INFORMATION REPORT

January 30, 2003 SECY-03-0012

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-03-0012 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING JANUARY 24, 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
January 30, 2003 SECY-03-0012

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-03-0012 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING JANUARY 24, 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\WEEK124.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

CGlenn:paa JWCraig

01/30/03 01/31/03
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 24, 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 16

NMSS 4 OPA 17

RES 8 IP *

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 24

OE *

*No input this week
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

North Anna, Unit 2, Reactor Vessel Head (RVH) Replacement

As requested by VEPCO, NRR and Region II staff have postponed the inspection of the RVH

replacement project at North Anna, Unit 2, until the week of January 27-31, 2003. The purpose

of this inspection is to examine how VEPCO was able to reconcile the differences between the

replacement RVH and the formerly installed head under the American Society of Mechanical

Engineers (ASME) Code Section XI. As part of this inspection effort, the staff plans on

reviewing VEPCO’s modification package, reconciliation report, new design specifications, and

the ASME data package.

Nuclear Management Company (NMC) Organizational Changes

In a news release on January 20, 2003, NMC announced the following organizational changes:

Mano Nazar, Site Vice President at Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, and Jeff Forbes,

Site Vice President at Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, have both been promoted to the

position of Senior Vice President. Mr. Nazar retains responsibility for Prairie Island, while also

assuming responsibility for the Point Beach Nuclear Plant. Mr. Forbes retains responsibility for

Monticello while also taking on Duane Arnold Energy Center. Mr. Nazar and Mr. Forbes (like

the site vice presidents at Kewaunee and Palisades) will report to John P. Cowan, Chief

Nuclear Officer, following a transition period with their successors. Joe Solymossy, NMC Vice

President of Nuclear Assessment Programs, will replace Mr. Nazar as Site Vice President at

Prairie Island and will report to Mr. Nazar. Dave Wilson, who most recently led NMC’s

management efforts at Cooper Nuclear Station, will replace Mr. Forbes as Site Vice President

at Monticello. Mr. Wilson (and Mark Peifer, Site Vice President at Duane Arnold) will report to

Mr. Forbes. Gary Van Middlesworth, currently Vice President of Nuclear Operations and a

previous Site Vice President at Duane Arnold, was named Vice President of Nuclear

Assessment Programs, replacing Mr. Solymossy, effective January 27, 2003.

NRC Information Notice 2003-01, Failure of a Boiling Water Reactor Target Rock Main Steam

Safety/Relief Valve dated January 15, 2003

The NRC is issuing this information notice to alert addressees to a recent failure of a main

steam safety/relief valve on a boiling water reactor. The NRC anticipates that recipients will

review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider taking appropriate actions. 

NRC Information Notice 2003-02, Recent Experience With Reactor Coolant System Leakage

And Boric Acid Corrosion dated January 16, 2003

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is issuing this information notice to inform

addressees of recently observed reactor coolant leakage at two pressurized water reactor

facilities, one of which resulted in the subsequent degradation of the reactor pressure vessel

head. It is expected that recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities

and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. 
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

NRC Regulatory Issue Summary 2003-01, Examination of Dissimilar Metal Welds,

Supplement 10 to Appendix VIII of Section XI of the ASMECode

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this regulatory issue summary to

inform addressees of the NRC staff’s position on the implementation of Supplement 10 to

Appendix VIII, “Performance Demonstration for Ultrasonic Examination Systems,” of Section XI

of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME

Code), as required by Title 10, Section 50.55a(g)(6)(ii)(C), of the Code of Federal Regulations. 

Supplement 10 contains the qualification requirements for procedures, equipment, and

personnel involved with examining dissimilar metal welds using ultrasonic techniques, which

licensees were required to implement by November 22, 2002. Not meeting the schedule is

subject to disposition through the Reactor Oversight Process if the program is not available at a

time when an examination is required.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Amendment to the Ventilated Storage Cask System Certificate of Compliance

On January 22, 2003, NRC issued Amendment 4 to Certificate of Compliance Number 72-1007

held by Pacific Sierra Nuclear Associates for the Ventilated Storage Cask (VSC-24) System. 

The amendment allows for storage of specific fuel control elements as integral components to

fuel assemblies. In addition, the structural calculations were updated to provide bounding

analyses for the various design configurations, to accommodate the storage of selected fuel

control elements.

Information Exchange Meeting with U.S. Department of Transportation

On January 22, 2003, managers and staff of the Spent Fuel Project Office met with

U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) staff for an Information Exchange Meeting, as

provided under the NRC/DOT “Memorandum of Understanding on the Transportation of

Radioactive Materials.” Staff members from the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear

Safety and the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response also participated. The

discussions focused on transportation-related rulemaking activities, upcoming international

meetings, conferences and support missions, package recertification/revalidation issues, and

safety and vulnerability studies.

Spent Fuel Management Seminar

On January 15-16, 2003, management and staff from the Spent Fuel Project Office (SFPO)

made three presentations at the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management Twentieth Spent

Fuel Management Seminar. SFPO presentations were made on the following subjects: 

(1) advances in spent fuel storage and transportation; (2) an overview of SFPO program

activities; and (3) an overview of the analysis of the Baltimore tunnel fire. The presentations

were well received by the wide range of industry and Government representatives participating

in the conference.

Public Meeting with Syncor International Corporation

On January 16, 2002, the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety held a public

meeting to discuss policy-related issues relative to extremity monitoring and dosimetry with the

regulated radiopharmaceutical community. The meeting was conducted as a roundtable

discussion, among participants, to address policy and guidance-related issues regarding

shallow dose equivalent assessments to the portion of the skin of the extremity likely to receive

the highest dose. Meeting participants included Syncor International Corporation,

representatives from other radiopharmaceutical companies, a representative from the

Organization of Agreement States, and NRC Headquarters and regional staff. The regulated

community raised many concerns regarding the issue of monitoring dose to the extremities.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Peer Review Report on Radionuclide Transport in the Environment (RTE): Research Program

Plan, March 2002

In November 2002, the above referenced research plan developed by the Office of Nuclear

Regulatory Research (RES) staff underwent a peer review at the Institute for Regulatory

Science (RSI) in Columbia, MD, using peer-review procedures recommended by the American

Society of Mechanical Engineers. The report was issued in mid-January 2003, as ASME

publication CRTD-Vol. 71, "Technical Peer Review Report, Report of the Reviewer Panel,

Radionulcide Transport in the Environment." The peer reviewers commended the NRC staff for

developing a comprehensive research plan, making the plan a living document, encouraging

staff participation in hands-on research, focusing its research on the needs of the NRC’s

regulatory offices, and leveraging its research with other organizations outside the NRC. 

The peer reviewers found that the objective of the research plan is sound, the key elements of

the research plan are reasonable for meeting the research objective, the proposed research will

help meet the program’s objective, the plan should include more peer-reviewed references, and

leveraging with other organizations is essential to RTE program for meeting the plan’s

objective. The peer reviewers recommended that the NRC staff should (1) update the plan

every five years to ensure that it remains a living document, (2) do an in-depth analysis of

computer codes relevant to its program and identify any systematic errors, (3) pursue additional

avenues of leveraging, (4) consider replacing its prioritization scheme with a formal

multi-attribute scheme, and (5) obtain input from the scientific community outside the NRC as

part of its research prioritization. NRC staff will review and update the plan based on these

comments.

Staff Participation in 51st Session of the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of

Atomic Radiation

The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) staff will be attending the 51st session of the

United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) in Vienna,

Austria from January 27-31, 2003. The purpose of the session is to review ten draft annexes

that will be included in the UNSCEAR 2005 report. RES staff will participate in a review of

annexes describing the epigenetic effects of exposure to ionizing radiation as well as exposures

of workers and members of the public from various sources of ionizing radiation. The

committee will be updating the UNSCEAR 2000 annex on health effects due to radiation from

the Chernobyl accident. Scientists from Belarus, Ukraine, and the Russian Federation will

present a special seminar on radiation health effects and the Chernobyl accident. 

OECD Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Failure (OLHF) Experiments at Sandia National

Laboratories

The lower head of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) can be subject to significant thermal and

pressure loads in the late phases of core melting during a postulated severe accident. An

understanding of the mode, timing, and size of lower head failure is important in evaluating the
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE C

consequences of a severe accident, because it defines the initial conditions for many of the

subsequent challenges to containment integrity. The OLHF program complemented the earlier

NRC-sponsored Lower Head Failure (LHF) program, but at more prototypic conditions (i.e.,

large temperature gradient across the vessel wall). This program involved both experimental

and analytical work, and was ended in October 2002. 

The OLHF program yielded a unique and well-qualified data set for code validation. Both LHF

and OLHF programs, as well as the Swedish FOREVER experimental program, revealed that

initiation of failures in the lower head of the RPV would typically be local. Severe accident

codes, such as the MELCOR code, utilize a simple model, i.e., the Larson-Miller parameter

(LMP) correlation, to predict vessel failure time. Assessment of the LMP correlation, against

the OLHF integral experiment showed that vessel failure time can be reasonably well predicted. 

The final report on OLHF will be published by Organization for Economic Cooperation and

Development (OECD) in the near future.

Generic Safety Issue (GSI) 189, “Susceptibility of Ice Condenser and Mark III Containments to

Early Failure from Hydrogen Combustion During a Severe Accident”

The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) completed the technical assessment of

Generic Safety Issue (GSI) 189, “Susceptibility of Ice Condenser and Mark III Containments to

Early Failure from Hydrogen Combustion During a Severe Accident,” and by memorandum of

December 17, 2002, provided its recommendation, and transferred lead for GSI-189 from RES

to the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) as described in NRC Management Directive

6.4 (Regulation and Guidance Development Stage). GSI-189 was raised within the context of

the on-going effort to risk-inform 10 CFR 50.44, “Standards for Combustible Gas Control

System in Light-Water-Cooled Power Reactors.” Based on the technical assessment with due

consideration of uncertainties, RES concludes that further action to provide back-up power to

one train of igniters is warranted for both ice condenser and Mark III plants.

Public Workshop on Mitigating Systems Performance Index (MSPI) Pilot Program

In a January 21, 2003, public workshop to discuss issues with the MSPI pilot, staff from the

Office of Nuclar Regulatory Research/Operating Experience Risk Analysis Branch

(RES/OERAB) and the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) presented a mid-course

overview on the status of the program. The workshop was attended by approximately eighty

participants from the NRC Regions, industry representatives, licensees, and the public. 

The purpose of the MSPI is to monitor the performance of six systems based on their ability to

perform risk-significant functions. The index is comprised of two elements - system

unavailability and system reliability. Plant-specific probabilistic risk assessment models are

used to calculate the contribution of component failures and maintenance unavailability to the

index, that approximates the change in core damage frequency. 

At the workshop, the staff discussed the status of the independent verification as well as the

"Top 5 Issues" associated with the implementation of the Nuclear Energy Institute guidance. 

Results of inspections from sixteen of the twenty nuclear plants within the pilot were

summarized as well. During the afternoon, breakout sessions by reactor type were held. The
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE C

smaller working groups allowed for more detailed analysis and discussion of the similarities and

differences in MSPI results from plant-to-plant. 

The Workshop provided an opportunity to raise issues during the "data collection phase" of the

program, scheduled to end on February 28. This phase will be followed by six months of

analysis prior to final conclusions and recommendations for the full implementation of the

program.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE D

Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Dose Assessment Tabletop for Radiological Dispersal Device Exercise

On January 22, 2003, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Operations Center conducted

a tabletop exercise to estimate the radiological consequences of a radiological dispersal device

(RDD). The dose assessment was conducted in support of the BUSRIDE 2 Exercise which is

scheduled for January 29, 2003. The NRC ran three dose assessment teams using two

different codes. The National Weather Service supported the NRC by providing meteorological

support. In addition, Sandia National Laboratory and the National Atmospheric Release

Advisory Center independently conducted dose assessments and reported their results to the

NRC. The NRC then evaluated the results to come up with a unified, coordinated Federal

assessment of the radiological consequences of the release. 

National Response Team Meeting

On January 23, 2003, Division of Incident Response Operations staff participated in the

National Response Team (NRT) meeting at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Emergency

Operations Center. Topics of discussion included planning for the upcoming Regional

Response Team Co-Chair meeting, upcoming exercises, NRT interactions with the new

Department of Homeland Security, the response procedure reconciliation report, risk and

protective action communication, and the Prestige oil spill off of Spain. 

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-III-03-002, D.C. Cook - REACTOR TRIP DUE TO MAIN TRANSFORMER FIRE.

2. PNO-IV-03-003, Geotech Engineering and Testing - STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE.

3. PNO-IV-03-004, Consolidated Engineering - STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending January 24, 2003

List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: VSC-24; Confirmation of Effective Date (Part 72)

A document confirming the effective date of February 3, 2003, for a direct final rule that revised

the VSC-24 cask system listing within the list of approved spent fuel storage casks was

published in the Federal Register on January 21, 2003 (68 FR 2686).

Interagency Financial Managers Council Meeting

On January 15, 2003, representatives from the NRC’s Division of Accounting and Finance and

Division of Contracts attended the Interagency Financial Managers Council meeting. A

“Lessons Learned” presentation was made regarding registering commercial vendors into the

government-wide Central Contractor Registration (CCR) website. The CCR website provides a

central point where contractual and financial offices can obtain information needed to transact

business with commercial firms and other government agencies. Eventually, the CCR will

become the “Business Partner Network (BPN).” The BPN is a part of the President's

E-Government Initiative known as the Integrated Acquisition Environment.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

NRC Introduces New Web-based Access to Publicly Available Documents in ADAMS

On January 24, 2003, NRC released a new search and retrieval capability, which will allow

users to access publicly available documents in ADAMS directly from the NRC’s Web site. This

new Web-based interface is a significant step in the NRC’s electronic government strategy

which will simplify the process of searching for and accessing public documents. The interface

has been successfully tested by the ADAMS Public User Group. 

The new Web-based search and retrieval interface offers the following features:

- “Relevancy ranking” locates the “best” (most relevant) documents and brings them to the

top of the list of your search results.

- “Natural language queries” eliminate the need for users to master structured search

languages to find needed information.

- Highlighting identifies key words or phrases in the text of a document.

- A detailed HELP screen simplifies use of the Web-based search and retrieval interface.

- An “Already Seen” indicator identifies documents that the user has already viewed in the

listed search results.

- The “More Like” search allows users to refine and optimize a search by narrowing the list

of matching documents to those that are similar to an especially relevant document found

in the initial search results.

In addition to the basic ability to search for document containing a text phrase, the interface

enables users to perform more advanced searches using three kinds of queries:

- A “concept search” expands the user specified search terms to include related terms

using English language dictionaries and thesauri instead of limiting the search to exact

matches for words in the query.

- A “pattern search” expands the user specified search terms to include words that are

spelled similarly, and then matches those terms against documents in ADAMS.

- A “boolean search” matches the exact user specified search terms against the

documents in the ADAMS library using operators such as “AND,” “OR,” “NOT,” among

others in the search statement to control matching.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE G

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

January 17 through January 23, 2003:

Indian Point nuclear power plant safety violations from 1962 to present (FOIA/PA-2003-0129)

United Nuclear Corporation, 1997-1998 permit modification relating to superfund site in New

Mexico (FOIA/PA-2003-0130)

Davis Besse nuclear generating station, all communications between NRC and license holder

Toledo Edison, Centerior Service Company, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company, and

FirstEnergy re: licensee’s corrective action in response to Confirmatory Order dated June 22,

1998 (FOIA/PA-2003-0131)

United States Enrichment Corporation’s Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant Strike Contingency

Plan (FOIA/PA-2003-0132)

IG report regarding NRC staff properly notifying and making documents available of meetings

between NRC and the Department of Energy on decisions regarding Yucca Mountain

(FOIA/PA-2003-0133)

License 29-00-65-02, Pfizer, Inc. (FOIA/PA-2003-0134)

IG report, case no. 02-03C, on NRC’s Regulation of Davis Besse regarding Damage to the

Reactor Vessel Head, all records used as basis/backup for report (FOIA/PA-2003-0135)

Commission meeting attendees, January 14, 2003, closed meeting (FOIA/PA-2003-0136)

Merit Awards and recipients for 2002, 2001, and 2000 (FOIA/PA-2003-0137)

NRC organization chart or staff directory (FOIA/PA-2003-0138)

Zeolite; and entities of the Oglala Lakota Nation, all records from 1976 to present (FOIA/PA2003-0139)
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Arrivals

MAY, Judith SR. MANAGEMENT ANALYST NSIR

McARTHUR, JoAnn CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR RIV/OI

STAREFOS, Joelle* PROJECT MANAGER NRR

TAYLOR, James CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR OIG

WOLFE, Suzanne RECEPTIONIST (Temp. Appoint.) RI

Departures

IJAZ, Sairah STUDENT IT SPECIALIST OCIO

*Transferring from RII
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE L

Office of State and Tribal Programs

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Issuance of Final Revision of STP Procedure SA-900: Termination of Uranium Milling Licenses

in Agreement States

On December 31, 2002, STP issued a final revision of Procedure SA-900: “Termination of

Uranium Milling Licenses in Agreement States.” The procedure describes the NRC review

process for making determinations that all applicable standards and requirements have been

met prior to termination of an Agreement State uranium milling license. The announcement of

the availability of the procedure is expected to be published in the Federal Register during the

week of January 27, 2003.

Nine Agreement State uranium milling licenses have been terminated since the issuance of the

original procedure on April 20, 1999. During review of the license termination proposals,

especially Washington State’s proposal for termination of the Western Nuclear (Sherwood)

milling license, staff recognized that the procedure needed to be revised to provide better

guidance. A Working Group composed of five Agreement State and four NRC representatives

was formed in April 2001 to identify areas that needed improvement. The Working Group held

four teleconference calls and one public meeting with stakeholders in 2001. Opportunity for

public and stakeholders’ comment on the procedure was announced in August 2001 during the

Working Group’s preparation of its final report, and in October 2002 during staff’s preparation of

the final procedure. Prior to issuance of the final procedure, staff considered recommendations

documented in the Working Group’s final report, and comments received from the Illinois

Department of Nuclear Safety, the Nuclear Energy Institute, the National Mining Association,

the Texas Department of Health, the Washington Department of Health, and the NRC staff. 

The staff estimates that six conventional and three to nine in-situ Agreement State uranium

milling licenses will be terminated in accordance with the guidance provided in the procedure in

the next five years. 
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Media Interest

Chairman Meserve appeared on PBS’ “Bill Moyers Now” television program, discussing several

issues on the troubled Davis-Besse nuclear plant in Ohio.

The Chairman was interviewed by WABC-TV in New York on the controversy surrounding

security guards at the Indian Point nuclear facility. Excerpts from the session will be included in

a piece scheduled to air sometime next week.

There continues to be significant media interest in the security of nuclear power plants,

especially with the NRC’s recent actions on access authorization enhancements. Also, 

there is growing interest in the issue of security guard fatigue at nuclear facilities, with several

reporters attending the agency’s public meeting this week on a related NRC draft order. 

Some media coverage resulted from leaking reactor coolant that caused minor corrosion at

TVA’s Sequoyah nuclear facility in Tennessee.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

03-010 NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Elects Chairman, Vice

Chairman and Member-At-Large

03-011 NRC To Hold Public Meeting January 28 On Reviewing Alternative Sites

For Nuclear Power Plants

03-012 NRC Advisory Committee On Reactor Safeguards To Meet February 6 - 8

In Rockville, Maryland

03-013 NRC Finds No Significant Environmental Impact From Extended Operation

Of Peach Bottom Nuclear Plants

03-014 NRC Provides A New Search Interface To Public Documents Through Its

Web Site 

Regions:

II-03-003 NRC Staff Proposes $9,600 Civil Penalty Against Virginia Firm For

Violation of NRC Radiation Safety Requirements in Hawaii

III-03-003 NRC Staff, First Energy To Discuss “Safety Culture” at Davis-Besse
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-02-0214 12/04/02 Guidance on the Use of Effective Dose

Equivalent in External Dose Assessments

SRM on 02-0214 01/22/03 (same)

Information Papers

1. SECY-03-0007 01/17/03 SECY-03-0007 Weekly Information Report -

Week Ending January 10, 2003

Memoranda

1. SRM-M030114B 01/21/03 Staff Requirements - Briefing on NRC

Lessons Learned: Davis-Besse Reactor

Vessel Head Degradation

2. SRM-M030123A 01/23/03 SRM-M030123A-Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-02-0222-Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

(Diablo Canyon Power Plant Independent

Spent Fuel Storage Installation); Licensing

Board’s Referral in LBP-02-23 of its Denial

to Admit Terrorism Contentions/Issues

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Joe M. Allbaugh, Federal Emergency Management Agency, dated January 17,

2003, concerns opportunity to coordinate and synchronize the assessment requirements

relating to emergency responsibilities placed upon the States. 

2. Letter to Mary Lampert, Massachusetts Citizens for Safe Energy and Nuclear Security

Watch - MA, dated January 17, 2003, concerns the status of issues related to the

environmental impacts of an attack on nuclear facilities. 

3. Letter to R. Edison Elkins, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, dated January 13,

2003, provides NRC’s “FY 2003 Affirmative Action Program Plan Update and FY 2002

Report of Accomplishments” for hiring, placement, and advancement of individuals with

handicaps. 
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region I

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Special Inspection at Allegheny General Hospital

On January 24, 2003, two inspectors from the Region I Division of Nuclear Materials Safety

performed a reactive inspection at Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The

inspection was in response to a January 15, 2003, licensee report that iodine-131

contamination had been found on the skin of a nuclear medicine technologist’s finger, and that

the resulting skin exposure may exceed the regulatory limit of 50 rem. The preliminary estimate

is that the dose was between 50 and 150 rem. The inspectors reviewed the licensee’s

evaluation of the event and its root causes. The licensee is continuing to evaluate the dose

estimate.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Commission Meeting - Status of the Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Programs,

Performance and Plans

On January 23, 2003, the Regional Administrator attended the Commission Meeting on the

Briefing on Status of the Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards Programs.

Combined Region I/II Nuclear Plant Manager’s Meeting

On January 24, 2003, the Regional Administrator and the Deputy Director, Division of Nuclear

Security, Office of the Nuclear Security and Incident Response attended the Combined Region

I/II Nuclear Plant Manager’s Meeting in Panama City, Florida.

Representatives from the Office of the Inspector General’s Office Visits Region II

On January 21 and 23, 2003, several representatives from the Office of the Inspector General

met with Region II managers and conducted interviews with selected regional staff on the

control of safeguards information. 

NUREG-6642 (Materials Risk) Training

On January 22, 2003, NUREG-6642 (Materials Risk) training was held for the Division of

Nuclear Materials Safety staff. The course outlined results of the risk review done of a variety

of uses of licensed materials in medicine, research, education, and industry.

NRC Holds an Outreach Meeting on Emergency Preparedness

On January 23-24, 2003, the NRC held an Outreach Meeting on Emergency Preparedness in

Glen Allen, Virginia. The Deputy Regional Administrator, other regional staff, managers and

staff from the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response and State and local

governments representatives participated.

Duke Energy Corporation Regulatory Performance Oconee

On January 23, 2003, a Regulatory Performance meeting was conducted with Duke Energy

Corporation at Oconee. The purpose of the public meeting was to discuss the results of the

supplemental inspection performed to assess corrective actions associated with a White finding

related to containment closure controls during reduced reactor coolant system inventory

conditions in Unit 1 and a White Performance Indicator related to unavailability of the 1B motor

driven emergency feedwater pump. Several media representatives attended the meeting.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region III

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

Safeguards Tabletop Exercise in Wisconsin

On January 22, 3003, representatives of Region III and the Office of Nuclear Security and

Incident Response participated in a State of Wisconsin tabletop exercise in Prairie du Chien,

Wisconsin. The scenario involved a hypothetical terrorist attack on a spent fuel shipment from

a shutdown reactor involving a derailment and release of radioactive material to the

environment. More than 100 persons participated in the tabletop, including those from a

number of federal agencies. Based on the tabletop results, the state intends to modify its

existing plans in preparation for a full-scale exercise in mid-April.
January 24, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

South Texas Project 

On January 22, 2003, a public meeting was held in the Region IV office with representatives of

the South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company. The topic of the meeting was

implementation of the risk-informed exemption issued in 2001. Members of the Office of

Nuclear Reactor Regulation and Region IV staffs participated in the meeting.

Fort Calhoun Station Public License Renewal Inspection Exit Meeting

On January 23, 2003, a public license renewal inspection exit meeting was conducted in

Omaha, Nebraska. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the results of the inspection of

the Fort Calhoun Station aging management programs. This inspection was conducted as part

of the license renewal application review process.
January 24, 2003 

Office of Congressional Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 24, 2003

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 1

OCA

Contact

DATE

&

PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Gerke February TBA NRC Davis-Besse Senators 

Clean AirNuclear SEnvironm

Portner 02/25/03

SD-366

10:00 Secretary Abraham FY04 Budget: Energy Department Senators 

Energy an