February 2, 2005

Mr. David J. Modeen

Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer

Electric Power Research Institute

1300 West W.T. Harris Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28262

Dear Mr. Modeen:

On behalf of the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES), I have signed the attached

addendum to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The NRC and EPRI

initially established the MOU, dated November 25, 1997, to allow and encourage cooperative

nuclear safety research. The enclosed addendum focuses that research on vessel head

penetration inspection, crack growth, and repair. Specifically, the addendum describes

a collaborative effort to address issues related to nickel-base alloy cracking and vessel steel

degradation attributable to corrosion in solutions or mixtures of boric acid.

While the NRC and EPRI have both conducted ongoing research, testing, and data evaluation

in these areas for many years, our mutual agreement on the content of this addendum will improve

and expedite communication on the status of our respective programs. From that starting point,

both organizations will be better able to manage their research programs. In addition, as always,

the NRC and EPRI will cooperate in conducting tests and producing data, but each will

independently analyze the data and draw conclusions.

My staff has informed me that collaborative activities are proceeding well. On January 18,

2005, NRC and industry representatives met at Argonne National Laboratory to discuss results

of boric acid corrosion testing performed separately under NRC and industry funding. My staff

has also been discussing tentative plans with industry representations for meetings in May 2005

on (a) the destructive examinations of control rod drive mechanism nozzles removed from the

discarded North Anna Unit 1 head, and (b) nickel-base alloy stress-corrosion crack growth rate

testing. Both industry and the NRC are funding programs on these two topics. I am also aware

that EPRI has informed the relevant NRC staff of an upcoming conference on nickel-base alloy

primary-water stress-corrosion cracking (PWSCC) on March 7–10, 2005. As you may recall,

the NRC hosted the previous conference in this series, and I expect that several

representatives of the RES staff will attend the upcoming conference. I am encouraged by this

level of collaboration between the industry and the NRC, and hope that it will continue. Thank

you for your continued support of our collaborative research on nickel-base alloy cracking and

other topics of mutual concern.

Sincerely,

/RA/ J. Craig for

Carl J. Paperiello, Director

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Enclosure: As stated
February 2, 2005

Mr. David J. Modeen

Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer

Electric Power Research Institute

1300 West W.T. Harris Blvd.

Charlotte, NC 28262

Dear Mr. Modeen:

On behalf of the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES), I have signed the attached

addendum to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory

Commission (NRC) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The NRC and EPRI

initially established the MOU, dated November 25, 1997, to allow and encourage cooperative

nuclear safety research. The enclosed addendum focuses that research on vessel head

penetration inspection, crack growth, and repair. Specifically, the addendum describes

a collaborative effort to address issues related to nickel-base alloy cracking and vessel steel

degradation attributable to corrosion in solutions or mixtures of boric acid.

While the NRC and EPRI have both conducted ongoing research, testing, and data evaluation

in these areas for many years, our mutual agreement on the content of this addendum will improve

and expedite communication on the status of our respective programs. From that starting point,

both organizations will be better able to manage their research programs. In addition, as always,

the NRC and EPRI will cooperate in conducting tests and producing data, but each will

independently analyze the data and draw conclusions.

My staff has informed me that collaborative activities are proceeding well. On January 18,

2005, NRC and industry representatives met at Argonne National Laboratory to discuss results

of boric acid corrosion testing performed separately under NRC and industry funding. My staff

has also been discussing tentative plans with industry representations for meetings in May 2005

on (a) the destructive examinations of control rod drive mechanism nozzles removed from the

discarded North Anna Unit 1 head, and (b) nickel-base alloy stress-corrosion crack growth rate

testing. Both industry and the NRC are funding programs on these two topics. I am also aware

that EPRI has informed the relevant NRC staff of an upcoming conference on nickel-base alloy

primary-water stress-corrosion cracking (PWSCC) on March 7–10, 2005. As you may recall,

the NRC hosted the previous conference in this series, and I expect that several

representatives of the RES staff will attend the upcoming conference. I am encouraged by this

level of collaboration between the industry and the NRC, and hope that it will continue. Thank

you for your continued support of our collaborative research on nickel-base alloy cracking and

other topics of mutual concern.

Sincerely,

/RA/ J. Craig for

Carl J. Paperiello, Director

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research 

Enclosure: As stated

Distribution: 

J. Dyer, NRR MEB r/f DET r/f *See Previous concurrence

DOCUMENT NAME: G:\PMPDAS\O’Connor\Ltr2Modeem.wpd

OAR in ADAMS? Y ADAMS ACCESSION NO: ML050130259 TEMPLATE NO. RES -006

Publicly Available? Y DATE OF RELEASE TO PUBLIC: NA SENSITIVE? N 

Indicate in the box below: “C” = Copy without attachment/enclosure “E” = Copy with attachment/enclosure “N” = No copy

OFFICE RES/DET/MEB* E RES/DET/MEB* RES/DET/MEB* N RES/DET* OGC

NAME W. Cullen A. Lee T. Bergman M. Mayfield E. Williamson / NLO

DATE 01/05/2005 01/05/2005 01/10/2005 01/10/2005 11/29/2004 By E-Mail

OFFICE RES/PMDA* RES/Tech Ed* N RES RES SISP Review*

NAME S. O’Connor P. Garrity J. Craig C. Paperiello WCullen

DATE 01/10/2005 01/11/2005 02/2/2005 02/2/2005 01/27/2005

OFFICE SISP Review*

NAME TBergman

DATE 01/30/2005
OFFICIAL RECORD COPY