INFORMATION REPORT

March 29, 2005 SECY-05-0050

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-05-0050 - “WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING MARCH 18, 2005”

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

Office of Information Services 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
March 29, 2005 SECY-05-0050

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-05-0050 - “WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING MARCH 18, 2005”

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

Office of Information Services 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\week318.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

TJKim:ayw WMDean

3/25/05 3/29/05
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING MARCH 18, 2005

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 4 OPA *

RES 5 OIP *

NSIR * SECY 11

OGC * Region I * 

ADM 8 Region II * 

OIS 9 Region III *

CFO * Region IV *

HR 10 EDO *

SBCR * OCA 13

OE *

*No input this week
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 18, 2005

Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station: On-line Monitoring of Instrument Performance

On March 9, 2005, the NRC staff held a public meeting with South Carolina Electric & Gas

Company (SCE&G), the licensee for the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station (VCSNS), to discuss

the status of the licensee’s efforts with on-line monitoring of safety-related instrument

performance. SCE&G indicated that before the end of this year it will be submitting an

application to amend the plant Technical Specifications related to the frequency of calibrations

required in the existing surveillance requirements and incorporating on-line monitoring

requirements. The proposal by the licensee will be a first-of-a-kind effort to implement the

on-line monitoring program developed by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for

which the NRC staff issued a safety evaluation report (SER), dated July 24, 2000. 

NRC Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2004-13, Supplement 1: Consideration of Sheltering In

Licensees’ Range of Protective Action Recommendations

On March 10, 2005, NRC issued the subject Supplement to RIS 2004-13, which confirms the

NRC staff position regarding inclusion of sheltering for consideration in licensees’ range of

protective action recommendations. The RIS Supplement also informs licensees that the NRC

staff will begin evaluating the use of enforcement action for licensees in non-compliance; 

however, to provide licensees sufficient time to evaluate the issue and update their emergency

plans as necessary, the NRC staff has decided to use discretion and not take enforcement

action on this issue for a period extending 90 days following the issuance of this supplement. 

No specific action or written response is required for RISs, however, it is expected that

recipients will review the information for applicability to their facility and consider actions, as

appropriate.

Duke Power - Planning Related to Possible COL Application

On March 14, 2005, NRR staff held a public meeting with Duke Power to discuss planning

currently being undertaken by Duke Power for the possible development of a combined license

(COL) application. Duke Power identified four possible COL application scenarios: certified

design with a greenfield site, certified design with a previously characterized site, certified

design with an existing site, and non-certified design with a greenfield site. Duke Power is

considering three reactor technologies: General Electric ESBWR [Economic Simplified Boiling

Water Reactor], Framatone ANP EPR [European Pressurized-water Reactor], and

Westinghouse AP1000.

Duke Power indicated that it will decide or whether to proceed with the project in May 2005 and,

if applicable, select the site and reactor technology by the end of 2005. Duke Power also has

indicated that it plans to actively engage the NRC in pre-application discussions and to submit a

COL application in early 2008, once a decision is made to proceed with the project. The NRC

staff presented nominal review schedules and resource estimates based, in part, on

SECY-01-0188, "Future Licensing and Inspection Readiness Assessment." In addition, the

staff discussed other COL application topics, including pre-application interactions, inspections
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE A

to support COL application review, antitrust review, and NEI 04-01, "Draft Industry Guideline for

Combined License Applicants Under 10 CFR Part 52."

Public Meeting to Discuss Implementation of Mitigating System Performance Index

On March 16, 2005, NRR staff hosted the monthly public meeting on the Mitigating Systems

Performance Index (MSPI). Meeting attendees discussed questions and issues raised during

the recent industry workshop held on February 9-10, 2005, in Dana Point, CA. Although a

majority of the major technical issues were substantially resolved during the meeting, there is

still no agreement on certain issues related to PRA quality. Industry had previously made a

proposal on PRA quality to staff and is currently re-evaluating its position. The staff will

continue to work with industry and public stakeholders to resolve potential changes to the

original proposal. Industry-wide implementation of the MSPI is scheduled to begin in January

2006.

Public Meeting to Discuss Reactor Oversight Process Implementation

On March 17, 2005, NRR staff hosted the monthly public meeting on the Reactor Oversight

Process (ROP). Meeting participants discussed Significance Determination Process issues, 

plant security related issues, status updates from the Scrams with Loss of Normal Heat

Removal and Reactor Coolant System Leakage Performance Indicator Task Forces, and

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). The next public ROP meeting is scheduled for April 28,

2005.
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 18, 2005

Meeting to Draft a Safety Guidance for Enrichment and Conversion Facilities

On March 7-11, 2005, NMSS staff participated in a working-level consultant’s meeting at the

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, to complete the first draft of

DS 344, "Guide on Safety of Conversion and Enrichment Facilities." DS 344 contains guidance

for the siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation, and decommissioning of

commercial enrichment and UF6 [uranium hexafloride] conversion facilities. Once finalized, a

fuel cycle facility operator/designer or a country may use this document to enhance safety at its

commercial enrichment or UF6 conversion facilities. If requested, an IAEA safety review team

may also use DS 344 to independently evaluate safety at a commercial enrichment or UF6

conversion facility. DS 344 will be forwarded to the IAEA’s nuclear safety committee, for

comment, by the end of March 2005.

Staff Participates in Low-Level Radioactive Waste Forum Meeting

On March 14-15, 2005, NMSS staff participated in the Low-Level Radioactive Waste (LLRW)

Forum held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Staff made presentations on NRC's LLRW activities, the

June 2004 General Accountability Office report on low-level radioactive waste, and the

“Disposition of Solid Materials” rulemaking. Staff also participated in a session on the Joint

Position of the Organization of Agreement States and Health Physics Society, on “Uniform

Safety and Security Regulations for Radioactive Materials.” Through its participation, the staff

enhanced its relationship with the Forum in anticipation of increased LLRW activities in the

coming year. 
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 18, 2005

2005 International Primary Water Stress Corrosion Cracking (PWSCC) of Alloy 600 Conference

The RES staff participated in the subject conference held in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico,

during March 7 -10, 2005. This meeting was organized by Electric Power Research Institute

and was attended by approximately 170 participants from 16 countries. Parallel sessions were

held on the following subject areas: Crack Growth and Initiation, Strategic Planning, Cracking

and Reliability Studies of Alloy 600, Repair Methods and Technologies, Laboratory

Investigations of Cracks, Mitigation and Repair, Boric Acid Corrosion, Inspection Technologies

and Planning, Mitigation Methods, Inspections, and Regulatory Issues. Researchers shared

preliminary data on Alloy 690 showing PWSCC and cracking, but only under extreme laboratory

conditions. From the information presented it appears that the laboratory and field experience

in France with Alloy 690 and 182 is excellent in terms of resistance to PWSCC.

Implementing Agreement Between NRC and the State Office for Nuclear Safety of the Czech

Republic in the Area of Severe Accident Research

On March 14, 2005, the Executive Director for Operations signed the subject international

agreement between NRC and the State Office for Nuclear Safety of the Czech Republic

(SÚJB). This Implementing Agreement defines the terms and conditions by which the NRC and

SÚJB will continue cooperation in the area of severe accident research, contribute to expanding

the NRC’s data and knowledge base in the area of severe accident research and independently

verifying the accuracy of the NRC’s MELCOR severe accident code. The work performed and

exchanged under this Implementing Agreement also enhances the quality assurance of the

NRC’s reactor safety codes through the expansion of the international user community and

through their subsequent code assessments and feedback. In addition to exchanging technical

information and data, SÚJB will provide a cash contribution each year for the duration of this

Implementing Agreement to help support the severe accident research activities. This

Implementing Agreement will enter into force upon signature and will remain in effect for a

period of 5 years.

Public Workshop on "Regulatory Structure for New Plant Licensing, Part 1:Technology- Neutral

Framework"

On March 14-16, 2005, staff members from RES, NRR, and NSIR held a public workshop to

solicit comments on draft NUREG 3-2005, "Regulatory Structure for New Plant Licensing,

Part 1: Technology-Neutral Framework." The framework and the associated technology-neutral

requirements are intended as the first steps in formulating the technical basis for future

rulemaking for technology-neutral regulations for new plant licensing. The workshop was well

attended and included representatives from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the

American Nuclear Society, the Nuclear Energy Institute, Westinghouse Electric Company,

General Atomics, Framatome, the International Atomic Energy Agency, several power reactor

licensees, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and four Department of Energy

Laboratories (Brookhaven, Idaho, Lawrence Livermore, and Sandia National Laboratories).
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE C

The workshop participants agreed that the concepts in the framework are reasonable and that it

is feasible to develop both a technology-neutral framework and technology-neutral

requirements. The participants encouraged the staff to continue with similar workshops in the

future to further explore the technical issues. In addition, participants recommended performing

a test-case and encouraged expanding the schedule to include the rulemaking phase. The

overall goals of the regulatory structure for new plant licensing include the development of a

process for identifying safety issues uniquely associated with reactor technologies that are not

addressed by current NRC regulations and providing stability and predictability for licensing of

these new reactor technologies.
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending March 18, 2005

Contract Award

On March 14, 2005, a competitive small business set-aside task order no. NRC-33-05-335 was

awarded to Webworld Studios under a Comprehensive Information Systems Support

Consolidation (CISSCO) II Blanket Purchase Agreement. The contractor will provide technical

services to the Office of Information Systems to expand and maintain the data in the enterprise

architecture repository system. The period of performance is one year, with a total estimated

cost of $169,389.

Federal Acquisition Workforce Training

The Federal Acquisition Institute has teamed with the Defense Acquisition University (DAU) to

develop and deliver core contracting and acquisition courses for the Federal acquisition

workforce to support the Office of Federal Procurement Policy's initiative to create a

government wide curriculum. DAU has the lead on course development, and will work with

agencies experienced acquisition workforce members to share their knowledge in developing

courses that will benefit the entire Government. The Office of Administration will provide 

feedback to DAU’s representative on its development of Continuous Learning Modules and

assist in other areas as may be identified by DAU, such as identifying particular areas where

acquisition personnel need services acquisition training, reviewing draft course materials, and

participating in course pilots.
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 18, 2005

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of

March 11 through March 17, 2005:

Allegation - RII-2004-A-0063, RII-2004-A-0064, RII-2004-A-0091, RII2004-A-0105, & RII-2005-A-0006, all recordsFOIA/PA-2005-0176

OI Reports, 2-2004-020, 1-2002-045, 3-2004-011, & 3-2004-012 FOIA/PA-2005-0177

Records related to the review of selection packages for all GG-15

positions by the Executive Review Board (ERB) EEO review group for

FY03, 04 & 05 to date

FOIA/PA-2005-0178

Baker Engineering, 118 S. Clinton, Chicago, IL 60606, license no. 12-

24477-01, all records

FOIA/PA-2005-0179
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 18, 2005

Arrivals

Julie Frampton Office Automation Assistant NRR

Alexandra Greene Secretary (OA) NMSS

Howard J. Larson Consultant ACRS

Sharon Sarna-Paulikatis Secretary (OA) R-III

Ruth Spencer Program Assistant OCFO

Andrey Turilin General Engineer(NSPDP) NRR

Retirements

Ronnie K. Maxey Reactor Inspector R-II

 Francis Jape Sr. Project Manager R-II
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 18, 2005

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SRM on SECY-05-0017 3/11/05 Proposed Rule - AP1000 Design

Certification

Voting Record on

SECY-05-0017

3/11/05 (same)

Information Paper

1. SECY-05-0044 3/15/05 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

March 4, 2005

Memoranda

1. M050223 3/15/05 Staff Requirements - Briefing on Status of

OCFO Programs, Performance, and Plans

2. M050224 3/15/05 Staff Requirements - Briefing on Nuclear

Fuel Performance

3. M050222A 3/15/05 Staff Requirements - Briefing on Office of

Information Services Programs,

Performance, and Plans

4. M050316A 3/16/05 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-05-0036 - Private Fuel Storage

(Independent Spent Fuel Storage

Installation) Docket No. 72-22-ISFSI

5. M050307B 3/17/05 Staff Requirements - Briefing on NMSS

Programs, Performance, and Plans -

Materials Safety

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Senator Joseph Biden, Senator Thomas Carper, and Congressman Castle,

dated March 9, 2005, responds to concerns at the Hope Creek Generating Station.

2. Letter to Congress, dated March 14, 2005, provides NRC report responding to the

National Academies of Science recommendations.
March 18, 2005 ENCLOSURE O

Federal Register Notices Issued:

1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, subcommittee meeting on Planning and

Procedures, notice of meeting (4/6/05).

2. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, notice of 521st meeting (4/7-9/05). 
March 18, 2005 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 18, 2005

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 11

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Keeling TBD TBD TBA National Response Plan Reps. Kin

Emergenand TechHomeland DevelopmRep. ShuEconomic Buildings ManagemTransport

Combs Tentative for

April 7

TBD DOE, NRC Status of Yucca Mountain Senators 

Energy a

Keeling Tentative for 

April/May

TBD Chairman Diaz, DOE,

Exelon CEO, IBEW rep,City Council rep nearGrand Gulf

DOE’s NP 2010 Program Senators 

Energy a