INFORMATION REPORT

January 2, 2003 SECY-02-0226

For: The Commissioners

From: John W. Craig, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: SECY-02-0226 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING DECEMBER 27, 2002

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 by Melinda Malloy Acting For/

John W. Craig

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

C. Glenn, OEDO
January 2, 2003 SECY-02-0226

For: The Commissioners

From: John W. Craig, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: SECY-02-0226 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING DECEMBER 27, 2002

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 by Melinda Malloy Acting For/

John W. Craig

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

C. Glenn, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\WEEKD27.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

CGlenn:paa JWCraig

12/31/02 01/02/03
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 27, 2002

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: C. Glenn, OEDO by E-mail: cjg1@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 3 OPA 8

RES * IP *

NSIR 4 SECY 9

OGC * Region I *

ADM 5 Region II 10

CIO 6 Region III 11

CFO * Region IV 12

HR 7 OEDO *

SB/CR * OCA *

OE *

*No input this week
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

Donald C. Cook, Unit 1

On December 20, 2002, the NRC approved a measurement uncertainty power uprate

amendment request by Indiana Michigan Power Company to increase the generating capacity

of the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant Unit 1 by 1.66 percent. The power uprate will increase the

generating capacity from 1077 megawatts electric to 1095 megawatts electric. The licensee

intends to implement the power uprate within 60 days.

Completion of Review Standard for Extended Power Uprates

The staff has completed Draft Review Standard (RS)-001 for the staff’s review of extended

power uprate (EPU) applications. The staff expects to publish a notice in the Federal Register

requesting public comment on this review standard. Completion of the review standard meets a

commitment made by the staff in SECY-02-0106 and SECY-02-0115. Draft RS-001 provides

(1) a definition of the scope of the staff’s review, (2) references to existing review criteria (e.g.,

applicable Standard Review Plan sections, branch technical positions, Office of Nuclear

Reactor Regulation instructions, information notices, generic letters, bulletins), and

(3) templates of safety evaluations (one for boiling-water reactor plants and one for

pressurized-water reactor plants). It serves as a tool to facilitate and expedite staff review of

EPU applications by providing detailed references to various documents containing specific

information related to the areas of review. The review standard also includes information that

should help licensees prepare complete EPU applications by identifying the topics required for

the staff’s review and the guidance the staff will use when reviewing these topics in EPU

applications. By following the review standard, a licensee could minimize the staff’s need for

requests for additional information and thereby improve the efficiency of the staff’s review.
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

U.S. Enrichment Corporation and the Department of Energy Sign Lease Concerning Gas

Centrifuge Technology

On December 23, 2002, the U.S. Enrichment Corporation (USEC) signed a lease with the

Department of Energy (DOE) for use of the existing K-1600 building in the East Tennessee

Technology Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to test the first new gas centrifuge uranium

enrichment machines. Prior to 1985, DOE had used K-1600 to conduct tests on its machines. 

USEC plans to refurbish the building and begin testing its machines under the regulatory

oversight of DOE. Currently, USEC and DOE are working toward a lease agreement

concerning the existing gas centrifuge facility located at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion

Plant in Piketon, Ohio, where USEC intends to construct and operate its Lead Cascade, under

the regulatory oversight of NRC, by 2005.
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE D

Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-IV-02-079, P&M Construction, Inc. - STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending December 27, 2002

Material Control and Accounting Amendments (Parts 51, 61, 70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, and 150)

On December 23, 2002, a final rule that amends the NRC’s material control and accounting

regulations was published in the Federal Register (67 FR 78130). The requirements

concerning the frequency and timing for submitting Material Balance Reports and Inventory

Composition Reports is revised for all licensees except Category I licensees, the categorical

exclusion for approving safeguards plans is amended to include the approval of amendments to

safeguards plans, and the material control and accounting requirements for Category II facilities

are revised to make them more risk-informed. The final rule becomes effective March 24,

2003.

Decommissioning Trust Provisions (Part 50)

On December 24, 2002, a final rule that amends the regulations concerning decommissioning

trust provisions for nuclear power plants was published in the Federal Register (67 FR 78332). 

The final rule requires licensees that are no longer rate-regulated, or that no longer have

access to a non-bypassable charge for decommissioning, have decommissioning trust

agreements in a form acceptable to the NRC. The final rule is intended to increase assurance

that adequate funds will be available for decommissioning. The final rule becomes effective

December 24, 2003.
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

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

December 20 through December 26, 2002:

Indian Point nuclear power plant, safety violations, from 1962 to present (FOIA/PA-2003-0101)

Human Resources files on named individual (FOIA/PA-2003-0102)

OI 2-2001-031, copy of report and all exhibits (FOIA/PA-2003-0103)

RIV-95-A-0134, all documents and all correspondence between named individual and NRC

(FOIA/PA-2003-0104)
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

Arrivals

ALLEN, Kathleen SR. SYSTEMS ANALYST OCFO

BURNELL, Scott PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER OPA

DESMOND, William SENIOR LEVEL ADVISOR ON SECURITY NSIR

LARE, Megan* STUDENT CLERK RI

McCONNELL, Timothy REACTOR INSPECTOR RIV

SULLIVAN, Margaret** OFFICE ASSISTANT RIII

WIDMAYER, David PROJECT MANAGER NMSS

Departures

GIUSEPPI, Larizza RESIDENT INSPECTOR RIII

JONES, Jamil MECHANICAL ENGINEER ADM

* Effective 12/24/02

**Effective 12/16/02
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

Media Interest

There was media interest in an industry-sponsored report that found nuclear plants could

survive a direct hit by a fully fueled jetliner.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

02-145 NRC Issues Supplement to Final Generic Environmental Impact Statement

on Decommissioning of Power Plants

02-146 NRC Approves Power Uprate for D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

Document Released to Public Date Subject

Information Papers

1. SECY-02-0220 12/20/02 SECY-02-0220 Weekly Information Report -

Week Ending December 13, 2002

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Mr. Steven Dolley, Nuclear Control Institute, dated December 18, 2002,

concerns the application of Transport Logistics to export 25,983 kilograms of depleted

uranium as uranium hexafluoride to Japan to be used as test material for the Rokkasho

reprocessing facility (export license application XSOU8790). 

2. Letter to Dr. William R. Hendee, Medical College of Wisconsin, dated December 17,

2002, concerns possible revisions to 10 CFR Part 35 that could impact NRC recognition

of the various certification boards. 

3. Letter to Mr. Joe F. Colvin, Nuclear Control Institute, dated December 17, 2002, concerns

the NRC’s review of its security requirements. 

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Material Control and Accounting Amendments - Final Rule.

2. Decommissioning Trust Provisions - Final Rule.

3. Advisory Committee on Medical Uses of Isotopes: Call for Nominations.

4. Notice of Renewal of the Charter for the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards.

5. Notice of renewal of the Charter of the Licensing Support Network Advisory Review

Panel.

6. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Joint Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittees

on Reliability and Probabilistic Risk Assessment and on Plant Operations - Notice of

Meeting.

7. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on

Reliability and Probabilistic Risk Assessment, January 22, 2003 - Notice of Meeting.

8. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on

Reliability and Probabilistic Risk Assessment, January 23-24, 2003 - Notice of Meeting.

9. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Subcommittee Meeting on Safety Research

Program - Notice of Meeting.
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

Steel of West Virginia, Inc. - Update of December 20, 2002 Items of Interest

On December 24, 2002, Region II issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) to Steel of West

Virginia, Inc. to ensure the licensee appropriately followedup on the damaged fixed gauge event

of December 16, 2002. Actions addressed in the CAL included the completion of a survey in

the immediate area where the gauge was installed after removal of the other operational

gauges from the area, assessing the condition of the gauge to confirm that the source is not

leaking, completing dose assessments for those licensee employees involved in the immediate

event response and subsequent removal of the damaged gauge.
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region III

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

NRC Oversight Panel Meeting with FirstEnergy

The NRC Oversight Panel, established under Manual Chapter 0350 to coordinate the agency’s

activities in response to the reactor vessel head damage at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power

Station, met December 23, 2002, with representatives of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating

Company in the Region III Office to discuss the status and scope of the utility’s review of plant

safety systems.
December 27, 2002 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 27, 2002

Regional Administrator On Site at Columbia Generating Station

On December 20, 2002, the Regional Administrator was on site at Columbia Generating Station

and met with licensee management personnel, including the Chief Executive Officer, Vice

President Nuclear Generation, Vice President Technical Services, Plant General Manager, and

the acting Security Manager. While at Columbia Generating Station, the Regional

Administrator conducted a plant tour with the Senior Resident Inspector and presented operator

license certificates.