INFORMATION REPORT

July 24, 2003 SECY-03-0125

For: The Commissioners

From: William M. Dean, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO/RA/

Subject: SECY-03-0125 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING JULY 18, 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

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards S

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste T

*No input this week.

/RA/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

R. Torres, OEDO
July 24, 2003 SECY-03-0125

For: The Commissioners

From: William M. Dean, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: SECY-03-0125 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING JULY 18, 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

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards S

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste T

*No input this week.

/RA/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

R. Torres, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\Week718.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

RTorres:paa WMDean

07/24/03 07/25/03
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JULY 18, 2003

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: R. Torres, OEDO by E-mail: rjt@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 3 OPA 10

RES * IP *

NSIR 5 SECY 12

OGC * Region I 14

ADM 6 Region II 16

CIO 7 Region III 17

CFO * Region IV 18

HR 9 OEDO *

SB/CR * OCA 19

OE * ACRS 20

ACNW 21

*No input this week
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Staff Issues V.C. Summer License Renewal Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact

Statement for Public Comment

On July 9, 2003, the staff issued draft Supplement 15 to NUREG-1437, “Generic Environmental

Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 15, Regarding Virgil C.

Summer Nuclear Station” for public comment. The draft supplement includes the staff’s

preliminary analysis that considers and weighs the environmental effects of the proposed

action, the environmental impacts of alternatives to the proposed action, and mitigative

measures available for reducing or avoiding adverse impacts. It also includes the staff’s

preliminary recommendation regarding the proposed action: staff recommends that the

Commission determine that the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for V.C.

Summer are not so great that preserving the option of license renewal for energy planning

decisionmakers would be unreasonable. 

Copies of the supplement were filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),

which will publish a Notice of Filing regarding the draft supplement in the Federal Register on

July 18, 2003. The notice will provide for a 75-day public comment period which will end on

October 3, 2003. The staff has scheduled public meetings on August 26, 2003, in Jenkinsville,

South Carolina, to present its analyses and to accept public comments on the draft supplement.

U.S. Department of Energy Site Visit

A representative from the Division of Engineering (DE) participated in a site visit to the

Department of Energy (DOE) High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge on July 14-15,

2003, as a member of a team consisting of Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and

Region II staff members. In response to a request from Congress for external regulatory

oversight by the NRC, DOE has requested that the NRC identify any areas they should address

in preparation for licensing of the HFIR. The HFIR was built in late 1960 and was later upgraded

to a 0.15 gravity seismic level using DOE criteria. 

Recent seismic hazard studies by the NRC identified the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone as

having a higher seismic hazard. Also, the evaluation of the HFIR for tornado used a wind

velocity of 150 miles per hour. For these reasons, protection against natural phenomena was

identified as an area that warranted DOE attention. 

DOE recently issued an order for a 10-year update of the HFIR facility, and the United States

Geological Survey is developing the seismic hazard for the site using its current method of

analysis. The tornado wind velocity used for DOE’s review will be based on the analysis of

most current tornado wind velocity data. The site visit was very effective in determining the

usefulness of the data being developed by the DOE’s contractor for future NRC review.
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Tour of Uranium Enrichment Gas Centrifuge Manufacturing and Test Facilities in

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

On July 9, 2003, five NRC officials, including the Deputy Executive Director for Materials,

Research, and State Programs, and the Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and

Safeguards, visited the U.S. Enrichment Corporation’s (USEC’s) and Department of Energy’s

(DOE’s) uranium enrichment gas centrifuge manufacturing and test facilities in Oak Ridge,

Tennessee. USEC presented the status of its centrifuge deployment and its future plans in this

regard. Following this presentation, the NRC officials toured USEC’s rotor manufacturing

facility and centrifuge test facility. The NRC officials also toured DOE’s gas centrifuge

enrichment cascade that was shut down in 1985.

Meeting with Rio Algom Mining Company

On July 10, 2003, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards staff met with Rio Algom

Mining Company at NRC Headquarters. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the

potential impacts of NRC’s 11.e(2) decisions on discharges at the Ambrosia Lake Facility.

U.S. Enrichment Corporation Test Facility

On July 10, 2003, staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards and the Office of

the General Counsel met with staff from the Department of Energy (DOE) in a closed meeting

to discuss the draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) on regulatory oversight issues

related to the U.S. Enrichment Corporation’s (USEC’s) gas centrifuge uranium enrichment test

and demonstration facility (Lead Cascade). This facility is to be housed in an existing DOE Gas

Centrifuge Enrichment Plant (GCEP) building at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in

Piketon, Ohio. The MOU should be finalized by late 2003. NRC is currently reviewing USEC’s

Lead Cascade license application dated February 12, 2003. NRC anticipates completing its

review by February 2004. On July 17, 2003, the NRC staff issued its request to USEC for

additional information letter with a requested 45-day response on the Lead Cascade

application. 

NRC/DOE Quarterly Quality Assurance and Management Public Meetings

On July 15-16, 2003, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards staff met with

Department of Energy (DOE) staff to discuss quality assurance and management issues

concerning the DOE Yucca Mountain High-Level Waste program. Both meetings were

multi-connection video conferences hosted at NRC Headquarters, with connections to the

Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Center for Nuclear

Waste Regulatory Analyses in San Antonio, Texas, and, for the quality assurance meeting, with

NRC Region IV in Arlington, Texas. Various stakeholders, including representatives from the

State of Nevada, Nye County, and industry attended at NRC and DOE meeting locations. 

General Accounting Office personnel and various stakeholders also participated via telecom. 
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE B

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the status of the program at the potential repository

site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Discussion topics included: (1) DOE’s quality assurance

program; (2) status of significant corrective actions; (3) program improvements, metrics, and

effectiveness regarding the license application, procedural compliance, corrective action

program, safety-conscious work environment, and staff accountability; and (4) key technical

issue and agreement resolution. During each meeting, DOE and NRC reviewed the status of

previous action items, closing most of them, and identified some new actions items. The next

quarterly NRC/DOE meetings are tentatively scheduled for November 2003 in Las Vegas. 

Meeting with Department of Energy Regarding Transport of Tritium-Producing Burnable

Absorber Rods

On July 16, 2003, Spent Fuel Project Office staff met with the Department of Energy (DOE) to

discuss the transport of tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs). There are plans

to irradiate TPBARs in Tennessee Valley Authority reactors, to produce tritium. DOE plans to

use the Model No. NAC-LWT cask (NRC Certificate of Compliance No. 9225) for these

proposed shipments. The discussion centered around the possible NRC review of a request to

amend the certificate to authorize shipment of the TPBARs.

Meeting with BFS Regarding Transport of VSC-24 Canisters in the Model No. TS125 Cask

On July 17, 2003, Spent Fuel Project Office staff met with BNFL Fuel Solutions (BFS) to

discuss the transport of VSC-24 spent fuel canisters in the Model No. TS125 Cask (NRC

Certificate of Compliance No. 9276), relying on moderator exclusion for criticality control. The

VSC-24 canister is part of a storage system that is currently approved under 10 CFR Part 72

(Certificate of Compliance No. 72-1007). BFS is planning for the eventual disposition of the 58

VSC-24 canisters that are currently loaded at three reactor sites. The meeting centered on the

various options that BFS is exploring, regarding seeking approval to ship the 58 currently

loaded canisters. Discussion topics included burnup credit and a possible exception, under the

provisions of 10 CFR 71.55(c), that would include design changes to the transportation

configuration of the TS125 cask.

International Atomic Energy Agency Transportation Conference

From July 7-11, 2003, staff from the Spent Fuel Project Office attended the "International

Conference on the Safety of Radioactive Materials Transport," hosted by the International

Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in Vienna, Austria. The conference's goal was to exchange

information on radioactive material transport issues, and formulate recommendations for

international cooperation. There were 534 nominated participants from 82 states; nine

intergovernmental organizations, and five non-government organizations, and there were 132

contributed papers. A draft of the conference findings was provided to all participants, on

July 11, 2003, and IAEA plans to issue the final findings shortly. It is expected that the

conference findings will be presented to the next IAEA General Conference, to consider further

action. Key issues discussed at the conference were liability for accidents at sea, the

importance of communications between governments and with the public, and the adequacy of

the IAEA transport regulations. 
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE D

Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-I-03-022, Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company - APPOINTMENT OF NEW

PRESIDENT FOR CONNECTICUT YANKEE. 

2. PNO-III-03-026A, Exelon Generation Company - CRACKS DISCOVERED IN THE 

UNIT 2 STEAM DRYER - UPDATE.

3. PNO-IV-03-035, STP Nuclear Operating Company - EFFECTS OF HURRICANE

CLAUDETTE AT SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT.

4. PNO-III-03-030, University of Wisconsin-Madison - REPORTED MEDICAL EVENT

INVOLVING YTTRIUM-90 MICROSPHERES (UNDERDOSE).

5. PNO-III-03-031, Washington University in St. Louis - REPORTED MEDICAL EVENT

INVOLVING SAMARIUM-153 (UNDERDOSE).
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Contract Award

A fixed price contract no. NRC-30-03-281 was awarded to Millennium Data Systems, Inc. on

July 11, 2004, for administrative support services at Region III. The period of performance is

two years with three one-year option periods. The total estimated cost of the contract, inclusive

of option years, is $369,139.00. This procurement was awarded as an 8(a) set-aside, in

accordance with the Small Business Administration’s Partnership Agreement with the NRC.

Amersham Corporation (Now Known as AEA Technology QSA, Inc.); Denial of Petition for

Rulemaking (PRM-34-5)

A document that denies a petition for rulemaking submitted by Amersham Corporation (now

known as AEA Technology QSA, Inc.) was published in the Federal Register on July 15, 2003

(68 FR 41757). The petitioner requested that the NRC amend the regulations that specify

performance requirements for industrial radiography equipment by removing the reference to

associated equipment, clarify certain provisions of the current regulations, and require routine

inspection and maintenance of equipment associated with industrial radiography. The petition

was denied because the NRC completed several analyses of the regulations applicable to

radiography and determined that rulemaking was not necessary to achieve the intent of the

petitioner’s requests. 

Robert H Leyse; Denial of Petition for Rulemaking (PRM-50-73 and PRM-50-73A)

A document that denies two petitions for rulemaking submitted by Robert H. Leyse (PRM-50-73

and PRM-50-73A) was published in the Federal Register on July 16, 2003 (68 FR 41963). The

petitioner requested that the NRC amend the regulations to address the effect of crud (a

colloquial term for corrosion and wear products such as rust particles that become radioactive

when exposed to neutron radiation) on the cooling of the reactor core under the turbulent flow

conditions of a loss-of-coolant accident and during normal conditions. The petition was denied

because the NRC determined that current regulations require an applicant/licensee to address

the impacts of the core geometry change on cooling in the Emergency Core Cooling System

(ECCS) analysis; the petitioner’s hypothetical discussion of fuel clad performance with severe

levels of crud buildup was not supported by modeling, data analysis, or operational data; and

technical specifications for monitoring reactor coolant activity have resulted in licensee

operational practices for the early detection of coolant activity increase due to crud deposits

before these deposits would build to the levels postulated by the petitioner. 
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Information Technology (IT) Focus Group Meeting

On July 16-17, 2003, Office of the Chief Information Officer’s (OCIO’s) Enterprise

Architecture/Technical Assessment Team (EATAT) held its periodic IT Focus Group meeting in

Rockville. Three vendors presented information about enterprise mobile security solutions,

biometric security systems, and recent advances in wireless technologies. Regional staff

discussed their use of Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) for inspections, Global Positioning

System/Personal Data Assistant (GPS/PDA) systems, and Adobe Capture software for

graphics handling. The Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) staff discussed two

different pilot projects being conducted in partnership with EATAT: Use of Tablet Personal

Computers for Mobile Work Planning, and the Inspector Electronic Support System (IESS). 

EATAT team members briefed the group on the results of four pilot studies: Fax on demand,

wireless email, voice recognition and digital cameras for inspectors.

NRC Chairs Interagency Transitions Lessons Learned Working Group

At a recent General Services Administration sponsored working group meeting, a staff member

from the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Information Technology Infrastructure Division

was elected to chair the Interagency Transitions Lessons Learned Working Group which meets

on a biweekly basis. The group’s charter is to define the requirements and processes required

for government-wide transition of telecommunications services from the current Federal

Technology Services Telecommunications contracts to the proposed Network follow-on

contracts. The group met on Monday July 14 to provide a progress briefing to the Interagency

Management Council on Telecommunications issues related to transition.

Final Meeting of the External Web Redesign Steering Committee

The NRC External Web Redesign Steering Committee held it final meeting on July 15, 2003. 

The Director of the Web Publishing and Distribution Services Division provided a brief synopsis

of major milestones and accomplishments of the Committee during its approximate three year

existence. The Director also mentioned that the NRC’s External Web site was cited in a

recently published college textbook, "Technical Communication," by John M. Lannon. Mr.

Lannon pointed out that a good web site should accommodate users at various levels of

technicality and cites the NRC web site as a good source of both general and specialized

information. We expect to maintain the site and make future improvements by means of the

on-going activities of the Web staff, office Web Liaisons, Web Working Group, and the

3-person Web Advisory Group consisting of representatives from the Office of the Executive

Director for Operations, Office of Public Affairs, and Office of the Chief Information Officer.
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE G

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

July 11 through July 17, 2003:

NRC media workshop, June 24-25, 2003, copy of documents

distributed

FOIA/PA-2003-0352

Knowledge Transfer Sessions, July 1-2, 2003, copy of handouts FOIA/PA-2003-0353

Westinghouse Power Corp, 1993 upgrade to Temelin Nuclear Power

Plant - Referral by Department of State

FOIA/PA-2003-0354

Medical sites using radioactive materials including positron emitting

isotopes

FOIA/PA-2003-0355
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Arrivals

ARAGUAS, Christian NUCLEAR SAFETY INTERN NRR

DIPERT, Richard FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER NRR

FRUEH, Linda CHIEF, PLANNING TEAM OCFO

BARATTA, Anthony CONSULTANT ASLBP

QUINLIVAN, Kathleen MANAGEMENT ANALYST (summer) ADM

SCHAEFFER, Dennis CONSULTANT RIV

TRENT, Donita STUDENT CLERK (summer) ADM

YU, DeAnna STUDENT CLERK (summer) ADM

WASHINGTON, Brittney STUDENT CLERK (summer) ADM

Departures

CASE, Diane HEALTH PHYSICIST NMSS

KEYSER III, William LAW CLERK ASLBP

SNOWBERGER, Dwight STUDENT ENGINEER NRR
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Media Interest

Upcoming force-on-force exercise at Indian Point and preparations for it. This includes

Entergy’s press conference, with former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.

Hurricane Claudette and its approach to South Texas, including its possible impact on the

South Texas Project nuclear plant.

Congressional budget battles over Yucca Mountain. In addition, the Energy Department’s latest

plans to answer at least 190 key technical questions before submitting a license application to

the NRC for the high-level waste repository.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

03-092 NOTE TO EDITORS: NRC Fact Sheet on Force-on-Force Security

Exercises At Nuclear Power Plants (7/15)

03-093 NRC To Hold Public Meeting July 25 On Quad Cities Nuclear Plant Steam

Dryer Cracks And Future Uprates (7/16)

03-094 NRC Approves Wisconsin Agreement To Regulate Use Of Certain

Radioactive Materials (7/17)

03-095 NRC Advisory Committee On Nuclear Waste to Meet July 29 - 31 In

Rockville, Maryland (7/17)

03-096 NRC Proposes Increased Security Requirements For Portable Gauges

(7/17)

03-097 NRC Issues Draft Report On Fire Hazard Calculations For Nuclear Power

Plants (7/18)

Regions:

I-03-042 NRC Public Meeting On July 17 On Updating Generic Environmental

Impact Statement For License Renewal (7/14)

II-03-036 Musser Named NRC Senior Resident Inspector At Harris Nuclear Plant

(7/18)

II-03-037 McCoy Named NRC Senior Resident Inspector At Surry Nuclear Power

Plant (7/18)

III-03-048 NRC Staff Proposes $5,500 Fine Against An Ohio Inspection Company

(7/11)
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE M

III-03-049 New NRC Resident Inspectors At Kewaunee Nuclear Power Station (7/16)

III-03-050 NRC Announces New Resident Inspector at Davis-Besse Nuclear Power

Station (7/16)
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SRM-COMSECY-03-

0014

6/26/03 Public Release of the Yucca Mountain Review

Plan, NUREG-1804, Final Revision 2

Voting Record on

COMSECY-03-0014

6/26/03 (same)

2. SECY-03-0092 6/5/03 Proposed Rule - Enhanced Security

Requirements for Portable Gauges Containing

Byproduct Material

SRM on SECY-03-0092 7/14/03 (same)

Voting Record on

SECY-03-0092

7/14/03 (same)

3. SECY-03-0096 6/6/03 Section 274b Agreement with the State of

Wisconsin

SRM on SECY-03-0096 6/30/03 (same)

Commission Voting

Record on SECY-03-

0096

6/30/03 (same)

4. SECY-03-0085 5/23/03 Denial of Petitions for Rulemaking on Revising

10 CFR Part 50.46 and Appendix K to 10 CFR

Part 50 to Require Licensees to Address the

Impact on Coolant Flow of Release and

Resuspension of Crud Buildup on Fuel

Cladding During Loss-of-Coolant Accident

Scenarios and During Normal Operations

(PRM 50-73 and PRM 50-73A)

SRM on SECY-03-0085 6/23/03 (same)

Voting Record on

SECY-03-0085

6/23/03 (same)
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE O

5. SECY-03-0088 5/29/03 Denial of Petition for Rulemaking (PRM-34-5)

Amersham Corporation, Now Known as AEA

Technology QSA, Inc.

SRM on SECY-03-0088 6/30/03 (same)

Voting Record on

SECY-03-0088

6/30/03 (same)

Negative Consent Documents

1. SECY-03-0114 7/8/03 Final Rule, 10 CFR Part 140, “Financial

Protection Requirements and Indemnity

Agreements”

SRM on SECY-03-0114 7/17/03 (same)

Information Papers

1. SECY-03-0117 7/9/03 Approaches for Adopting More Widely

Accepted International Quality Standards

2. SECY-03-0121 7/17/03 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending July

11, 2003

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Brian Sandoval, Attorney General, Nevada, dated July 8, 2003, provides the

Commission response to the State’s Petition to “Establish Procedures for Fair and

Credible Yucca Mountain Licensing Hearing.”

2. Letter to Robert R. Loux, State of Nevada, dated July 8, 2003, concerns the Total-System

Performance Assessment (TPA) code.

3. Letter to Gary Wright, State of Illinois, dated July 8, 2003, responds to request for

exemption from 10 CFR 26.6 (Fitness-for-Duty).

4. Letter to Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich, July 7, 2003, responds to request for

unredacted documents.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. ACNW Meeting on Planning & Procedures.

2. CFC Logistics, Inc., ASLBP - Designation of Presiding Officer.

3. ACNW Notice of 144th Meeting.
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region I

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Public Meeting to Discuss Application for New Irradiator

Region I DNMS representatives attended a public meeting in Quakertown, Pennsylvania (PA),

to discuss the agency’s ongoing review of an application for a new irradiator to be operated in

Milford Township, PA. Approximately 400 members of the public attended the meeting

convened by the Milford Township Board of Supervisors. Gray-Star, Inc., the designer of the

underwater irradiator, discussed the irradiator operation, and Region I representatives reviewed

the NRC licensing and inspection process for irradiators, as well as the status of the current

application. Concerns from the citizens included public knowledge of the pending license

application, security, property values, groundwater impacts and potential accident scenarios. A

hearing request on this license application is currently under review by a Presiding Officer of an

Atomic Safety Licensing Board Panel. In materials cases, the hearing process is on a separate

path from the staff’s licensing review and does not preclude a licensing decision by the NRC

staff. The staff’s review of the application is substantially complete and, as indicated at the

meeting, a licensing decision is expected in the near future.

Indian Point - Licensee Press Briefing on Upcoming Force-on-Force Exercise

The owner of the Indian Point facility, Entergy, conducted a press briefing on July 16 to discuss

preparations for the Force-on-Force exercise. Rudolph Giuliani, former Mayor of New York City

and now a consultant to Entergy, was a primary presenter at the briefing. The simulated

weapons and equipment to be used by security personnel during the exercise were displayed

and demonstrated. Mr. Giuliani answered questions about the realism expected in the exercise,

and discussed the value of exercises based on his experience. Media coverage was extensive.

Maine Yankee Community Advisory Panel Meeting

On the evening of July 17, 2003, a representative from the Region I Division of Nuclear

Materials Safety (DNMS), briefed the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) for decommissioning

the Maine Yankee plant. The presentation is a periodic summary of Region I inspection

activities at the plant, and also provides a status of Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing

and confirmatory survey activities. Items discussed included the spent fuel transfer program,

shipment of the reactor vessel to the Barnwell, South Carolina, burial site, and the final status

survey program. Approximately 20 CAP members, Maine Yankee staff, media representatives,

and members of the public were in attendance.

Ginna

Paul Wilkens, President, Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), retired on July 10, 2003. James

Laurito, President and CEO of RGS Energy Group, a subsidiary of Energy East, will assume

the title of President of RG&E. RGS Energy Group is in the process of soliciting bids for its

generating assets, which includes the Ginna station. A buyer is expected to be selected by

October 2003. 
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region I Senior Management Site Visit to Salem and Hope Creek

The Region I Regional Administrator and members of the staff visited Salem and Hope Creek

on July 16, 2003, and met with the Public Service Electric & Gas Chief Nuclear Officer to

discuss licensee plans to address recent performance issues.

Region I Senior Management Site Visit to Pilgrim

On July 16, 2003, the Director of Reactor Projects toured Pilgrim and met with the Resident

Inspection staff and selected licensee (Entergy) managers, as part of the Region’s routine

program of site visits.
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Special Strategic Plan Senior Leadership Group Session

On July 15, 2003, the Regional Administrator participated in a Special Strategic Plan Senior

Leadership Group Session in Headquarters. The Group continued to review the Agency’s

Strategic Plan and discuss potential areas for revision.

Russian Visitors in the Region II Office

On July 17-18, 2003, inspectors from the Russian Nuclear Regulator, Gosatominadzor (GAN),

were in the Regional Office to visit and discuss the Reactor Oversight Process with the

Regional Administrator and other managers and staff. A specific focus was to discuss the

NRC’s, Problem Identification and Resolution (PI&R) inspection process.

Closed Predecisional Enforcement Conference with BWX Technologies

On July 17, 2003, Region II held a closed Predecisional Enforcement Conference with BWX

Technologies, Inc., The purpose of the conference was to discuss apparent violations

associated with the discovery on May 11, 2003, that three pairs of detectors covering three

Criticality Monitoring System (CMS) detection zones were inoperable.

Virginia Electric and Power Company - Surry Ingestion Pathway Exercise

On July 15-17, 2003, Region II managers and staff participated in the Surry Ingestion Pathway

Exercise in Richmond, VA. Other participants included representatives from the

Commonwealth and local emergency response organizations. The Region II, State Liaison

Officer participated as a member of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Regional

Assistance Committee in evaluating the performance of the Commonwealth of Virginia and

applicable local governments.
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region III

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Predecisional enforcement conference

On July 16, 2003, the Region III staff met with Nuclear Management Co. for an predecisional

enforcement conference to discuss apparent violations involving the licensee’s Fitness-For-Duty

program at the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Station. The conference was closed to public

observation because it involves the findings of an NRC Office of Investigations report that has

not been publicly disclosed.
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) to Negotiate with Entergy Nuclear to Provide

Management Services at Cooper Nuclear Station

On July 11, 2003, the Nebraska Public Power District’s Board of Directors gave NPPD

management the authority to continue with negotiations, toward a long-term agreement for

management services at Cooper Nuclear Station, with Entergy Nuclear, Inc., of Jackson,

Mississippi. While NPPD will retain ownership of the plant and NRC operating license, Entergy

will provide personnel to fill certain key management positions. Any negotiated agreement

must be approved by Entergy management and the NPPD Board.
July 18, 2003 

Office of Congressional Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 23

OCA

Contact

DATE

&

PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Gerke 07/22/03

2154 RHOB

 2:00 OMB H.R. 2432, Paperwork and Regulatory

Improvements Act

Reps. DavGovernme

Gerke 07/24/03

SD-342

 9:30 TBA Then and Now: An Update on the

Administration’s Competitive SourcingInitiative

Senators VGov’t MgmGovernme

Gerke 07/24/03

2154 RHOB

10:00 TBA Problems with TSP Website Reps. Dav

Governme

Combs TBA TBA Chairman Diaz, DOE Bechtel,

NEI

Yucca Mountain Reps. Bar

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July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE S

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Westinghouse AP1000 design review

On July 16-18, 2003, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Subcommittees

held a meeting on Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena and Future Plant Designs at the

Westinghouse Energy Center in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the technical

meeting was to review the Westinghouse AP1000 design. The presentations made by the

Westinghouse representatives and the NRC staff were informative and included such topics as

thermal-hydraulic performance, instrumentation and control design concept, man-machine

interface design acceptance criteria, leak-before-break pipe design, materials issues, human

factors issues, and the current open items. The Subcommittees plan to discuss this matter

during the 505th ACRS meeting in September 11-13, 2003. 
July 18, 2003 ENCLOSURE T

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste 

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 18, 2003

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) Elects New Officers

The ACNW has elected Dr. B. John Garrick as Chairman and Dr. Michael T. Ryan as

Vice-Chairman for a period July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004.

Dr. Garrick is an expert in the application of risk sciences to many technology based industries

including nuclear power, space, chemical, defense, and transportation. Dr. Ryan is an

independent consultant in radiological sciences and health physics with over 25 years of

experience in radioactive waste management and radiation protection. 

The other ACNW members are Dr. George M. Hornberger, Professor, Department of

Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, and Mr. Milton

Levenson, a former Vice President of Bechtel International.