INFORMATION REPORT

December 29, 2003 SECY-03-0222

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-03-0222 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING DECEMBER 19, 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/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

D. Jackson, OEDO
December 29, 2003 SECY-03- 

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-03-0222 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING DECEMBER 19, 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/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

D. Jackson, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: G:\Patty\WeekD19.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

DJackson:paa WMDean

12/24/03 1/5/04
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 19, 2003

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: D. Jackson, OEDO by E-mail: daj1@nrc.gov. 

Use GO TO (Ctrl+Home) to advance to the page number for a specific Office.

PgDn and PgUp can also be used to advance through the text.

OFFICE Page OFFICE Page

NRR 2 STP *

NMSS 4 OPA 17

RES * IP *

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 *

OE *

*No input this week
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station (Davis-Besse) - Status

A public meeting previously scheduled for the afternoon of December 18, 2003, at Davis-Besse

to discuss the results of Phase 3 of the NRC Management and Human Performance Team

Inspection has been rescheduled for the morning of December 19, 2003, to be coincident with

the public exit meeting at the site for the Restart Readiness Assessment Team Inspection

(RRATI). The RRATI commenced on December 8, 2003.

A public meeting for the licensee to state its basis for requesting the restart of the plant (Mode 2

operation) scheduled for the evening of December 18, 2003, near the Davis Besse site has

been postponed. The meeting has been postponed because the licensee’s schedule for

attaining Mode 4 and 3 operation has slipped and NRC observation of licensee activities during

the mode changes is an important item for discussion at the meeting.

The next 0350 Restart Oversight Panel monthly public meetings near the site are scheduled for

January 13, 2004.

South Texas Project (STP) Unit 2 - Failure of Emergency Diesel Generator (EDG)

On December 15, 2003, the licensee submitted a risk-informed license amendment application

which would extend the allowed outage time for a damaged EDG from 14 to 61 days to allow

the licensee time to repair the engine. During a routine surveillance test on December 9, 2003,

EDG number 22 experienced a significant failure resulting in a connecting rod being ejected

from the engine. The staff is currently reviewing the application and assessing the licensee's

root cause determination regarding any potential common-mode failure mechanisms. The 14-

day allowed outage time ends on December 23, 2003.

Modular Accident Analysis Program (MAAP) Code Meeting

Staff from the Division of Systems Safety and Analysis met on December 15, 2003, with

representatives of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the General Electric, the Electric Power

Research Institute (EPRI), and utilities to discuss the MAAP computer code and the need for

industry and the NRC to develop a quality basis for MAAP. Issues discussed related to the use

of MAAP in the Significance Determination Process and in risk-informed applications involving

Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) quality determinations (e.g., how and to what degree does

MAAP need to be evaluated by the staff because MAAP is used as the basis for success

criteria for PRAs that provide the risk insights for licensing changes and potential rule changes

such as §50.46 and §50.69). The staff stated that there needs to be a quality basis for MAAP

and other codes, (such as those for core melt progression, fire, and containment performance)

that provide the mechanistic results input into the PRAs. The staff recommended that EPRI

develop a user's guide to define what are the appropriate uses of MAAP and its limitations. The

staff and industry discussed potential approaches under which the MAAP code could receive an

appropriate level of NRC review so that the NRC would have more confidence that MAAP is

used appropriately by licensees. EPRI addressed its desire to submit any quality initiative on a
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

fee-waiver basis. EPRI said that the industry believed that MAAP was found acceptable by the

NRC because it was listed in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers standard and

DG-1122, "An Approach for Determining the Technical Adequacy of Probabilistic Risk

Assessment Results for Risk-Informed Activities,” which did not take exception to the American

Society of Mechanical Engineers statement. The staff corrected this misinterpretation.

Perry Regulatory Conference for Emergency Preparedness Violation

Division of Inspection Program Management staff supported the regulatory conference held at

the Region III office for the Perry Plant apparent violation of its emergency plan. On April 24,

2003, Perry Plant met the conditions to declare an Alert in accordance with its emergency plan,

but failed to do so for 50 minutes. The regulatory conference provided the licensee an

opportunity to clarify any mis-information and provide new information that may be pertinent to

the final determination.
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Louisiana Energy Services Submits Uranium Enrichment Plant Application

On December 15, 2003, Louisiana Energy Services sent NRC its application for a uranium

enrichment plant proposed to be located in Eunice, New Mexico. The application included an

environmental report and safety analysis report. NRC staff is presently conducting an

acceptance review of the application.

Staff Executes Programmatic Agreement

On December 16, 2003, the Director, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, signed a

Programmatic Agreement between NRC, the Department of Interior - Bureau of Land

Management, the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Officer, and Power Resources, Inc.

(PRI). This Programmatic Agreement is required by 36 CFR Part 800, "Protection of Historic

Properties." A Programmatic Agreement is used when the effects on historic properties cannot

be fully determined before approval of an undertaking and establishes the responsibilities of the

involved parties for complying with the provisions of Part 800 during the operation of the project. 

NRC’s role in this agreement is to ensure that the licensee has carried out its assigned

responsibilities for areas that may have cultural resources that have not been fully evaluated. 

This involves no additional NRC resource commitments. The execution of the Agreement is the

last step in finalizing the environmental assessment associated with the application from PRI, to

develop and operate an in situ-leach satellite uranium extraction facility in the Gas Hills region

of Wyoming.

Council of State Governments’ Joint Workshop on Rail Transport

On December 10-11, 2003, Spent Fuel Project Office (SFPO) staff participated in a workshop

on the transport of radioactive materials sponsored by the Council of State Governments’

Northeast High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Task Force (Northeast) and the

Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee (Midwest). The workshop

included about 70 participants representing the Northeast and Midwest State governments,

Federal agencies, such as the Departments of Energy and Transportation, and industry. SFPO

staff also participated in the Midwest and Northeast quarterly meetings held separately on

December 9.

Staff Attends Meeting of Nevada Legislature's Committee on High-level Waste

On December 10, 2003, an NRC staff member of the Las Vegas On-Site Representative’s

Office attended a public meeting of the State of Nevada Legislature's Committee on High-Level

Waste in Las Vegas, Nevada. Presentations were given to the Committee by the Department

of Energy (DOE), the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects, Nye County, Clark County, and the

National Conference of State Legislatures. DOE presented the status of Yucca Mountain

project activities, and the State of Nevada reported the State’s legal actions against the Federal

government and discussed State-sponsored research and reviews of repository issues. 

Affected Nevada counties provided updates of their repository oversight and their views of
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE B

repository and transportation issues. The National Conference of State Legislatures gave an

update of its high-level radioactive waste working group, which is working on a joint policy

statement on radioactive waste management and transportation. This working group is made

up of 45 State legislators from 26 States. The group will soon include representatives from 34

States. The working group is currently scheduled to hold its next meeting in Las Vegas during

the week of May 11, 2004.

Independent Evaluation of DOE Model Reports on Yucca Mountain Project

On December 8-12, 2003, and November 17-21, 2003, staff from the Division of Waste

Management and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses completed the first two

parts of a three-part evaluation of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Yucca Mountain Project

Office in Las Vegas, Nevada. Staff obtained independent objective evidence regarding the

adequacy of technical information presented in high-risk significant analysis model reports,

assessed the adequacy of DOE’s processes in developing and controlling those analysis model

reports, and evaluated the effectiveness of DOE’s corrective action process in eliminating

recurring problems. The outcome of this three-part evaluation will provide NRC staff with

evidence about DOE’s ability to submit a high-quality, technically adequate license application,

using its existing policies, procedures, methods, and practices. The third evaluation is

scheduled to be conducted in January 2004, after which a final report will be issued and made

publicly available.
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE D

Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-I-03-034, Lexington Clinic - MEDICAL MISADMINISTRATION DURING IODINE

UPTAKE STUDY. 
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending December 19, 2003

List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Standardized NUHOMS® -24P, -52B, -61BT, and

-24PHB, Amendment 6, Revision; Correction and Confirmation of Effective Date (AH26 -

Part 72)

A document that confirms the December 22, 2003, effective date of a direct final rule that

revises the Standardized NUHOMS® -24P, -52B, 61BT, and -24PHB (Amendment 6) cask

system listing in the list of approved spent fuel storage casks was published in the Federal

Register on December 17, 2003 (68 FR 57785). 

List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Standardized NUHOMS® -24P, -52B, -61BT,

-32PT, and -24PHB, Amendment 7, Revision (AH28 - Part 72)

A direct final rule that revises the Standardized NUHOMS® -24P, -52B, -61BT, -32PT, and

-24PHB cask system listing in the list of approved spent fuel storage casks was published in the

Federal Register on December 18, 2003 (68 FR 70423). This action includes Amendment 7,

which supports Amergen Corporation plans to load damaged fuel and additional fuel types at

the Oyster Creek Nuclear Station, in Certification of Compliance No. 1004. The direct final rule

becomes effective March 2, 2004.

The companion proposed rule to this direct final rule was published in the Federal Register on

December 18, 2003 (68 FR 70463). The comment period closes January 20, 2004.

Contract Awards

As a result of a noncompetitive 8(a) negotiated acquisition, a cost-plus-fixed-fee task-ordering

type contract no. NRC-08-04-414 was awarded to the Advanced Systems Technology &

Management, Inc. on December 15, 2003. The contractor shall provide personnel with a wide

range of technical and scientific disciplines applicable to nuclear regulations on a task-ordering

basis to assist the NRC's Office of International Programs staff in providing a continuing and

uninterrupted transfer of nuclear-related assistance to a select number of countries in Europe

and Eurasia. The period of performance is two years with one option year. The total contract

value is $2,974,849.43. The contract was awarded in sixty-one days in accordance with the

Nuclear Regulatory Commission/Small Business Administration partnership agreement.

As a result of a competitive negotiated acquisition, a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract number NRC03-04-026 was awarded to Sonalysts, Inc. on December 15, 2003. The contractor will provide

specialized technical assistance in the administration of the Generic Fundamentals Examination

Section (GFES) of the written Operator Licensing Examination. The period of performance is

thirty-six months. The total estimated cost of the contract is $935,425.
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) Quarterly Update to The Office of

Management and Budget (OMB)

NRC has responded, as requested, by letter and e-mail to an August 6, 2003 memorandum

from Joshua B. Bolton, Director OMB, on “Reporting Instructions for the Federal Information

Security Management Act and Updated Guidance on Quarterly IT Security Reporting.” The

NRC provided its quarterly report of FISMA Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&M)

implementation, which also included the quarterly performance measures report.

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

December 12 through December 18, 2003:

EA-03-086, Attachment 2, Revised Design Basis Threat FOIA/PA-2004-0075

Allegation RIII-3-A-0080, concern #5, notes and reports FOIA/PA-2004-0076

Radioactive material license holders, medical, for IL and WI FOIA/PA-2004-0077
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Arrivals

Victoria E. Nyugen* Student Clerk R-III

Jason Paige Student Engineer NRR

Denwood Ross** Consultant RES

Bhasker Tripathi Structural Engineer NMSS

* Effective 12/15/03

**Rehire
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Media Interest

NRC’s delay of a restart meeting for Davis-Besse, as agency experts raise concerns about the

plant’s readiness to resume operations.

October 2001 terrorist threat to the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, detailing how the NRC,

other Federal agencies, and local officials handled the alert until the threat was deemed not to

be credible.

Nevada officials’ press conference in Washington outlining their legal strategy in court

challenges to the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste respository.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

03-163 NRC Finds No Significant Impact from Extended Operation of H.B.

Robinson Nuclear Plant (12/15)

Regions:

I-03-075 NRC to Discuss Concerns About Radiation Safety Programs at FDA

Facilities in Maryland and Washington, D.C. (12/15)

I-03-076 New NRC Resident Inspector Assigned to Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant

(12/19)

III-03-076 NRC to Hold Public Meeting December 18 on Environmental Scoping

Process for Clinton Early Site Permit (12/15)

III-03-077 NRC Staff Seeks Input on Quad Cities Draft Environmental Report for

License Renewal (12/15)

III-03-078 Davis-Besse Restart Meeting Postponed to December 29, Meeting on NRC

Inspection Findings Delayed Until December 19 (12/15)

III-03-079 NRC Issues Final Significance Determination of “Red” for Auxiliary

Feedwater System Problem at Point Beach (12/16)

IV-03-044 NRC Prohibits Former Senior Reactor Operator from Some NRC-Licensed

Activities for Three Years (12/15)

IV-03-045 NRC to Conduct Special Inspection at South Texas Project (12/15)
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. Commission Voting

Record on SECY-03-

0195

12/18/03 Final Rule, 10 CFR Part 50, “Financial

Information Requirements for Applications

to Renew or Extend the Term of an

Operating License for a Power Reactor”

2. COMNJD-03-0002 9/8/03 Stabilizing the PRA Quality Expectations

and Requirements

SRM on COMNJD-03-

0002

12/18/03 (same)

Commission Voting

Record on COMNJD-03-

0002

12/18/03 (same)

Information Papers

1. SECY-03-0212 12/15/03 SECY-03-0212 Weekly Information Report -

Week Ending December 5, 2003

Memoranda

1. M031218 12/18/03 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session:

I. SECY-03-0195 - Final Rule, 10 CFR

Part 50, “Financial Information

Requirements for Applications to Renew or

Extend the Term of an Operating License

for a Power Reactor”; II. SECY-03-0211 -

Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc.

(Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 2)

2. M031209B 12/18/03 Briefing on the Equal Employment

Opportunity Program (SECY-03-0203)

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeting on Future Plant

Designs.

2. Advisory Committee Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeting on Thermal-Hydraulic

Phenomena.
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE O

3. Designation of Presiding Officer - U.S. Army Jefferson Proving Ground Site.

4. Advisory Committee Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeting on Planning and

Procedures.

5. Peer Review Committee for Source Term Modeling - Notice of Meeting.
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region I

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Navy Radiation Safety Committee Meeting

On December 17, 2003, two members of the Region I Division of Nuclear Materials Safety

(DNMS) attended the quarterly Navy Radiation Safety Committee Meeting in Crystal City,

Virginia. Prior to the meeting, the DNMS staff members were briefed on the Navy’s use of

depleted uranium ammunition for specific applications. Licensee personnel and DNMS staff

also discussed potential methodologies that licensees may use to demonstrate that

decommissioned facilities are suitable for unrestricted release.
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Tennessee Valley Authority - Senior Management Meeting

On December 15, 2003, representatives from Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) attended a

Category 1 public meeting in the Regional Office to discuss strategic objectives and initiatives

of the TVA nuclear organization.

Florida Power and Light Company - Management Meeting

On December 18, 2003, representatives from Florida Power and Light Company (FP&L)

attended a Category 1 public meeting in the Regional Office to provide Region II with a FP&L

engineering overview.

State of North Carolina - Emergency Preparedness Training

On December 18-19, 2003, the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and the representatives

from NSIR conducted RASCAL computer code training for the State of North Carolina and local

government officials in North Carolina. 
December 19, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 19, 2003

Mats Haggblom, Inspector from the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, Completes Rotation

Following a three-week visit to the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Mats Haggblom, an

inspector from the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate completed a 3-month rotation in

Region IV. During his stay, Mr. Haggblom participated in several Division of Reactor Safety

inspection/examinations and spent six weeks at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station,

accompanying the NRC resident inspectors.

South Texas Project Special Inspection

During the week of December 15-19, 2003, Region IV conducted a Special Inspection at the

South Texas Project, Unit 2 facility in response to a significant mechanical failure of the No. 22

emergency diesel generator. The failure occurred during the performance of a surveillance test

on December 9, 2003. The team is following the licensee’s determination of root causes,

extent-of-condition review for impact on other emergency diesels at the plant, and corrective

actions. 

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Management Changes

The licensee has announced that on January 4, 2004, it will implement a new organizational

structure, which includes a new plant manager position reporting to Gregg Overbeck, Senior

Vice President Nuclear. Dave Smith, the previous Director of Operations, has been selected to

fill the new Plant Manager position.