLICY ADVISOR NRR

TOKUHIRO, Akira*** SUMMER FACULTY RES

TORRES, Betty HEALTH PHYSICIST NMSS

*Effective 7/25/02

**Effective 7/15/02

***Effective 7/19/02
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Media Interest

Press Releases

Headquarters:

02-084 NRC Names Dr. Michael T. Ryan to Advisory Committee on Nuclear

Waste

Regions:

II-02-037 NRC Staff to Hold Public Meeting to Discuss Inspection of McGuire and

Catawba Plants’ License Renewal Programs

II-02-038 NRC Proposes $3,000 Fine Against Virginia Firm for Violation of NRC

Radioactive Material Safety Requirements

II-02-039 Bobby Holbrook Named NRC Senior Resident Inspector At Browns Ferry

Nuclear Plant

III-02-044 NRC Staff to Meet with American Electric Power Co. To Discuss Safety

Significance of Equipment Cooling Issue at D.C. Cook

III-02-045 NRC Proposes $3,000 Fine Against Northern Engraving for the Loss of

Control over Static Eliminators

III-02-046 NRC Cites Braidwood Nuclear Power Station for Violation of Low to

Moderate Safety Significance

IV-02-033 NRC to Discuss Apparent Violations With Framatome ANP, Inc.
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Chinese utility Guangdong Nuclear Power Joint Venture Corporation (GNPJVC)

On July 23, 2002, a team from the Chinese utility Guangdong Nuclear Power Joint Venture

Corporation (GNPJVC), owners of the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), and the China

Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Company, owners of the Ling Ao NPP, met with staff from

the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and the Office of the General Counsel to discuss

licensing matters including: the Price-Anderson Act, insurance, indemnity.
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-02-0132 07/15/02 Proposed Rule: Revision of 10 CFR 50.48

to Permit Light-Water Reactors to

Voluntarily Adopt National Fire Protection

Association (NFPA) Standard 805,

“Performance- Based Standard for Fire

Protection for Light-Water Reactor Electric

Generating Plants, 2001 Edition" (NFPA

805) as an Alternative Set of Risk-Informed,

Performance-Based Fire Protection

Requirements (WITS 199900032)

2. SECY-02-0096 6/4/02 Direct Final Rule on Electronic Maintenance

and Submission of Information

Commission Voting

Record on 02-0096

7/23/02 (same)

3. SECY-02-0095 6/4/02 Applicability of Section 11e.(2) of the Atomic

Energy Act to Material at the Sequoyah

Fuels Corporation Uranium Conversion

Facility

SRM on 02-0095 7/25/02 (same)

Voting Record on 02-

0095

7/25/02 (same)

Information Papers

1. SECY-02-0125 7/8/02 Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of

Isotopes -- Results of the October 29, 2001,

and the February 20, 2002, Meetings

2. SECY-02-0134 7/18/02 SECY-02-0134 Weekly Information Report -

Week Ending July 12, 2002

3. SECY-02-0141 07/24/02 SECY-02-0141 Weekly Information ReportWeek Ending July 19, 2002
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE O

Memoranda

1. M020723 7/23/02 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-02-0096-Direct Final Rule on

Electronic Maintenance and Submission of

Information; II. Duke Energy Corporation

(McGuire Nuclear Station, Units 1 & 2,

Catawba Nuclear Station, Units 1 & 2)

Appeal of LBP-02-04: SAMA Contention

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congress dated July 23, 2002 concerns legislation that would strengthen

security at NRC-licensed facilities. 

2. Letter to Senator Schumer dated July 23, 2002 concerns legislation that would strengthen

security over radioactive materials that could be used in a radiological dispersal device. 

3. Letter to Congress (Senators Jeffords and Smith) dated July 22, 2002 concerns

legislation that would strengthen security at NRC-licensed facilities. 

4. Letter to David Lochbaum, UCS, dated July 19, 2002, concerns the re-introduction of

public input to the NRC on nuclear plant security issues. 

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Geological and Seismological Characteristics for Siting and Design of Dry Cask

Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations and Monitored Retrievable Storage

Installations - Proposed rule.

2. Licensing Support Network Advisory Review Panel - Notice of Public Meeting.

3. Decisive Testing, Inc. Establishment of Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region I

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Indian Point Unit 2

For the past several weeks, Westinghouse fuel handlers, under contract with Entergy, have

been making spent fuel assembly moves following receipt of a Technical Specification change

regarding the crediting of soluable boron in the spent fuel pool (SFP). An aspect of this work is

inspections performed as follow-up to Information Notice 2002-09, “Potential for Top Nozzle

Separation and Dropping of a Certain Type of Westinghouse Fuel Assembly”, dated 

February 13, 2002.

On July 23, 2002, in the process of relocating a fuel assembly in the SFP, it was found that

another fuel assembly (G28) was already occupying the intended location. A review of fuel

handling records showed that assembly G28 was incorrectly marked as having already been

moved from that location; steps were then taken to move G28 to its intended destination. The

next day, a further review of fuel assembly records revealed that assembly G28 was one of the

assemblies identified at IP2 as having indications of the type of intergranular stress corrosion

cracking identified on some North Anna fuel assemblies. These assemblies require the use of

a special assembly handling device for lifting and moving these assemblies. However, this

precaution was not performed for this assembly.

Entergy placed a hold on the movement of fuel assemblies in the SFP while they completed a

review of this occurrence for appropriate corrective actions. Their actions included completion

of an extent-of-condition review; revised steps for verification that future assembly lifts are done

with the proper handling equipment; enhanced communications to Entergy management when

off-normal conditions are encountered; and thorough reviews of off-normal conditions before

proceeding with fuel movement activities. 

NRC inspectors verified Entergy actions. Regional and the Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation management received a briefing on the corrective actions from Entergy

management prior to the resumption of fuel handling. 

Meeting with US Dept. of Agriculture

On July 17, 2002, the Region I Project Manager and responsible Branch Chief met with the

management and staff of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) radiation safety program

and USDA contractor representatives. The meeting was held to discuss the decommissioning

of radioactive burial sites at Beltsville, MD and Ames, IA. USDA representatives agreed to a

schedule for submitting information on the decommissioning.

New York IMPEP Review

From July 16-26, an eight member team comprised of NRC Regional staff and Agreement

State personnel from the States of California and Texas conducted the Integrated Materials

Performance Evaluation Program (IMPEP) review for the State of New York. The Agreement

State program in New York is unique in that four different agencies have responsibility. The
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

responsible agencies include the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and

the State Departments of Labor, Health and Environmental Conservation. Previous IMPEP

reviews focused on each individual agency and typically took three months to complete the onsite portion of the review. This IMPEP review took an integrated approach to the eight

performance indicators, which resulted in a comparable level of review, but required fewer

resources and less on-site time. The indicator review included inspections, licensing, staffing,

incidents and allegations, regulations, sealed source and device evaluations, and low-level

radioactive waste. The team will prepare a draft report for New York’s review by the end of

August. The Management Review Board will review the team report and make final decisions

on the State’s adequacy to protect public health and safety and compatibility with NRC

regulations.
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Duke Energy Corporation - Catawba and McGuire Nuclear Plants

On July 25, 2002, the Regional Administrator was at the Catawba Nuclear Station, in South

Carolina, to meet with licensee management, resident inspectors and toured the facility. On

July 26, 2002, the Regional Administrator participated in the public exit meeting to discuss the

findings from the NRC, license renewal inspection team’s review of Duke Energy’s aging

management programs. This inspection is part of the NRC’s review in conjunction with the

license renewal applications for the Catawba and McGuire nuclear power stations.

Federal Express Airline Crash Involving Radioactive Materials

On July 26, 2002, a Federal Express cargo aircraft carrying radioactive materials crashed upon

approach to the runway to the Tallahassee, Florida, airport. The aircraft was carrying four

packages of materials, containing millicurie quantities of thallium-201 and phosphorus-32,

which were consumed in the aircraft fire. The State of Florida Bureau of Radiation Control

dispatched inspectors to the scene of the crash to evaluate the impact from the burning of the

radioactive materials. The crew on the aircraft were injured and taken to a local hospital.
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region III

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Regulatory Conference on Preliminary Yellow Finding at D. C. Cook

The Regional Administrator and members of the regional staff met July 25, 2002, in the

Region III Office with representatives of American Electric Power Company to discuss the

safety significance and vulnerabilities revealed as a result of the partial clogging of equipment

cooling systems at the D. C. Cook Nuclear Power Station during August 2001. Office of NRC

personnel participated in the meeting by videoconference. The staff’s preliminary assessment

determined that the problem was a “yellow” finding, i.e. one of substantial safety significance.
July 26, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 26, 2002

Predecisional Enforcement Conference with Framatome ANP Richland, Inc.

The Regional Administrator and other members of the NRC staff conducted an open predecisional enforcement conference on July 26, 2002, with Framatome ANP. The conference

addressed five apparent violations of NRC requirements involving controls to prevent an

inadvertent criticality. The apparent violations are described in NRC Inspection

Report 70-1257/02-03.