INFORMATION REPORT

November 20, 2003 SECY-03-0201

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-03-0201 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING NOVEMBER 14, 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:

L. Roche, OEDO
November 20, 2003 SECY-03-0201

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-03-0201 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING NOVEMBER 14, 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:

L. Roche, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\WeekN14.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

LRoche:paa WMDean

11/ /03 11/ /03
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 14, 2003

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: L. Roche, OEDO by E-mail: lar2@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 *

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
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

License Renewal Aging Management Program Audit

During the week of November 2, 2003, a License Renewal and Environmental Impacts Program

(RLEP) audit team visited the Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant corporate office in Birmingham,

Alabama. Staff of the Division of Engineering supported the team. This was the first on-site

audit of the improved license renewal application review process. The audit was conducted as

part of a pilot program that also includes Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 2 and D.C. Cook. The

audit team and support staff reviewed the aging management programs identified in the Farley

license renewal application as being consistent with those described in the Generic Aging

Lessons Learned (GALL) Report. The audit team will return to the Farley corporate office to

evaluate aging management reviews identified by the applicant as being consistent with those

described in the GALL Report. RLEP will issue a report at the conclusion of all on-site audit

activities.

BWRVIP/BWROG Meeting on Steam Dryers

On November 4-5, 2003, NRC staff met with representatives from the Boiling Water Reactors

Vessel and Internals Program (BWRVIP) and the Boiling Water Reactors Owners’ Group

(BWROG) to discuss the industry’s plans for addressing issues related to recent failures of

steam dryers inside the reactor pressure vessel of boiling water reactors that have been

operating at increased power levels. Steam dryers are not safety-related components, but loss

of their structural integrity could generate loose parts that might adversely affect safe shutdown,

core cooling, and isolation of the reactor. The BWRVIP identified four plants in the U.S. that

have the combination of steam dryer design and increased power level that make them most

susceptible to the problem (Dresden Units 2 and 3, and Quad Cities Units 1 and 2). 

The meeting with the BWRVIP was particularly timely in light of increases in moisture carry-over

and changes in steam flow at Quad Cities Unit 1 last week—indicating a potential failure of its

steam dryer. The BWRVIP also discussed Exelon’s recent inspection findings from last

month’s refueling outage at Dresden Unit 2. Quad Cities Unit 1 has reduced power to preextended power uprate conditions and is planning to shut down on November 12 to inspect its

dryers and perform any needed repairs. The staff plans to meet with Exelon in the near future

to discuss its findings at Quad Cities Unit 1 and its potential impact on its other operating units.

Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station 0350 Panel Meeting

The NRC Davis-Besse 0350 Restart Oversight Panel held two meetings on Wednesday,

November 12, 2003, in Oak Harbor, Ohio, to review the status of recent activities at the DavisBesse Nuclear Power Station. The first meeting, with FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company

management and staff, discussed licensee activities associated with the plant's recovery from

problems that led to the reactor vessel head corrosion. The meeting focused on the status of

repairs at the plant, results of recent NRC inspections, and upcoming activities. The second

meeting was for the Panel to update the public on NRC’s activities related to the reactor vessel

degradation and to provide a summary of the earlier meeting. The Associate Director for
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

Project Licensing and Technical Analysis, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), and the

Director of Licensing Project Management, NRR, attended these meetings. They also toured

the site and met with licensee and local government officials.

Sale of Kewaunee to Dominion Nuclear Power Plants

The Dominion plant has announced that it plans to buy the Kewaunee plant from Wisconsin

Public Service Corp. (WPS) and Wisconsin Power & Light (WP&L). Dominion will pay $220-

million in cash for the reactor, land at the site, and nuclear fuel inventory. As part of the deal,

WPS and WP&L will transfer about $392-million of decommissioning funds to Dominion. 

Dominion said it expects to close the transaction in the fall of 2004 after receiving the necessary

Federal and State regulatory approvals. The NRC has not yet received a licensee transfer

application request.

Meeting between NRC and the Nuclear Management Company (NMC)

On November 6, 2003, members of the Division of Licensing Project Management and the

Division of Systems Safety and Analysis, met with representatives of NMC’s Prairie Island and

Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plants. Discussions included the proposed Alternate Source Term

(AST) methodology to be used at Prairie Island and the planned license amendment requests

(LARs) using AST at Prairie Island and Kewaunee. These planned LARs would request

changing the Prairie Island Technical Specifications that address the Fuel Handling Accident

and the Kewaunee Technical Specifications that require the Containment Equipment Hatch to

be closed during refueling operations.

NRR Meeting with Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to discuss the review of the Quality

Assurance Program for the Advanced CANDU Reactor ACR-700

On November 6, 2003, members of the Division of Inspection Program Management staff met

with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) Director of the Advanced Canadian

Deuterium Uranium Reactor (CANDU) Reactor Project Division and staff members at their

offices in Ottawa, Canada. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a proposed cooperative

CNSC/NRC review of the quality assurance program for the Advanced CANDU Reactor ACR700, including the specifics of the cooperative review, potential resource requirements, and a

tentative schedule for the various Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) site facility reviews. 

NRR Staff Discuss Construction Inspection Development with Industry Managers

On November 5, 2003, at the Nuclear Energy Institute offices, staff from the Division of

Inspection Program Management (DIPM) and the Division of Regulatory Improvement

Programs (DRIP) made a presentation to the Nuclear Energy Institute's task force on new

nuclear plants. The purpose of the presentation was to brief the task force on the status of the

revision to the construction inspection program and challenges associated with the NRC

supporting the aggressive construction schedules envisioned by the industry for plants built

under 10 CFR Part 52. The staff discussed the status of the construction inspection program

framework document, for which a public comment period ended at the end of October. The

staff also stressed the need for the industry to share its plans regarding construction of new

nuclear plants as early in the process as possible so that the NRC can ensure that the
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE A

appropriate resources and infrastructure are in place to support the industry’s anticipated

approach of modular construction at multiple fabricator sites.
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Staff Completes Review of DOE’s SAR for Remote-Handled Waste Facility

On November 7, 2003, the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) staff

completed review of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) safety analysis report for the RemoteHandled Waste Facility (RHWF) at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP). Based on

its review, the staff determined that there is reasonable assurance that the RHWF will be

operated in a safe manner and does not present any undue danger to the public health and

safety. This facility is designed to receive high-activity solid waste from other locations on the

WVDP site, and to visually inspect, sort, size-reduce, sample and repackage this waste in a

manner that meets current on-site waste acceptance criteria or anticipated requirements for offsite disposal. DOE intends to use this facility for decommissioning activities at the WVDP site. 

The facility is currently under construction. DOE expects to complete construction in December

2003, and to start RHWF operations by Spring 2004. 

Staff Notifies Fansteel of Acceptable Decommissioning Plan

On November 7, 2003, NMSS notified Fansteel that NRC had completed review of its proposed

decommissioning plan (DP), and transfer of the NRC license. With the addition of several

license conditions related to the DP, NRC staff found it acceptable. NRC will issue a license

amendment authorizing implementation of the DP after the bankruptcy court approves

Fansteel’s reorganization plan. When Fansteel meets certain prerequisites related to financial

assurance and reorganization according to the plan presented to the bankruptcy court, staff is

prepared to authorize the license transfer. Fansteel expects the effective date of its

reorganization to be late in December 2003. Fansteel, Inc., owner of the Muskogee,

Oklahoma, site formerly used for tantalum production, filed for bankruptcy protection under

Chapter 11 in January 2002. In January 2003, Fansteel submitted a decommissioning plan for

the site. On July 24, 2003, it filed a reorganization plan with the bankruptcy court and submitted

additional financial information to support the DP. Fansteel also requested authorization to

transfer the Muskogee license to a subsidiary that it will form as part of the bankruptcy

reorganization.

NRC Staff Participates in Geological Society of America Sessions on Yucca Mountain

On November 1-5, 2003, staff from NMSS and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory

Analyses (CNWRA) were part of more than 600 earth scientists who attended the annual

meeting of the Geological Society of America in Seattle, Washington. More than 50

presentations addressed the geology and hydrology of the proposed Yucca Mountain HighLevel Waste Repository area, and other aspects of waste isolation in geologic systems. The

meeting included a full-day session focused specifically on the proposed Yucca Mountain

Repository. During the meeting, NRC and CNWRA staff presented eight talks and posters, and

participated in field trips and discussions with the geoscience community. As part of NRC’s

public outreach efforts, NRC posters focused on the staff’s systematic license application

review process and risk insights for the proposed repository. 
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

RES Staff Provided Inservice Inspection Training to Korea

On November 7-15, 2003, as part of the cooperative research agreement, a RES staff member

traveled to Seoul, Korea to provide technical training to Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS)

on risk-informed inservice inspection techniques.

Support for ACRS Meeting

On November 12-14, 2003, to support the ACRS Safeguards and Security Subcommittee

meeting, RES staff traveled to Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) to discuss overview of plantspecific vulnerability assessment results and conclusions, as well as effective mitigation

strategies.

Technical Meeting on Risk-Based Precursor Analysis Brussels, Belgium

On November 6-7, 2003, staff from RES participated in the Sixth Technical Meeting on RiskBased Precursor Analysis held in Brussels, Belgium. The purpose of the meeting was to share

practical experience and the objectives, challenges, and accomplishments of current precursor

analysis programs with representatives from other countries. RES staff gave two

presentations. The first presentation discussed the results, insights, and trends obtained from

the NRC’s Accident Sequence Precursor (ASP) program during the past year, using information

contained in the most recent report to the Commission on the status of the ASP Program

(SECY-03-0049). The second presentation consisted of a brief discussion of the Agency’s

Significance Determination Process (SDP), using material previously presented at a technical

information exchange meeting in Taiwan. The meeting was useful and information was shared

on topics such as specific ASP and PRA modeling techniques and results, insights and lessons

learned, and other issues of interest that were encountered during the precursor analysis of

operating experience.

Implementing Agreement between the USNRC and the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté

Nucléaire (IRSN) of France Relating to the Collaboration in Fire Modeling Research

On November 10, 2003, the EDO signed the international Implementing Agreement between

the USNRC and the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) of France relating

to the collaboration in fire modeling research. The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

forwarded the Implementing Agreement on November 13, 2003, to France for

counter-signature. 

The Implementing Agreement defines the terms and conditions by which the USNRC and the

IRSN of France will enter into a cooperative Fire Modeling Research activity, on the basis of

mutual benefit and reasonable equity and reciprocity. The results of this cooperative research

will support the implementation of NFPA 805, “Performance-Based Standard for Fire Protection

for Light Water Reactor Electric Generating Plants.” Research results will specifically be used
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE C

to verify and validate selected fire models and to develop the review guidance, requested by the

user office (NRR), for licensee application of these fire models.

This collaborative research will also provide NRC access to a large multi-compartment fire test

facility and to new experiments, as well as to extensive experimental data developed by the

IRSN over the last five years. Currently, NRC research funds single compartment tests for fire

model validation. This collaboration with IRSN and the use of the multi-compartment DIVA

facility at Cadarache, France, will allow the NRC a unique and cost-effective approach to

leverage our resources and extend the fire model validation program to also cover multicompartment fire scenarios.

The Implementing Agreement will enter into force upon signature of both parties and will remain

in effect for a period of five years.
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE D

Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-III-03-043, Lakeland Medical Center - MEDICAL EVENT INVOLVING SAMARIUM153.

2. PNO-IV-03-047, Chemsyn Science Labs - REPORTED POTENTIAL RADIATION

OVEREXPOSURES DUE TO C-14 INTAKE.
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Lot 4

On November 10, 2003, the General Services Administration and the White Flint Limited

Partnership executed settlement documents for the Government’s purchase of Lot 4. Lot 4 is

a 1.2 acre parcel of undeveloped land directly behind OWFN, facing Marinelli Road (between

OWFN and the Strathmore Court Apartments). The NRC will use Lot 4 to facilitate safer and

more secure searching of trucks before their entry into the White Flint Complex.

Contract Award

As a result of a noncompetitive 8(a) negotiated acquisition, a fixed-price type contract no. NRC10-04-417 was awarded to Blue Ridge Limousine and Tour Service of Arlington, Virginia on

November 4, 2003. This contract is for local on-call transportation services for NRC senior

staff. The contract period starts December 1, 2003 and will run for six months with one sixmonth option period and two option years. The total contract value is $313,966. The contract

was awarded in twenty-one days in accordance with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Small

Business Administration partnership agreement. 
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Information Technology (IT) Focus Group Meeting Held

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) held its quarterly IT Focus Group meeting at

Headquarters. Participants included representatives from all four regional offices, resident

inspectors, and staff from the offices of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), Nuclear Regulatory

Research (RES), Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS), Administration (ADM),

Inspector General (OIG), Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and State and Tribal Programs (STP). 

The CIO began the meeting by noting that the IT Focus Group served a critical advisory

function, enabling NRC’s program staff and OCIO to identify business needs that might be

amenable to technological solutions. He discussed his work with NRC’s management to

identify OCIO priorities, and mentioned several near-term OCIO commitments to respond to

those priorities. Two reactor Inspectors and a materials inspector from NMSS presented their

concepts for portable electronic reference libraries. Regional IT representatives related their

experiences with introducing Pocket PCs in the regions, rollout of multifunction fax/copier

machines, and streaming Intranet video. NRC’s IT Security Officer discussed the new security

Management Directive, and the handling of Safeguards Information (SGI). Vendors explained

two near-term technologies: Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Extensible Markup

Language (XML). The Director of the Business Process Improvement and Applications

Division, OCIO, addressed some of the logic behind the OCIO reorganization, and touched on

several projects of interest to the group. OCIO staff presented the results of a review of the

pilot assessment process, and highlights from the recent Gartner conference on IT trends. 

Finally, the group identified several pressing business needs that might have a technological fix;

this list will be used to help plan pilot studies for the coming year.

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

November 7 through November 13, 2003:

Correspondence related to Allegation RIV-2003-A-0053 FOIA/PA-2004-0048

Correspondence of named individual, 9-17-1975 through 4-12-1996 FOIA/PA-2004-0049

Yucca Mountain, NRC’s Total-System Performance Assessment

(TPA) Code, all records

FOIA/PA-2004-0050
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Arrivals

BARRILLAS, Martha* REACTOR INSPECTOR NRR

Departures

ANDERSON, Mark CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR R-I

*Transferring from Region I
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Media Interest

A day after New York State laid out rigorous requirements for Indian Point that were intended to

reduce fish kills, environmentalists and others disputed the nuclear facility owner’s claims that a

new cooling system would cost more than $1 billion. 

FirstEnergy Corp. has set November 24 as the date it will begin seeking authorization to restart

Davis-Besse, though the NRC continues to express concern about the company’s ability to

operate the nuclear plant.

U.S.-Canadian Joint Task Force readies its report on the August 14 blackout in the Northeast,

reportedly identifying specific lapses by various parties, including FirstEnergy’s failure to react

properly to the loss of a transmission line. 

Press Releases

Headquarters:

03-145 NRC Meets With Leaders of Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (11/14)

03-146 NRC Revises Rules Governing Conduct of Hearings (11/14)

Regions:

I-03-067 NRC Assigns New Senior Resident Inspector to Beaver Valley (11/10)

I-03-068 NRC Offers an Opportunity to Intervene in Hearing on Bucks County

Irradiator (11/10)

I-03-069 NRC to Provide Results of Inspection Into September 15th Automatic

Shutdown of Peach Bottom Nuclear Power Plants (11/12)

I-03-070 New NRC Resident Inspector Assigned to Peach Bottom Plant (11/12)
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Information Papers

1. SECY-03-0193 11/6/03 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

October 31, 2003

Memoranda

1. M031113 11/13/03 Staff Requirements-Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-02-0072-Final Rule Revising 10 CFR

Part 2 - Rules of Practice; II. SECY-03-0156

- Sequoyah Fuels Corp. (Gore, Oklahoma

Site); Answer to Presiding Officer’s Certified

Question Regarding Classification of Waste

as AEA Section 11e(2) Byproduct Material;

III. SECY-03-0192 - Private Fuel Storage

(Independent Spent Fuel Storage

Installation) Docket No. 72-22-ISFSI

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee on Regulatory Policies and

Practices - Notice of Meeting.

2. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste Meeting on Planning and Procedures - Notice of

Meeting.

3. 147th Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste Meeting.

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

Phenomena - Notice of Meeting.
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Tennessee Valley Authority - Browns Ferry Restart Meeting

On November 12, 2003, the Regional Administrator, the Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor

Regulation, Director, Division of Reactor Projects, and Director, Division of Reactor Safety,

were at the Browns Ferry facility, in Athens, Alabama, to attend the periodic Unit 1 Restart

meeting.

Carolina Power and Light Company - H. B. Robinson Nuclear Plant

On November 14, 2003, the Regional Administrator, accompanied by Mr. José Villadóniga of

the Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear in Spain, visited the H. B. Robinson Nuclear Plant in

Hartsville, South Carolina. The purpose of the visit was to tour the facility and meet with

licensee management.

Region II Diversity Day Celebration

On November 13, 2003, Region II held a Diversity Day Celebration. The Affirmative

Employment and Diversity Program Manager, Office of Small Business and Civil Rights

(SBCR), was in the Region II office conducting an Equal Employee Opportunity (EEO)

Committee members’ training and was the featured speaker for the celebration.
November 14, 2003 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

Joint Terrorism Task Force Meeting at Arkansas Nuclear One on November 12-13, 2003

On November 12-13, 2003, members of the local Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) met at

Arkansas Nuclear One to discuss potential roles and responsibilities in the event of terrorist

activities at the site. Attendees included representatives from the Arkansas Department of

Emergency Management, the Arkansas National Guard, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,

the United States Coast Guard, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, as well as a

Federal Air Marshall. The senior resident inspector observed the meeting. 

Public Meeting With Southern California Edison

On November 13, 2003, Region IV conducted a public meeting with Southern California Edison

in Arlington, Texas. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss with staff at the plant site, the

results of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station’s culture survey. 

Senior Management Change at the Omaha Public Power District (OPPD)

On November 13, 2003, OPPD announced that effective December 1, 2003, Ross Ridenoure

will be the new Vice President, Chief Nuclear Officer and Assistant Secretary of the Omaha

Public Power District. Mr. Ridenoure will be responsible for OPPD’s nuclear organization. 

OPPD owns and operates the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station. 

Region IV Division of Nuclear Materials Safety Counterpart Meeting

On November 13, 2003, the Director, Office of State and Tribal Programs, and the Director,

Spent Fuel Project Office, NMSS, were speakers at the Region IV Division of Nuclear Materials

Safety Counterpart Meeting in the Arlington, Texas, Regional office. They provided insight on

the National Materials Program, the NRC’s Integrated Materials Performance and Evaluation

Program and Fuel Transportation and Storage. 
November 14, 2003 

Office of Congressional Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 14, 2003

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 39

OCA

Contact

DATE

&

PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Gerke 11/20/03

SD-342

10:00 FERC, DOE, NERC Report on August 2003 Blackout Senators 

Oversigh

 WorkfoGovernm

Combs 12/06/03

Kentucky

 9:00 TBA Cleanup at DOE’s Paducah Site Senators 

EnergyEnergy a

Combs TBA

2123 RHOBTentative

TBA NRC, DOE, Bechtel, NEI,

NARUC

Review of the Progress of DOE’s

Yucca Mountain Project

Reps. BaEnergy aEnergy a