April 29, 2004 SECY-04-0070

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-04-0070 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING APRIL 23, 2004

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 and 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:

T. Kim, OEDO
April 29, 2004 SECY-04-0070

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-04-0070 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING APRIL 23, 2004

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 and 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:

T. Kim, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\Week423.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

TKim:paa WMDean

04/29/04 05/03/04
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING APRIL 23, 2004

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: T. Kim, OEDO by E-mail: tjk3@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 5 OPA 11

RES 7 OIP 13

NSIR * SECY 14

OGC * Region I 16

ADM 8 Region II 17

CIO 9 Region III 18

CFO * Region IV 19

HR 10 OEDO *

SBCR * OCA 20

OE *

*No input this week
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

South Texas Project - Issuance of Exigent License Amendment

By letter dated April 15, 2004, the staff issued license amendments for the South Texas Project

(STP), Units 1 and 2, in response to an exigent amendment request from the STP Nuclear

Operating Company (STPNOC). The amendments revise the technical specifications to allow

use of alternate means to demonstrate that the requirements of Part 50 of Title 10 of the Code

of Federal Regulations, Appendix A, General Design Criterion 19, Control Room, are met when

control room pressures are found to be at positive pressures relative to the adjacent areas, but 

less than the required differential pressure (1/8-inch water gauge). These amendments

supersede Notice of Enforcement Discretion (NOED) No. 04-6-001, which the NRC staff

granted to STPNOC on March 23, 2004.

Meeting with General Electric (GE) on Power Uprate Issues

On April 19-20, 2004, the staff met with GE to discuss GE’s plans for future Boiling Water

Reactor (BWR) power uprate submittals and fuel utilization and to gain a better understanding

of the GE’s GESTAR accident and transient computer code analysis methodology. 

Discussions focused on the use of specific models and changes to the GESTAR computer

code in performing thermal hydraulic analyses for power uprates. The staff identified areas

where information will be needed to supplement the GESTAR analyses results under different

fuel operating conditions. The meeting improved the staff's understanding of the computer

code analysis methodology, which will be useful for the staff’s reviews of future license

amendment requests for BWR power uprates.

Regulatory Information Summary (RIS) 2004-06: Independent Survey of Power-Reactor

Licensees

On April 16, 2004, the staff issued the subject RIS to inform all nuclear power reactor licensees

that the NRC is conducting a survey to gain insights into the impact of its regulatory activities. 

The survey will afford licensees with an opportunity to voluntarily and anonymously provide

feedback to an independent contractor regarding the NRC's regulatory process. The NRC is

seeking survey input from licensee managers that have the most direct interaction with the NRC

staff in each of the following areas: operational matters, engineering activities, licensing issues,

and overall plant management. This voluntary survey will be available on the Internet at the

following address, https://www.bnl.gov/nrr, from May 1-31, 2004; and may either be completed

on-line, or downloaded and mailed to the contractor.

Meeting with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

On April 20, 2004, staff members from the Division of Inspection Program Management (DIPM)

and the Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs (DRIP) met with representatives of the

FAA, Division of the Aircraft Certification Service, Production & Airworthiness. The purpose of

the meeting was to learn how FAA performs oversight of the FAA-approved Production

Approval Holder and, specifically, how that oversight pertains to their suppliers. This meeting
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE A

was requested by NRC as a means of exploring existing oversight methods used by

government agencies that might be applicable to the construction inspection program required

by Part 52 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Public Meeting on Reactor Oversight Process (ROP)

On April 22, 2004, the DIPM staff hosted a monthly ROP public meeting to discuss: 

1) proposed changes to the Significance Determination Process (SDP); 2) status of the

proposed Mitigating System Performance Index (MSPI); and 3) process changes associated

with ROP Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). Industry representatives presented a proposal to

improve the performance indicator (PI) FAQ process. The staff discussed preliminary ideas

and proposals from industry representatives to address the Davis-Besse Lessons Learned

Action Item associated with improvements to the Barrier Integrity PIs. 

Regarding the MSPI, the staff stated that it would follow the Commission’s direction to consider

creative and practical approaches to find a risk-informed replacement for the Safety System

Unavailability Performance Indicator PI -- which would be a modified version of MSPI or an

approach different from MSPI. Industry expressed a desire to engage the staff on its concerns

with MSPI and that it would like to try to revise MSPI to address the staff’s issues before moving

on to a different approach. 

Update on License Renewal Program Activities

On April 19, 2004, the NRC issued the renewed operating license for H.B. Robinson Steam

Electric Plant, Unit 2, for an additional 20 years. Also, on April 23, 2004, the NRC issued the

renewed operating license for V. C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 1, for an additional 20 years.

The staff completed the environmental and safety reviews in accordance with the requirements

of Parts 51 and 54 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations. The staff’s review for both

Robinson and Summer license renewal applications was completed within 22 months of its

receipt of the applications To date, the staff has issued renewed licenses for 25 units and is

currently reviewing applications for 17 units.

Public Meeting on Grid Reliability Issues

On April 15, 2004, representatives from NRR and the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

(RES) met with Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO),

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and other industry representatives and licensees in a

Category 2 public meeting to discuss the results of a recent NEI-sponsored survey on grid

reliability. NEI presented the results of a six-question survey, as well as additional industry

responses to staff questions posed at a previous public meeting on March 4, 2004. NEI

indicated that 43 units responded to its survey, of which 16 of the respondents indicated that

their units had experienced loss-of-offsite-power (LOOP) events. 

INPO presented a summary of INPO’s Significant Operating Experience Report (SOER) 03-1,

“Emergency Power Reliability.” While many aspects and recommendations of this SOER are

partially addressed in earlier SOERs as well as other industry and regulatory guidance

documents, a key point of SOER 03-1 is that emergency power system failures have continued

against the backdrop of increased challenges to electrical grid system stability. The SOER
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE A

recommends that existing emergency power system design, operation and maintenance

practices be reviewed for common-cause and common-mode failure vulnerabilities, and that

emergency power system modification processes apply rigorous controls. INPO also updated

the staff on revisions it is considering to SOER 99-1, “Loss of Grid.”

EPRI presented the results of its review on LOOP events at U.S. nuclear power plants and the

results of its 2003 survey of configuration risk management (CRM) practices at U.S plants. 

Conclusions from the CRM survey are that: (1) CRM has been primarily focused on managing

risk due to planned or unplanned changes in plant conditions (e.g., operators placing plant

components out of service for maintenance); (2) grid reliability issues are addressed in the

CRM model; and (3) risk calculations are usually triggered by changes to in-house plant

equipment operational or availability status, and not by changes in grid status.

The NRC staff will review this information as part of its effort in developing a grid reliability

action plan.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Meeting with Humboldt Bay Licensee

Staff from the Decommissioning Directorate of the Division of Waste Management and

Environmental Protection conducted two public meetings involving the NRC staff and licensee

representatives from Humboldt Bay (PG&E) and the licensee’s technical support vendors. On

April 20, 2004, the licensee and its vendor, HOLTEC, presented information to the staff on a

crane design that will be used for lifting and handling spent-fuel dry-cask storage containers. 

The licensee plans to submit a license amendment request for use of the crane in July 2004. 

On April 21, 2004, the licensee and the its vendor, AAR, presented information to the staff

related to blistering observed on Boral cans used for criticality control in the Humboldt Bay

spent fuel pool. Both the licensee and AAR emphasized that the blisters on the Boral cans

were not safety-significant. The meeting provided detailed characterization of the blistering and

AAR’s understanding of the causal mechanism involved. The staff is interested in the

phenomenon because of the wide range of Boral applications.

Public Workshop with the Department of Transportation on Recent Revisions to 10 CFR

Part 71 and 49 CFR

On April 15, 2004, the Spent Fuel Project Office participated in a joint Public Workshop with the

Department of Transportation (DOT) on the recent revisions to 10 CFR Part 71 and 49 CFR. 

The "Implementation of the New Transportation Regulations" workshop was conducted at NRC

Headquarters and provided an opportunity for participants to discuss operational concerns

regarding implementing the recently revised transportation regulations. Approximately 100

persons attended the workshop which involved presentations by DOT and NRC staff, as well as

roundtable discussions involving representatives from industry and public interest groups. The

morning session concentrated on implementation of the recently revised regulations, which

become effective on October 1, 2004. A number of implementation questions and concerns

emerged and both NRC and DOT committed to providing additional clarification. The afternoon

session was devoted to a discussion of the Part 71 Change Authority issue. In general, there

was little support for Part 71 Change Authority, as proposed. The transcript of the workshop

will be reviewed by the NRC staff to assist them in providing the Commission its

recommendations on the path forward for this issue.

Pre-Application Meeting with Department of Energy to Discuss a New High-Enriched Uranium

Transportation Package

On April 16, 2004, the Spent Fuel Project Office met with the Department of Energy (DOE)

National Nuclear Security Administration to discuss the design of Model No. ES-3100, which is

a new transport package. ES-3100 is being designed to replace the Department of

Transportation Specification 6-M package. DOE plans to submit the Model ES-3100 Safety

Analysis Report in September 2004.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE B

Meetings with U.S. Enrichment Corporation Inc. Regarding Gas Centrifuge Facilities

On April 13, 2004, staff from both the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards and the

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response met with representatives from the U.S.

Enrichment Corporation Inc., (USEC), and the DOE, in a closed meeting at the Portsmouth

Gaseous Diffusion Plant site (PORTS) in Piketon, Ohio, to discuss International Atomic Energy

Agency safeguards obligations and compliance activities.

On April 15, 2004, staff representatives from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards,

Division of Waste Management, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Nuclear Security and

Incident Response, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Office of Enforcement, and the Office

of Nuclear Regulatory Research met in a public meeting with representatives from USEC. The

purpose of the meeting was to discuss USEC’s application for its commercial gas centrifuge

uranium enrichment facility (American Centrifuge Plant), to be sited at the PORTS site in

Piketon, Ohio. During the meeting, USEC briefly provided a status of its gas centrifuge

deployment effort and described the American Centrifuge Plant application it intends to submit

in August 2004. Following the meeting, NRC and USEC addressed questions from a reporter 

and a DOE official. USEC representative had also brought three boxes to the meeting,

containing over 8000 letters of support for the proposed American Centrifuge Plant.

Workshop on the Need of Integral Critical Experiments with Low-Moderated Mixed-Oxide Fuels

in Paris, France

On April 14-15, 2004, staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards attended the

Nuclear Energy Agency/Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (NEA/OECD)

Workshop on the Need of Integral Critical Experiments with Low-Moderated Mixed-Oxide

(MOX) Fuels at OECD Headquarters in Paris, France. Staff presented a paper on “Licensing

Issues Associated with PuO2 and Mixed Oxide Powder Processes” and participated in the final

panel discussions on specific experimental programs to address the apparent deficit in MOX

critical benchmarks. Several proposed experimental programs were discussed. The workshop

ended without specific recommendations on the proposed experimental programs, deciding

instead to focus on developing criteria for evaluating the programs in future meetings.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

ACRS Briefings on Policy Issues Related to Licensing Non-light Water Reactor Designs and

Stabilizing the Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) Quality Expectations and Requirements

On April 15, 2004, RES staff briefed the ACRS to request a letter endorsing the staff’s

recommendations proposed in the staff’s draft SECY paper on "Policy Issues Related to

Licensing Non-light Water Reactor Designs," dated March 28, 2003. The staff summarized the

proposed options on integrated risk, and the staff’s recommendations. During the briefing,

another option was suggested by some of the ACRS members where each reactor module

would have to meet the accident prevention risk guideline (i.e., core damage frequency) based

on the number of modules, not just the site. The ACRS indicated that it will prepare a letter

providing its views on the staff’s recommendations.

Also on April 15, 2004, staff members from RES and NRR briefed the ACRS to request a letter

endorsing the staff’s draft action plan for the phased-approach introduced in the Staff

Requirements Memo (SRM) (COMNJD-03-0002 "Stabilizing the PRA Quality Expectations and

Requirements"). The ACRS indicated that it will prepare a letter providing its views on the

staff’s approach.

NRC’s Model Boiler Test Facility Fully Operational

A unique model boiler test facility has been commissioned for the NRC international research

program on steam generator tube integrity at Argonne National Laboratory. Pre-operational

tests confirmed precise control of the facility and operations within design parameters. This

facility was designed to produce prototypical operating steam generator secondary side thermal

hydraulic and chemistry conditions. Stress corrosion cracking in crevice areas at: a) tube

support plates, b) tube sheet, c) under sludge piles, and d) under scales, is a major degradation

mode on the secondary side of operating steam generators for those areas where trace

chemicals from the bulk water can concentrated by up to 100 million times. Research using the

model boiler will provide quantitative information on the physical (water, steam) and chemical

conditions in crevices under different heat transfer conditions that exist at various locations in

operating steam generators. This information will then be used to conduct stress corrosion

crack initiation and growth tests for Alloy 600 and replacement Alloy 690 steam generator

tubing under appropriate and realistic environmental conditions experienced in steam

generators in the field. Correlations developed from these results, coupled with service

degradation experience for Alloy 600 tubing will be used to develop a predictive capability for

future service cracking of both current and replacement steam generator tubing materials. This

capability will allow NRC to develop regulatory guidance to proactively address the potential

cracking of steam generator tubing, particularly the replacement Alloy 690 material.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material; Solicitation of Proposed Changes

(Part 71)

On April 23, 2004, a document soliciting proposed changes to the International Atomic Energy

Agency (IAEA) regulations for the safe transport of radioactive material (referred to as TS-R-1)

was published in the Federal Register (69 FR 21978). The NRC and the Department of

Transportation will evaluate the suggestions provided as part of the process for formulating the

changes the United States will propose to IAEA as part of the current review cycle. The closing

date for submitting proposed changes is June 7, 2004.

Acquisition Training for Project Managers

On April 22, 2004, the Division of Contracts conducted the Overview Refresher course for 29

participants. This half-day workshop satisfies the requirement that Project Managers receive

refresher training every three years to maintain their Contract Project Manager certification. 

Guest presenters included staff from the Office of Administration, Office of the General

Counsel, Office of Small Business and Civil Rights, and the Office of the Inspector General.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

E-Gov-Line of Business (LoB) Task Force Launched

OMB has initiated a government wide analysis of five lines of business supporting the

President’s Management Agenda to expand Electronic Government. The five Lines of Business

covered by the task-force are: Financial Management, Human Resource Management, Grants

Management, Federal Health Architecture, and Case Management. The intent of the task force

is to develop business cases for inclusion with the FY 2006 budget submissions. Agencies

have been advised to avoid IT investment that might overlap with the LoB program.

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

April 16 through April 22, 2004:

Security clearance records on named individual, 1992-1998 FOIA/PA-2004-0209

Vacancy Announcement RII-2004-001, Candidate Evaluation, &

Selection Record (CERT), Executive Resources Board (ERB)

records, ERB EEO Review Group members, records, charter; records

of one named applicant

FOIA/PA-2004-0210

SECY-99-006, December 17, 1998 comments from ASLBP to general

counsel & January 19, 1999 comments from ASLBP to the

Commission re hearing process & Atomic Energy Act

FOIA/PA-2004-0211

Vacancy announcements for GG-15 positions FY 02, 03, & 04,

records regarding review of selection packages for all GG-15 and

SES positions by Executive Resource Board

FOIA/PA-2004-0212

EEO and Diversity Task Force objectives per SECY-03-0203 dated

11/20/03

FOIA/PA-2004-0213

TMI-2 Pressure Vessel Investigation Project, findings & conclusions FOIA/PA-2004-0214
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Arrivals

Eliot B. Brenner Director, Office of Public Affairs OPA

Daniel Forsyth Nuclear Safety Intern RES

Michael Norris Emergency Response Coordinator NSIR

Gerald Toms Consultant NSIR

Departures

Renee Ellis Secretary (OA) OGC

Dorothy Gauch Attorney OGC
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Media Interest

Office of Public Affairs (OPA) responded to significant media inquiries on the following:

The discovery that two fragments of a spent fuel rod were potentially missing at the Vermont

Yankee nuclear plant.

The potential for patients who receive radioisotopes during treatment to trigger radiation

detection devices that are increasingly used to guard against radiological terrorism (Wall Street

Journal article).

Other Public Affairs Items

OPA staff assisted at public meetings regarding Browns Ferry, Sequoyah, Byron and Point

Beach nuclear plants, as well as meetings on the Nuclear Fuel Services and Honeywell fuel

cycle facilities.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

04-043 NRC Renews License for H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit 2, for an

Additional 20 Years (4/19)

04-044 NRC Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Pilot Program for Use of

Alternative Dispute Resolution (4/20)

04-045 NRC Names Directors of Communications and Office of Public Affairs

(4/21)

04-046 NRC to Hold Public Meeting on May 19 Regarding Draft Generic Letter on

Containment Sump Issue (4/22)

04-047 NRC Renews License for Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station, Unit 1, for an

Additional 20 Years (4/23)

Regions:

I-04-021 NRC Proposes $3,000 Fine Against W.Va. Firm for Failing to Maintain

Control of Nuclear Gauge (4/21)

I-04-022 NRC to Discuss Annual Performance Assessment of Indian Point Nuclear

Power Plant (4/21)

I-04-023 NRC to Conduct a Special Inspection at Vermont Yankee to Look Into

Potentially Missing Spent Fuel Segments (4/22)
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE M

II-04-033 NRC Approves Restart of Final Stage in Uranium Hexafluoride Process at

Honeywell Plant in Illinois (4/17)

II-04-034 NRC to Hold Predecisional Enforcement Conference to Discuss Apparent

Violation at Browns Ferry (4/19)

II-04-035 NRC to Meet with Duke Energy Officials to Discuss Safety Performance at

Catawba Nuclear Power Plant (4/19)

III-04-025 NRC to Meet with Exelon Generation Company to Discuss Performance of

Quad Cities Nuclear Plant (4/22)

III-04-026 NRC Issues Letter on Performance Improvement Plans for Point Beach

Nuclear Power Station (4/23)

IV-04-019 NRC to Meet with Nebraska Public Power District to Discuss Recent

Inspection at Cooper Nuclear Station (4/20)
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Memorandum of Understanding

On April 20, 2004, on the margin of the 14th Meeting of the International Nuclear Regulators

Association (INRA) in Tokyo, Japan, Chairman Diaz met with Ms. Linda Keen, President of the

Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) and exchanged letters to extend the

Memorandum for the Exchange of Classified Information Between the Canadian Nuclear Safety

Commission (formerly with the Atomic Energy Control Board) and the NRC.

Renewal of NRC-China NNSA Safety Protocol

On April 23, 2004, NRC Chairman Nils J. Diaz met with Vice Minister Wang Yuqing of the China

State Environmental Protection Agency, and Director General Li Ganjie of the National Nuclear

Safety Administration (NNSA), and signed the five-year renewal of the Protocol between the

NRC and the NNSA on Cooperation in Nuclear Safety Matters.

Visit of French Parliamentarians

On April 19, 2004, Claude Birraux and Christian Bataille, members of the Parliamentary Office

for the Assessment of Scientific and Technological Options, met with Commissioner

McGaffigan and senior members of NRC management. The Parliamentarians are visiting the

U.S. to update themselves on the U.S. program of high level waste disposal. The discussions

at NRC addressed the NRC role in the Yucca Mountain licensing process.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-04-0055 04/07/2004 Plan for Evaluating Scientific Information

and Radiation Protection Recommendations

Information Papers

1. SECY-04-0053 04/06/2004 Reactor Oversight Process SelfAssessment for Calendar Year 2003

2. SECY-04-0052 04/06/2004 FY 2003 Results of the Industry Trends

Program for Operating Power Reactors and

Status of Ongoing Development

3. SECY-04-0056 04/07/2004 Semi-Annual Report on Status of Staff

Information Technology/Information

Management and Business Process

Activities in Preparation for the High-Level

Waste Repository Proceedings

4. SECY-04-0063 04/19/2004 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

April 9, 2004

Memoranda

1. M040421 04/21/2004 Affirmation Session: I. SECY-04-0061-Duke

Energy Corp. (Catawba Nuclear Station,

Units 1 and 2), Duke’s Appeal of LBP-04-04

(Board Ruling on Standing & Contentions) &

the Board’s Certified Questions on a

Security Contention

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congressman Jim Saxton, dated 04/14/2004, responses to request for information

related to NRC’s license renewal process.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, Establishment of Atomic Safety and Licensing

Board. 

2. Louisiana Energy Services, L.P., Establishment of Atomic Safety and Licensing Board.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE O

3. Proposed Rule to Amend 10 CFR 9, Subpart A, Freedom of Information Act Regulations

and Subpart B, Privacy Act Regulations - Request for Comments. 

4. ACRS Subcommittee Meeting on Planning and Procedures, notice of meeting (5/5/04).
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE P

Region I

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Commissioner Merrifield Visit to Yankee Rowe 

On April 22, 2004, Commissioner Merrifield toured the decommissioning Yankee Rowe Atomic

Power Plant in Rowe, Massachusetts, as well as the onsite Independent Spent Fuel Storage

Installation (ISFSI). The ISFSI contains 16 shielded canisters of spent fuel and other

radioactive waste produced by 31 years of commercial electric power generation. Bruce

Kenyon, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Yankee Atomic Electric

Company (YAEC) and Richard Kacich, President of YAEC, discussed the status of

decommissioning, offsite waste shipments, and project funding. The Commissioner was

accompanied by his Technical Assistant and a member of the Region I Division of Materials

Safety Staff. The Director of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and a member of

his staff were also present.

Vermont Yankee - Special Inspection

A special inspection at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant has been initiated to followup

on the issue of potentially missing spent fuel rod segments at the facility. Entergy notified the

NRC on April 21, 2004, that two short spent fuel rod segments were missing from the

designated location in the spent fuel pool. The segments are about seven inches long and 17

inches long. Both are approximately the diameter of a pencil. These segments had been

placed in a special container at the bottom of the spent fuel pool in 1980.

In response to the NRC Resident Inspectors questions about certain aspects of the Entergy’s

procedure for the annual inventory check of special nuclear materials, Entergy performed a

detailed inspection of the location that, according to the Entergy’s inventory document,

contained the two fuel rod segments. During this inspection, Entergy discovered that the two

fuel rod segments were missing from the designated location in the spent fuel pool. Entergy

has initiated a detailed search of the spent fuel pool and a review of inventory records. 

NRC’s Resident Inspectors at Vermont Yankee have been closely following the licensee’s

efforts through onsite inspection. In addition, a Regional inspector has been dispatched to the

site.

The Region has been responding to requests for information from the media, as well as the

local, state, and other federal government officials.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. - Licensee Performance Review

On April 20, 2004, the Deputy Regional Administrator attended a management meeting at the

Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc. (NFS), in Erwin, TN. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss

the results of the NRC’s assessment of the licensee’s performance covering the period from

January 20, 2003, to January 23, 2004. 

Management Meeting with Honeywell International, Inc.

On April 21, 2004, the Deputy Regional Administrator and Director, Division of Fuel Facility

Inspection, were at the Honeywell International, Inc., in Metropolis, IL, to attend a public

meeting to discuss efforts to improve operational safety performance and emergency

preparedness implementation at the Honeywell facility.

Progress Energy Company - Brunswick Operational Safety Assessment Review Team

(OSART) Meeting

On April 21, 2004, the Director, Division of Reactor Projects, accompanied by the Director of

NRR, attended an informational meeting with the licensee management at the Brunswick

Nuclear Power Plant in Southport, NC, regarding the upcoming OSART. 

Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Annual Assessment Meetings

During the week of April 19-23 2004, the Regional staff conducted ROP Annual Assessment

Meetings for the Browns Ferry and Sequoyah nuclear plants. The meetings were held at or

near the nuclear plants and were open to the public. 

Carolina Power and Light Company - Shearon B. Harris Public Meeting

On April 20, 2004, representatives from Carolina Power and Light Company, the licensee for

the Shearon B. Harris Nuclear Plant, were in the Regional Office to attend a public meeting. 

The purpose of the meeting was to provide the Regional management with an update of the

status of the Harris fire protection program.

Meetings with Representatives from States of North Carolina and South Carolina

On April 20-21, 2004, the State Liaison Officer, accompanied by representatives of the Office of

Nuclear Security and Incident Response and the NRR Emergency Preparedness Project Office,

met with senior State officials in Raleigh, NC and Columbia, SC. The purpose of the meetings

was to discuss items of mutual interest with respect to Federal and State incident response

activities.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE P

Region III

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

End-of-Cycle Performance Assessment Meetings

During the week of April 19, 2004, the Regional Administrator and members of the regional

staff held end-of-cycle performance assessment meetings for the Perry and Point Beach

nuclear power plants. The meetings, which were open to the public, were held in the vicinity of

each of the plants.

Point Beach Confirmatory Action Letter

On April 21, 2004, Region III issued a Confirmatory Action Letter to Nuclear Management

Company, documenting the company’s performance improvement program for the Point Beach

Nuclear Power Station and describing the agency’s plans to inspect and evaluate the

implementation of the improvement program.
April 23, 2004 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

Diablo Canyon - County Board of Supervisors Approve Fuel Storage Facility Plan

On April 20, 2004, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors approved plans to build an

independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) facility at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant,

operated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The NRC issued a license authorizing the

ISFSI on March 22, 2004. Several appeals had been filed against the ISFSI, citing lack of

public access, seismic, and terrorism concerns. Following the board’s decision, the Mothers for

Peace announced that they would appeal the decision to the state Coastal Commission. 

South Texas Project (STP) Unit 2 - Emergency Diesel Generator Restoration

On April 22, 2004, the licensee restored the inoperable emergency diesel generator at STP 

Unit 2 to an operable condition, following successful completion of a special sequence of tests

performed to demonstrate operability. The engine had suffered a major failure on December 9,

2003, when a connecting rod failed, resulting in significant collateral damage. A Technical

Specification amendment had been issued, allowing continued operation of STP Unit 2 with 

compensatory measures in place until the emergency diesel generator was restored to an

operable condition. 
April 23, 2004 

Office of Congressional Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 23, 2004

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 55

OCA

Contact

DATE &

PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Keeling 04/27/04

2165 RHOB

10:00 TBA Security of DOE Nuclear Facilities Reps. Sou

Criminal JHuman ReGovernme

Long 04/28/04

SD-342

10:00 TBA Government Purchase Cards Senators C

Governme

Portner TBA TBA NRC Commissioners and IG NRC Oversight Senators V

Clean Air, SafetyEnvironme