INFORMATION REPORT

February 6, 2003 SECY-03-0016

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-03-0016 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING JANUARY 31, 2003

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 by Melinda Malloy Acting For/

John W. Craig

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

C. Glenn, OEDO
February 6, 2003 SECY-03-0016

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-03-0016 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING JANUARY 31, 2003

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 by Melinda Malloy Acting For/

John W. Craig

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

C. Glenn, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\WEEK131.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

CGlenn:paa JWCraig MMalloy for

02/06/03 02/06/03
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 31, 2003

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: C. Glenn, OEDO by E-mail: cjg1@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 20

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
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

NRC Information Notice 2003-03, Part 21 - Inadequately Staked Capscrew Renders Residual

Heat Removal Pump Inoperable dated January 27, 2003

The NRC is issuing this information notice to inform addressees of recently observed

inadequately staked capscrews on casing wear rings of residual heat removal pumps. It is

expected that recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider

actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. 

Criteria for Review of Alternative Sites

On January 28, 2003, the staff of the Reactor Policy and Rulemaking Program held a public

meeting to solicit public input on whether the NRC should conduct rulemaking to codify the

criteria for review of alternative sites as part of the environmental review for a new plant. Input

was provided by representatives of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), prospective applicants, a

law firm, and public interest groups. NEI has previously submitted petitions for rulemaking that

are related to this question and are currently pending before the NRC (PRM-52-1 and

PRM-52-2).

International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) Information System Publicly Available Online

The public now has direct access to authoritative information on the safety significance of

events reported at nuclear installations across the globe. The Nuclear Events Web-based

System (NEWS) is an online information service that communicates International Nuclear Event

Scale (INES) reports for all significant events that are reported by its 60 participating countries

involving nuclear power plants, research reactors, nuclear fuel cycle facilities, radiation sources

and the transport of radioactive material. The NEWS web site is available at http://wwwnews.iaea.org/news/. This web site includes information (for the last six months) such as event

descriptions, INES rating and any associated press releases as well as a context for gauging

the severity of an event by ranking events on a scale of 1(anomaly) to 7 (catastrophic accident).

The system is co-sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency, Nuclear Energy

Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the World

Association of Nuclear Operators. The site had been previously accessible to only registered

users or logging in as guests. The upgrade to the system now allows direct access to the

public. 

2003 ISOE International ALARA Symposium

On January 12-15, 2003, the Information System on Occupational Exposure (ISOE) held its

annual International ALARA Symposium in Florida. The purpose of this annual ALARA

Symposium is for radiation protection professionals to exchange dose reduction practices and

lessons learned globally to assure safe and efficient operation of nuclear power reactors around

the world. The theme of this year’s symposium was “Radiological Work Management

Successes in Reducing Refueling/Service Outage Duration and Dose” and there were several
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

sessions devoted to French and U.S. experience with pressurized water reactor head

inspection, repair and replacement. Commissioner Greta Dicus was the honored speaker and

was awarded the 2002 Radiation Protection Professional of the Year award. 

Recent Meetings Related to the Reactor Oversight Process

On January 21, 2003, a public workshop was held at the Two White Flint North Auditorium on

the Mitigating Systems Performance Indicator (MSPI) Pilot. Participants of the MSPI workshop

raised and discussed questions concerning program guidance at the mid-way point in the MSPI

pilot implementation and licensee-specific MSPI implementation issues. Part of the workshop

was devoted to a breakout session by vendor plant type to identify common threads involving

high/low Fussell-Vessly values, the nature of invalid and/or insensitive performance indicators,

and component/system boundary issues. 

On January 23, 2003, a public meeting was held with the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP)

Monthly Working Group. The ROP Working Group participants discussed proposed changes to

the inspection manual chapters and inspection procedures, changes to significance

determination process (SDP) manual chapter appendices, and Frequently Asked Questions

(FAQs) on the performance indicators (PIs). ROP discussions included a general status of staff

activities on the draft Steam Generator Tube Integrity and Maintenance Rule SDPs as well as

other SDPs under revision. Industry provided a status update on their self-assessment initiative

with their next goal to provide the staff with a public version of the self-assessment inspection

program document. The staff provided a status update of the Industry Trends Program. The

ROP Working Group also discussed ongoing and new PI FAQs. A significant outcome of the

FAQ PI discussion revealed that industry is concerned with the staff’s position on the definition

of what constitutes a scram with loss of normal heat removal for the initiating events PI. 

Industry plans to pursue this issue further with the staff. 

The next public meetings of the MSPI and ROP Working Groups are scheduled for February

2003.

AP1000

On January 23 and 24, 2003, the NRC staff and Westinghouse representatives provided

presentations to the Advisory Committee on Reactors Safeguards (ACRS) Subcommittee on

Reliability and Probabilistic Risk Assessment regarding the AP1000 probabilistic risk

assessment (PRA). These presentations included discussions by Westinghouse on the design

of the AP1000 and a background on the AP1000 PRA that was submitted to support the

AP1000 design certification application dated March 28, 2002. The NRC staff’s presentations

focused on the issues raised in the requests for additional information (RAIs) that were already

issued by the staff. The NRC staff and Westinghouse representatives also provided some

discussions on the RAI responses provided by Westinghouse. The NRC staff is in the midst of

its review of the application and RAI responses and plans to issue a draft safety evaluation

report (DSER) in June 2003. Future meetings with the ACRS are planned including a full

committee meeting in June or July at which the DSER will be discussed. 
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

Public Meeting with Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on Early Site Permit Application Issues

On January 29, 2003, representatives from NEI met with the NRC staff to discuss issues

related to early site permit (ESP) applications and reviews. Representatives from Dominion,

Exelon and Entergy were in attendance. As a follow-up to the December 5, 2002, ESP

meeting, the staff and industry continued a discussion on the use of a bounding approach for

providing fuel cycle and transportation information as required by National Environmental Policy

Act (10 CFR Part 51, Tables S-3 and S-4). In addition, the staff and NEI discussed (1) industry

comments on the Draft ESP review Standard; (2) alternative sources review under 10 CFR

52.18; (3) the NRC nominal review timeline; and (4) guidance for ESP approval of emergency

plans.

North Anna Unit 2 Reactor Pressure Vessel Head (RPVH) Replacement

On January 27, 2003, the NRC staff started its inspections of the license’s reconciliation and

design change activities associated with the replacement of the RVPH at North Anna, Unit 2. 

Overall, the NRC staff found that the quality of the license’s reconciliation report,

manufacturer’s data report, preservice inspection information, and design change packages

had significantly improved since January 6, 2003, when the staff initially started inspecting

these activities. As of January 29, 2003, no significant issues had been identified by the team. 

The NRC staff’s preliminary assessment is that the replacement RVPH is of sufficient quality to

provide reasonable assurance that safety will be maintained.

The NRC staff noted that the Framatome manufacturer’s data report had been reviewed and

accepted by an Authorized Nuclear Inspector (ANI). The ANI Inspector stated, “The contents of

this report are accurate and, as far as possible, are equivalent to the requirements of

Section III, Division 1, of the [American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure

Vessel Code] ASME Code...”

The NRC staff identified minor issues which the licensee agreed to address in the reconciliation

report. Issues were identified in design calculations, although they have no impact on the

conclusions associated with the safe use of the RPVH and related design changes. In addition,

the licensee will include an overview of their quality assurance processes and oversight

activities.

The NRC staff continues to review the design changes from a 10 CFR 50.59 perspective and is

reviewing the justifications for differences between the RCC-M (the French Standards) and

ASME Codes for nondestructive examination requirements. Also, the staff continues to review

the reconciliation between the code requirements for materials used in the fabrication of the

replacement RPVH and related welding procedures. The staff’s preliminary assessment of the

friction welding process is that it produces high quality, repeatable welds of the nozzle adapters

that can be safely used in commercial U.S. pressurized water reactors.

Control Room Habitability

A public meeting was held with Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on January 24, 2003, to discuss

the staff's comments on the industry's revision to NEI 99-03, "Control Room Habitability

Assessment Guidance." It appeared that over two-thirds of the staff's comments would be
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

incorporated by the industry. Issues remain but discussions between the staff and industry are

continuing. 

Shutdown Significance Determination Process (SDP)

On January 22, 2003, the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Probabilistic Safety

Assessment Branch staff interfaced with industry in a continuation of a series of workshops on

the shutdown Significance Determination Process (SDP). The discussion covered the SDP for

Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), addressed the

philosophy of the tools, and included examples to illustrate how the tools function. The staff

received valuable input from industry and anticipates at least one more workshop in the future.

Meeting with the Boiling Water Reactor Vessel and Internals Project

On January 22, 2003, staff met with representatives of the Boiling Water Reactor Vessel and

Internals Project (BWRVIP). The purpose of this meeting was to discuss non-destructive

examination uncertainty as it relates to the BWRVIP guidelines and maintenance of American

Society of Mechanical Engineers code margins. The staff and the BWRVIP representatives

also discussed the BWRVIP’s proposed resolution of safety evaluation report open items for

several BWRVIP reports. Lastly, the staff discussed review schedules for high priority BWRVIP

reports.

Meeting with Exelon Nuclear 

On January 24, 2003, the staff met with Exelon Nuclear to discuss thermal power discrepancies

between Byron, Unit 1 and its sister plant Braidwood, Unit 1. Higher fuel burn-up rates and

electric power recorded at approximately 4 percent above expected values led the staff to

request that Exelon re-evaluate methods used for determining correction factors applied to

feedwater flow measuring ventures used in the calorimetric calculations. The licensee (Exelon)

is expected to provide the staff with information on the ultrasonic instrumentation installed on

the feedwater for determining the correction factors and further discuss plant configuration

difference between Byron, Unit 1 and Braidwood, Unit 1.
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

Public Meeting, 21st Century Technologies, Inc.

On January 27, 2003, Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety staff met with

representatives of 21st Century Technologies, Inc., at NRC Headquarters, to discuss 21st

Century’s license amendment application to add new tritium gunsight designs to its sealed

source and device registration certificate. The licensee also discussed options for making its

license more flexible and less restrictive by registering a series of designs instead of individual

models, to allow it to distribute different gunsight designs that have small variations from each

other. 

National Nuclear Security Administration and NRC Staff Meeting with Staff of the Russian

Federation’s GOSATOMNADZOR to Discuss Licensing Activities in the Russian Federation

Plutonium Disposition Program

On January 20-24, 2003, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards (FCSS) staff and

management, and contractor staff of the National Nuclear Security Administration met with staff

of the Russian Federation’s GOSATOMNADZOR (GAN) in its Headquarters in Moscow. GAN

is responsible for regulating nuclear facilities in Russia, including the proposed Russian MixedOxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility. A staff member from FCSS presented the status of

licensing reviews for the U.S. MOX Fuel Fabrication Facility. Another FCSS staff member

presented U.S. radiation protection program requirements and a summary of NRC’s

environmental protection requirements. Both NRC presenters provided responses to the

questions raised by experts from GAN and other Russian ministries. The next meeting will be

held March 17-20, 2003. Issues on the agenda for the next meeting include the identification of

key specialists to support the Russian Federation Plutonium Disposition Program, GAN’s

requirements for nuclear criticality safety, and an NRC staff presentation on configuration

management.

Louisiana Energy Services Application Delayed

On January 29, 2003, Louisiana Energy Services announced that it would delay the submittal of

its gas centrifuge enrichment plant license application for six to eight weeks to further firm up

customer contracts.

NRC/DOE Quarterly Quality Assurance and Management Public Meetings

On January 22-23, 2003, the staff met with Department of Energy (DOE) representatives to

discuss quality assurance (QA) and management issues concerning the DOE Yucca Mountain

program. Both meetings were three-way video conferences hosted at NRC Headquarters, with

connections to the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the

Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses in San Antonio, Texas. Various stakeholders,

including representatives from the State of Nevada, Nye County, and industry attended at the

NRC and DOE meeting locations. Staff at NRC Region IV and various stakeholders also
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE B

participated via teleconference. The next quarterly NRC/DOE meetings are scheduled for April

2003 in Las Vegas. 

The purpose of the meetings was to discuss the status of the program at the potential

repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Presentations included the status of: (1) the DOE

QA Program; (2) implementation of DOE’s Management Improvement Initiative (MII); (3) Key

Technical Issue (KTI) agreement resolution; (4) DOE’s Safety Conscious Work Environment

Program; and (5) the license application. During each meeting, the DOE representatives

presented the status of previous action items. Action items from the January meetings included

DOE agreeing to provide the following items: Quality Assurance Requirement Description

documents; status of electronic media migration; graded QA results; KTI agreement interaction

schedule; and high-level results of the MII for the next quarterly meetings.

Commissioner Merrifield Tours Yucca Mountain

On January 28, 2003, NRC’s On-Site Representatives for Yucca Mountain led Commissioner

Merrifield, members of his staff, the Director of the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Material Safety and

Safeguards, and the Regional Administrator of NRC Region IV on a tour of Yucca Mountain. 

The tour included an entrance into the exploratory studies facility (main tunnel) with stops that

included the drift-scale thermal test, moisture-monitoring stations for infiltration studies, and

areas of fracture and fault studies. They also visited weapons test areas of the Nevada Test

Site (NTS). 

Meeting with AEA Technology QSA, Inc.

On January 23, 2003, staff of the Spent Fuel Project Office met with AEA Technology QSA, Inc.

(AEA) to discuss a new transportation package design -- Model No. 983. AEA estimated that

the application for package approval could be submitted to NRC in mid-2003.

Meeting with Packaging Technology Inc.

On January 29, 2003, the Spent Fuel Project Office staff met with Packaging Technology Inc.

(PACTEC) to discuss its certification testing strategy for the TRUPACT-III transportation

package, which would be used for Department of Energy shipments to the waste isolation pilot

plant. The testing strategy proposed the use of existing test results from a half-scale TN

GEMINI package, which is similar in design, but has different seal material. The staff discussed

with PACTEC the potential need for either finite-element analysis or additional testing to

demonstrate compliance with 10 CFR Part 71.
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

Public Meeting with General Atomics on GT-MHR

On January 28-29, 2003, the NRC staff conducted a public meeting with General Atomics

Company (GA) and interested stakeholders to discuss selected topics related to the Gas

Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR) pre-application review. The meeting was the

second in a series of planned meetings between the staff and GA on the GT-MHR. The

purpose of these meetings is for the staff to receive information from GA on selected topics

within the scope of the pre-application review and for GA to obtain feedback from the staff on

the information provided.

GA has formally submitted the information on which the presentations were based so the staff

can conduct a formal review. During the meeting GA provided presentations on: (1) Overview

of the GT-MHR Source Term; (2) High Quality Fuel Fabrication Process; (3) Validation of Fuel

Performance; and (4) Validation of Radionuclide Transport Methods. Stakeholder comments

were also received during the meeting. The next meeting, not yet scheduled, will continue

discussions on new topics within scope of the pre-application review. 

NRC-MIT Meeting on Cooperative Agreement

On January 29, 2003, a meeting was held between NRC staff and personnel from the Center

for Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss work being performed under a cooperative

agreement with MIT that came into effect a few months ago and will last for three years. MIT

made formal presentations on the four research areas in which they are currently using NRC

funding under the cooperative agreement. Two of these (fuel performance modeling and

analysis of air ingress accidents) are associated with gas reactors, one (high burnup fuel) with

light water reactors, and one (a risk-informed regulatory framework) with technology-neutral

regulatory approaches. 
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE D

Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

Virginia Outreach Meeting on Incident Response

On January 23-24, 2003, the Director of the Division of Incident Response Operations joined

representatives of Region II and other Federal agencies at a Commonwealth of Virginia

Outreach Meeting on incident response to a radiological emergency. Federal participants

included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal

Emergency Management Agency, Department of Energy’s Federal Radiological Monitoring and

Assessment Center, and United States Department of Agriculture. The audience (about 75)

included Commonwealth and local responders associated with North Anna and Surry, licensee

representatives, and attendees from adjacent states. The purpose of the meeting was for

Federal agencies to provide an overview of their respective response programs and the support

available. In addition to radiological issues, the meeting included issues relating to terrorist

response. The Commonwealth and Dominion Virginia Power are using this forum as part of

their preparations for the Surry ingestion pathway exercise to be held in July 2003.

BUSRIDE II Tabletop Exercise

On January 29, 2003, the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response and the Office of

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, in concert with the Department of Energy, conducted

BUSRIDE II, the second of two tabletop exercises designed to examine NRC responsibilities

and interfaces with other Federal agencies for a Radiological Dispersal Devise (RDD)-type

terrorist event. BUSRIDE II involved facilitator-led discussions, and participant interactions, to

address emergency response issues related to an RDD-event scenario. Approximately 100

representatives from the NRC and other government agencies attended the tabletop exercise

conducted in the NRC Headquarters’ Auditorium. 

Federal Radiological Preparedness Coordinating Committee Meeting

On January 28, 2003, representatives from the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR),

and the office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR), Division of Incident Response

Operations (DIRO) attended the Federal Radiological Preparedness Coordinating Committee

(FRPCC) meeting at the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, D.C. The

FRPCC addresses interagency coordination issues for peacetime radiological emergencies in

the United States. The goal of this meeting was to update all participating agencies on the

work of the subcommittees, such as the Federal response, transportation, protective action

guides, exercises, and potassium iodide ad hoc subcommittees. Representatives from the

Department of Energy, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Environmental Protection

Agency, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Centers for Disease Control, and Food and Drug

Administration participated in this interagency meeting. The next meeting is scheduled for the

April/May 2003 time frame.

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-IV-03-005, Giles Engineering Associates - STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE.
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE D

2. PNO-IV-03-006, STP Nuclear Operating Company - MAINTENANCE OUTAGE

GREATER THAN 72 HOURS.

3. PNO-III-03-003, William Beaumont Hospital - MEDICAL EVENT (OVERDOSE).
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending January 31, 2003

Contract Awards

As a result of a competitive simplified acquisition set aside for small businesses, a fixed price

type purchase order no. DR-10-03-157 was awarded to Techniarts Engineering, Inc. of

Silver Spring, MD on January 27, 2003, for an assessment review and report of the audiovisual

condition of the NRC Commissioner’s Conference Room and the NRC Auditorium. The

purchase order runs for 60 days and is priced at $15,000. The purchase order contains an

option for additional audiovisual expertise and consulting support, if needed, valued at another

$15,000. The contract was awarded in 90 days without discussions, using the simplified

acquisition waiver of procurement synopsis, electronic submittal to the Division of Contracts by

the program office of the Statement of Work and a one member Source Evaluation Panel.

On January 29, 2003, delivery order no. DR-02-03-006 under GSA MOBIS contract no.

GS-23F-8100H was awarded to Acton Burnell, Inc. The contractor will provide support to the

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) to operate the Regulatory Product

Development Center and, through issuance of work orders, provide support to facilitate NMSS

process change implementation, organizational development, team building, and general

product-oriented collaborative work efforts. The total value of the order for the 1-year base

period of performance is $1,042,144 with an optional 1-year period available at $1,087,452.
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

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

January 24 through January 30, 2003:

Ford Nuclear Reactor, University of Michigan, decommissioning plan, dated between 12/2001

and 01/2003; characterization report (FOIA/PA-2003-0140)

Seabrook, license owner (FOIA/PA-2003-0141)

Contracts with CPA firms performing financial statement audits as listed in OMB Bulletin 01-02;

contract, expirations (FOIA/PA-2003-0142)

Davis Besse, Chairman’s 1-8-03 memo response to IG’s inspection deferral event inquiry, all

documents and records; records relating to the possibility of NRC issuing order to use 3rd party

to assess safety culture and/or safety conscious work environment (FOIA/PA-2003-0143)

IBM’s San Jose, CA site, 5600 Cottle Road, all records (FOIA/PA-2003-0144)
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

2002 Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) Campaign Management Feedback Session Attended

On January 31, 2003, the NRC CFC Manager attended a Campaign Management Feedback

session at the CFC Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the session was to

obtain effective strategies used by campaign managers for successful campaigns. In addition,

campaign managers provided recommendations for improvements in future campaigns. Topics

included training sessions and materials, communications, reporting mechanisms, awards and

recognitions, and loaned executives. 

Arrivals

DUDEK, Michael NUCLEAR SAFETY INTERN NRR

KLETT, Audrey* NUCLEAR SAFETY INTERN RIII

MCINTYRE, David OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS OPA

MONTGOMERY, Burnetta STUDENT HR SPECIALIST HR

Retirements

BISSETT, Paul SENIOR OPERATIONS ENGINEER RI

BOEHNERT, Paul SENIOR STAFF ENGINEER ACRS

FOSTER, James** EMERGENCY RESPONSE COORDINATOR RIII

JONES, Richard SENIOR MAIL CLERK ADM

LARRICK, Donald SENIOR COMMUNICATION SPEC. OCIO

ROSENBERG, Charlotte LICENSING ASSISTANT NRR

TELFORD, John SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER NMSS

Departures

NORRIS, Michael NUCLEAR SYSTEMS ENGINEER NSIR

*Effective 1/27/03

**Effective 2/03/03
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

Media Interest

Chairman Meserve conducted an interview on dirty bombs with a correspondent from the PBS

“NOVA” program. The show is scheduled to air in late March. 

Significant media interest continues in the future of the Indian Point nuclear facility in

Westchester, New York, particularly in the wake of Governor Pataki and local counties rejecting

a proposed emergency evacuation plan.

An interview with the Chairman was aired as part of a feature that ran on WABC-TV in New

York, regarding the controversy about security guards at Indian Point. 

Media coverage continued on the latest developments at the troubled Davis-Besse facility,

including a meeting between NRC officials and FirstEnergy managers on plans of the owners of

the plant for assessing the safety culture.

There was coverage of a higher-than-normal release of radioactive gas from PPL’s

Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, which prompted a low-level emergency

declaration. 

Press Releases

Headquarters:

03-015 NRC Licensing Board Decides To Rule On Three Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc.,

Amendment Applications At One Time 

Regions:

II-03-004 NRC Staff To Hold Public Meeting With FPL January 31 To Discuss Second

St. Lucie License Renewal Inspection

IV-03-002 NRC Draft Report Finds Fort Calhoun License Renewal Environmentally

Acceptable; Public Input Sought At February Meetings
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. COMSECY-03-0002 01/08/03 Rulemaking Plan and Proposed Schedule for

Rulemaking Effort on Control of Solid Materials

SRM on COMSECY-03-

0002

01/27/03 (same)

Commission Voting

Record on COMSECY03-0002

01/27/03 (same)

2. Commission Voting

Record on SECY-02-0214

01/22/03 Guidance on the Use of Effective Dose

Equivalent in External Dose Assessments

Information Papers

1. SECY-03-0010 01/27/03 SECY-03-0010 Weekly Information Report -

Week Ending January 17, 2003

2. SECY-03-0006 01/14/03 Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of

Isotopes - Results of the October 28, 2002,

Meeting

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congress dated January 22, 2003, provides NRC’s Annual Report of the

Administration of the Government in the Sunshine Act for Calendar Year 2002. 

2. Letter to Congress dated January 21, 2003, concerns issues related to nuclear power plant

security. 

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. ASLBP Notice of Evidentiary Hearing - Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company.

2. ACRS Meeting of Subcommittees on Materials and Metallurgy and on Plant Operations -

Notice of Meeting.

3. ACRS Meeting of the Subcommittee on Reactor Fuels - Notice of Meeting.

4. ACRS Subcommittee Meeting on Safeguards and Security - Notice of Meeting.
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region I

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

Status of Union Negotiations at Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station

The contract between the licensee and approximately 230 bargaining unit workers at Oyster

Creek is scheduled to expire at midnight on January 31, 2003. The union has agreed with

AmerGen (the licensee) to continue the current contract on a day-to-day basis unless either

party provides 48 hours advanced written notice of an intent to strike or lock out. Earlier this

week, AmerGen provided a new contract proposal to union negotiators; the proposal currently

is under review by the union. Region I has reviewed AmerGen’s strike contingency plans and

has prepared a watchbill for round-the-clock on-site coverage by inspectors in the event of a

strike at the facility. The contract affects all bargaining unit workers at the plant, including

reactor and auxiliary operators, but does not impact the security guards. 

Special Inspection at Peach Bottom Unit 2

A special inspection (per Management Directive 8.3) was conducted by Region 1 at Peach

Bottom Unit 2 for an automatic reactor scram with loss of normal heat sink that occurred on

December 21, 2002. On January 30, 2003, inspection team conducted an exit interview with

the licensee (Exelon). The team informed the licensee that although initial operator response

and the licensee’s investigation were adequate, numerous equipment inadequacies caused

significant challenges to the operators during the transient. The inspection findings will be

processed in accordance with the Significance Determination Process. 

Management Review Board for Maine IMPEP Review

On January 22, 2003, the Management Review Board (MRB) approved the recommendations

made by a three-member team for the Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program

(IMPEP) review conducted October 29 through November 1, 2002 of the Maine Radiation

Control Program. The MRB found the State’s program adequate to protect public health and

safety and compatible with NRC regulations. The State’s performance in all six indicators was

found satisfactory, with no specific recommendations. The next IMPEP review for the Maine

program is scheduled to be conducted in 2007.

Public Meetings Related to the Cabot Corporation Reading Site

A meeting, open to the public, was held on January 29, 2003, in the NRC Region I Office,

between NRC and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) to

discuss technical and process issues related to the termination of the NRC license for the

Cabot Corporation’s Reading, Pennsylvania, site. The site is listed on the NRC’s Site

Decommissioning Management Plan. Representatives from the licensee and a representative

from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) also participated in the

meeting. No members of the public attended.

On January, 30, 2003, NRC Headquarters and Regional staff attended a public meeting in

Reading, Pennsylvania, to discuss issues related to remediation of the Cabot Reading site. 
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

The meeting was hosted by the Reading City Council. Also in attendance were representatives

from PADEP, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3, and ATSDR. Approximately

40 members of the public attended and asked questions pertaining to site remediation and

health issues during the three-hour meeting.
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

Tennessee Valley Authority - Browns Ferry Site Visit

On January 31, 2003, the Deputy Regional Administrator toured the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant

and discussed current issues with the NRC resident inspectors and licensee management. The

Deputy Regional Administrator participated in providing good practices and operator license

certificates to new operators at the facility during the Browns Ferry Operators Certification

Presentation.

Duke Energy Corporation - Oconee Management Meeting

On January 28, 2003, representatives from the Duke Energy Corporation were in the Region II

Office to attend a management meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Oconee’s

(1) recent management changes; (2) design basis review initiatives; and (3) future steam

generator and reactor vessel head replacements. 

Duke Energy Corporation - Catawba Nuclear Plant Exit Meeting

On January 30-31, 2003, the Director, Division of Reactor Safety attended major team

inspection exits at the Catawba nuclear plant site in the areas of safety system design and

radiation protection. This is part of an initiative for senior managers to observe and obtain

feedback on the reactor oversight process.

Florida Power and Light Company (FP&L) - St. Lucie License Renewal

During the week of January 27-31, 2003, the regional office completed the second inspection of

the FP&L, St. Lucie license renewal program. The scope of the inspection included a review of

the adequacy of the licensee’s programs to manage the aging of the materiel condition of the

plant’s systems, structures and components.
January 31, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

License Renewal Aging Management Review Inspection at the Fort Calhoun Station

On January 23, 2003, representatives of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation and

Region IV completed the License Renewal Aging Management Review Inspection for the Fort

Calhoun Station. This inspection was conducted to verify with reasonable assurance that the

Omaha Public Power District’s aging management review processes have identified all the

effects of aging and that these aging effects are being properly managed consistent with the

requirements of the License Renewal Rule. 

Commissioner Merrifield Visits the Nevada Test Site, Region IV Offices, and Comanche Peak

Commissioner Merrifield, accompanied by his staff and the Regional Administrator, visited the

Nevada Test Site and Yucca Mountain on January 28, 2003. He then visited Region IV on

January 29, including discussions with the management team, a presentation to the staff, and a

tour of Region IV facilities. On January 30, Commissioner Merrifield, accompanied by his staff

and the Regional Administrator, visited the Comanche Peak Steam Electric Station. He toured

the facility with an emphasis on security and met with the plant staff and management.

Management Changes Affecting Palo Verde 

Bill Stewart is retiring effective December 1, 2003. Jim Levine, currently Arizona Public Service

Executive Vice President of Generation, will replace Mr. Stewart as Chief Executive Officer of

Pinnacle West Energy in addition to his current responsibilities. 
January 31, 2003 

Office of Congressional Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 31, 2003

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 2

OCA

Contact

DATE

&

PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Portner 02/13/03

TBA

A.M. NRC Oversight of the NRC Senators 

Clean AirNuclear SEnvironm

Portner 02/25/03

SD-366

10:00 Secretary Abraham FY04 Budget: Energy Department Senators 

Energy an