INFORMATION REPORT

October 17, 2005 SECY-05-0186

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: “WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

OCTOBER 7, 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 by Mindy Landau Acting For W M Dean/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

A. Huffert, OEDO
October 17, 2005 SECY-05-0186

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: “WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

OCTOBER 7, 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 by Mindy Landau Acting For W M Dean/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

A. Huffert, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\week1007.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

AHuffert:paa WMDean

10/18/05 10/18/05
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 7, 2005

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: A. Huffert, OEDO by E-mail: amh1@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 OIP 18

NSIR * SECY 19

OGC * Region I *

ADM 10 Region II *

OIS 11 Region III 22

CFO * Region IV 23

HR 15 EDO *

SBCR * OCA 24

OE *

*No input this week
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Public Meeting on Generic Safety Issue (GSI) -191 Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) Sump

Clogging Chemical Effects

The staff met with Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and industry representatives on

September 30, 2005, to discuss the results of recent confirmatory head-loss testing for

chemical products previously identified during an earlier Los Alamos National Laboratory

integrated chemical effects test, which examined use of tri-sodium phosphate sump pool pH

buffer agents and calcium silicate insulation materials. The follow-on head-loss test was

conducted in late August 2005, at Argonne National Laboratory and is discussed in detail in the

attachment to Information Notice 2005-26, “Results of Chemical Effects Head Loss Tests in a

Simulated PWR Sump Pool Environment.” The staff is considering the information provided by

NEI at the September 30, 2005 meeting, and any further actions by the NRC which may be

appropriate.
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Meeting to Discuss Idaho National Laboratory's Waste Determination Submittal

On October 4, 2005, staff from the Division of Waste Management and Environmental

Protection met with representatives of the Department of Energy (DOE) to discuss DOE's

recent waste determination submittal for the Idaho National Laboratory. The submittal was

made in accordance with legislation in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year

2005, requiring DOE to consult with NRC on its waste determinations. DOE presented an

overview of the waste determination submittal. Attendees included Duratek, Inc., and Weapons

Complex Monitor.

Submittal of DOE Waste Determination

On October 3, 2005, DOE submitted a non-high level waste (HLW) determination for closure of

Tanks 18 and 19 at the Savannah River Site. This determination will be reviewed by NRC as

part of its responsibilities under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005,

which requires DOE to consult with NRC on non-HLW determinations made in South Carolina

and Idaho.

Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company (Maine Yankee) Completes Decommissioning

On September 30, 2005, staff issued a license amendment releasing, for unrestricted use, all

land under Maine Yankee's License No. DPR-36, with the exception of the land where the

Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) is located, and a 3.17 acre parcel of land

adjacent to the ISFSI. Maine Yankee conducted decommissioning activities in accordance with

the approved License Termination Plan, from February 2003 to June 2005.

Nuclear Management Company Exemption

On September 30, 2005, the Spent Fuel Project Office issued an exemption to the Nuclear

Management Company, LLC, for the Palisades Nuclear Plant (PNP), pursuant to 10 CFR 72.7,

authorizing the use of the NUHOMS®-32PT dry shielded canister system by an independent

spent fuel storage installation general licensee. The NUHOMS®-32PT system has been

reviewed by NRC staff and found acceptable for licensing purposes. The exemption allowed

PNP to use the NUHOMS®-32PT dry shielded canister system in the proposed Amendment

No. 8 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1004, before the effective date of the final rule change.
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Annual Review of Halden Reactor Projects

From September 21-23, 2005, the staff attended the Annual Irradiation-Assisted Stress

Corrosion Cracking (IASCC) Group review of Halden Research Reactor Projects. The objective

of the meeting was to examine the details of the experiments that are underway and are

anticipated during the 2006-2008 program in light of specific NRC objectives. The NRC's

priorities are also shared by many other international members of the IASCC group. The staff

also learned that the Halden Reactor Project is not threatened by imminent closure as was

reported in Nucleonics Week on July 28, 2005. 

International Exchange Meeting of Digital System Failure Data and Analysis

On September 26 and 27, 2005, the staff participated in the Organization for Economic CoOperation and Development, Nuclear Energy Agency’s (OECD/NEA’s), Computer-Based

Systems Important to Safety Project’s (COMPSIS) second steering group meeting at the

Institute for Energy Technology office in Halden, Norway. This meeting was to confirm the

2006 budget; propose new schedules and tasks to develop failure coding guidelines, database

structure and web-based user interface for the project; explore the potential recovering of

historical data; discuss the security level of the database and project website; and present

possible methods of data analysis. Nine of the ten member countries were present for this

meeting. The third steering group meeting has been proposed for April 19-22, 2006, in Korea.

Publication of Integrated Chemical Effects Test # 2 Data Report

On October 6, 2005, the staff made the “Integrated Chemical Effects Test # 2 Data Report,”

LA-UR-05-6146, available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System

(ADAMS) (accession # ML052770416). Test #2 simulated the chemical environment present

inside a pressurized water reactor containment water pool after a loss-of-coolant-accident. 

Public Meeting with Westinghouse on International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS) Test

Plans

On September 28, 2005, staff participated in a public meeting with Westinghouse to discuss

Westinghouse’s planned test program for the IRIS reactor design. Staff discussed comments

from review of the extensive test plan of thermal hydraulic and mechanical testing done by

Westinghouse to support product development and to provide an experimental database to

satisfy the requirements of 10 CFR 52.47. 
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Contract Awards

On September 29, 2005, a competitive delivery order no. DR-03-05-028 was awarded to Earth

Tech, Inc., under the General Service Administration's (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)

for Technical Assistance for License Renewal Environmental Reviews. The contractor shall

conduct environmental reviews of nuclear power reactors for license renewal activities. The

total estimated cost of the delivery order is $813,062. The period of performance is for three

years, from September 29, 2005, through September 28, 2008.

On September 29, 2005, a competitive 8(a) negotiated contract no. NRC-07-05-166 was

awarded to Digital Management, Inc. for the Maintenance and Operation of the NRC

Operations Center. The contractor shall provide maintenance and operations support of the

various hardware, software, display and communications systems which support the NRC

Operations Center. The total estimated cost of the contract is $3,698,073. The period of

performance is from September 29, 2005, through September 28, 2006, with four one-year

option periods.

On September 29, 2005, a competitive delivery order no. DR-33-05-357 was awarded to

Webworld Technologies, Inc., under the GSA FSS. The contractor shall provide information

technology support services for small web application development. The estimated cost of the

contract is $797,328. The period of performance is October 1, 2005, through September 30,

2006, with a one-year option period. 

On September 29, 2005, a competitive delivery order no. DR-33-05-402 was awarded to

Millican & Associates, Inc., under the GSA FSS. The contractor shall provide information

technology support services to assist NRC with records management. The total estimated cost

is $625,819. The period of performance is September 30, 2005, through September 29, 2006,

with two one-year option periods. 

On September 30, 2005, a Blanket Purchase Agreement no. DR-33-05-397 was awarded to

Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., under the GSA FSS. The contractor shall provide information

technology support services for development of NRC’s Enterprise Architecture. The total

estimated cost is $994,000. The period of performance is September 30, 2005, through

September 29, 2006.

On September 30, 2005, a competitive delivery order no. DR-09-05-331 was awarded to

Deloitte Consulting LLP, under the GSA FSS for the Budget Formulation System. The

contractor shall provide and integrate a commercial off-the-shelf computer system to be used to

formulate the agency's annual budgets. The estimated cost of the delivery order is $1,315,836. 

The period of performance is September 30, 2005, through September 29, 2006, with four oneyear option periods. 

On September 30, 2005, a non-competitive (8a) contract no. NRC-07-05-505, was awarded to

Alternative Telecommunication Solutions, Inc., for upgrading the equipment in the NRC
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE F

Operations Center. The Contractor shall assess the equipment interoperability and after NRC

approval, upgrade the equipment to various systems located in the NRC Operations Center. 

The total estimated cost is $1,394,551. The period of performance is for one year, from

September 30, 2005, through September 29, 2006.
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Quality Control of Records Placed in ADAMS

0n September 30, 2005, staff received the final contractor report of findings and

recommendations on the completeness of record collections maintained in ADAMS. The

contractor findings will be used by OIS to correct any shortcomings associated with the

completeness of record collections.

File Center To Support NMSS in Processing a Spent Fuel Discovery Request Through the

Department of Justice

On October 4, 2005, the staff received a request from NMSS to provide, by October 11, 2005, 

copies of 930 Fort St. Vrain Independent Spent Fuel documents from the ADAMS Legacy

Library. The request supports a discovery request from the Department of Justice (DOJ) from

utilities involved in the ongoing Federal litigation over the DOE’s failure to take possession of

spent fuel from the nuclear industry. This task requires the review of over 70 cubic feet of

records. 

File Center Continues To Support NRR in Processing a Department of Justice EIS Request 

On September 13, 2005, staff began assisting NRR in determining the documents needed to

process a DOJ request for any information pertaining to the Environmental Impact Statements

involving Salem, Hope Creek, and Peach Bottom Generating Stations. 

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of

September 29 through October 6, 2005:

Indian Point 2 Spent Fuel Pool, correspondence between NRC &

Entergy Nuclear Northeast, LLC, from 7-15-05 & 9-29-05 re: leak of

cooling water

FOIA/PA-2005-0369

Allegation RIV-96-A-0161, all records, & correspondence between

named individual & NRC

FOIA/PA-2005-0370

Licensed users of gaseous tritium light source General License

Tracking System (GTLS)

FOIA/PA-2005-0371

NRC’s thermal review of the NUHOMS-24P Dry Storage Canister

(DSC) of the Standardized NUHOMS Horizontal Modular Storage

System for Irradiated Nuclear Fuel (docket no. 72-1004)

FOIA/PA-2006-0001

DeLeuw Cather Co., 290 Roberts St., East Harford, CT, license no.

06-28200-01, all records

FOIA/PA-2006-0002

Chernobyl nuclear power plant, destruction, fatalities, water, farmland

contaminated, exposure to Cesium-183

FOIA/PA-2006-0003
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Arrival

GARDNER, RONALD N. CONSULTANT NRR

GOLDEN, ANDREW S. STUDENT CLERK (STEP) NRR

NARBUT, PAUL CONSULTANT OEDO

SHEDLOSKY, JOHN T. CONSULTANT OEDO

SHERR, THEODORE S. CONSULTANT NMSS

Retirements

SULLIVAN, ELIZABETH E. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT R-III

TONGUE, THOMAS M. PROJECT ENGINEER R-III
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

OPA received significant media inquiries on the following:

The decommissioning of Maine Yankee and release of the site for unrestricted use.

Emergency preparedness issues at Pennsylvania nuclear plants.

Distribution of potassium iodide to people living within 20 miles of nuclear plants.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

05-135 NRC Releases Majority of Maine Yankee Atomic Power Plant Site for

Unrestricted Use (10/3)

05-136 NRC Establishes Web Page for Information on Spent Fuel Pool Issues at Indian

Point (10/4)

Regions:

II-05-039 NRC Staff Seeks Input on Brunswick Nuclear Plant Draft Environmental Impact

Statement for License Renewal (10/4)

III-05-040 NRC to Discuss Performance Improvement Activities at Perry Nuclear Power

Plant (10/6)
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs (OIP)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Tropical Storm Stan

On October 3, 2005, staff from OIP, the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, and

NRC Region IV jointly approached NRC's regulatory counterpart in Mexico (La Comisión

Nacional de Seguridad Nuclear y Salvaguardias, CNSNS) and offered to both provide CNSNS

with NRC's hurricane response-related procedures and share insights gained by NRC during

hurricanes Katrina and Rita. At that time, Tropical Storm Stan was expected to achieve

hurricane strength and was projected to come ashore in the immediate vicinity of the Laguna

Verde nuclear power plants located north of Veracruz, Mexico within 36 hours. In turn, CNSNS

briefed NRC staff on ongoing or planned hurricane-related precautions at Laguna Verde. By

October 4, 2005, the hurricane’s projected path had shifted significantly south, away from

Laguna Verde. Communications between NRC & CNSNS were effective during this incident.
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Federal Register Notices

1. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW), Procedures for Meetings. 

2. ACNW, notice of 164th meeting (10/19-20/05).

3. ACNW, notice of Planning and Procedures meeting (10/20/05). 
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE P

Region III (RIII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Commissioner Merrifield Visits to Wisconsin Nuclear Facilities

From October 3-5, 2005, Commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield, accompanied by the Deputy

Executive Director for Reactor and Preparedness Programs and the Regional Administrator,

visited three sites in Wisconsin; the Point Beach Nuclear Power Station, the Kewaunee Nuclear

Power Plant, and the LaCrosse Boiling Water Reactor, which is in decommissioning status. The

Commissioner toured the facilities, met with the resident inspectors at Point Beach and

Kewaunee, held discussions with licensee management, and conducted all-staff meetings at

each location.
October 7, 2005 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV (RIV)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

Commissioner Lyons Visit to San Onofre 

On October 6, 2005, Commissioner Lyons visited the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. 

The Commissioner met with licensee management and discussed current plant performance

and security. After visiting the site, the Commissioner met with the Interjurisdictional Planning

Commission in Dana Point, California, and discussed their emergency preparedness roles and

responsibilities. 
October 7, 2005 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending October 7, 2005

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 34

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Keeling 10/19/05

SD-G50

2:30 Markup S. 1753, “Warning, Alert, and

Response Network Act”

Senators Commerc Transpo

Combs TBA

SD-406

TBA NRC and others Hurricane Katrina Disaster Senators 

Environm

Schmidt/Keeling

TBA TBA Conference FY 2006 Energy and Water

Development Appropriations

House/SeCommitte

Note: The House and Senate are in recess for the week of October 11.