INFORMATION REPORT

January 23, 2006 SECY-06-0015

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

JANUARY 13, 2006

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

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards/

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste S*

*No input this week.

/RA/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO
January 23, 2006 SECY-06-0015

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

JANUARY 13, 2006

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

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards/

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste S*

*No input this week.

/RA/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\week0113.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

UShoop:paa WMDean

01/24/06 01/24/06
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 13, 2006

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: U. Shoop, OEDO by E-mail: USS@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 * OIP *

NSIR * SECY 19

OGC * Region I *

ADM 10 Region II *

OIS 11 Region III 22

CFO * Region IV *

HR 15 EDO *

SBCR * OCA 24

OE * ACRS/ACNW *

*No input this week
January 13, 2006 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 13, 2006

Public Workshop on a Draft Grid Reliability Generic Letter

On January 9-10, 2006, the staff held a public workshop with the Federal Energy Regulatory

Commission (FERC), the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC), the Nuclear

Energy Institute (NEI), the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO), the Electric Power

Research Institute (EPRI), the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners

(NARUC), PJM Interconnection, industry, and interested members of the public at the Hyatt

Regency Hotel in Bethesda, MD to discuss the draft Grid Reliability Generic Letter (GL). The

staff discussed the purpose of the questions in the GL, staff expectations for the licensee’s

response to the GL, and how the information gathered by the GL will be utilized. The staff will

consider the stakeholders’ questions and comments on the draft GL that were provided at the

workshop before issuing the final GL. 

Issuance of Notice Providing the Staff’s Proposed Determination of No Significant Hazards

Consideration Related to Vermont Yankee’s Extended Power Uprate Amendment Request

On January 5, 2006, the NRC staff issued a letter to Entergy, the licensee for the Vermont

Yankee Nuclear Power plant, which provided the subject notice. The Notice provides the

NRC’s proposed determination that the EPU amendment request involves no significant

hazards consideration (NSHC) in accordance with 10 CFR 50.92. The NRC published the

Notice in the Federal Register on January 11, 2006. The comment period for this action closes

30 days after publication. 
January 13, 2006 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 13, 2006

Waste Determination for the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center Tank Farm

Facility (Idaho TFF)

On January 10, 2006, staff from the Division of Waste Management and Environmental

Protection transmitted a Request for Additional Information (RAI) to the U.S. Department of

Energy (DOE) regarding its Section 3116 Determination for the Idaho TFF. The RAI was

issued as part of NRC's review in accordance with the National Defense Authorization Act of

FY 2005, which requires DOE to consult with NRC on its incidental waste determinations in

Idaho and South Carolina.

Staff Observes DOE Audit of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Program

On January 9-12, 2006, staff observed a DOE audit of the quality assurance (QA) program

implementation at USGS in Denver, CO. The audit reviewed the adequacy, implementation,

and effectiveness of the QA program procedures applicable to the USGS scope of work in

support of the Yucca Mountain project.
January 13, 2006 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending January 13, 2006

Medical Use of Byproduct Material - Recognition of Specialty Boards

On January 12, 2006, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (71 FR 1926)

correcting an amendment to a final rule that amended the training and experience requirements

applicable to the medical use of byproduct material. This document inserts a reference in the

provisions applicable to training for a radiation safety officer that was inadvertently omitted from

the final rule.
January 13, 2006 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 13, 2006

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

January 6, 2006 through January 12, 2006:

Indian Point 2 spent fuel pool, all correspondence between NRC &

Entergy Nuclear Northeast, LLC, from October 28, 2005 to January

05, 2006

FOIA/PA-2006-0081

Palisades nuclear power plant, incident of Oct. 11-13, 2005, re: fully

loaded dry cask storage container dangling from crane, all records

FOIA/PA-2006-0082

Aberdeen Proving Ground Radiological Final Status Survey Report,

Bomb Throwing Device Site-Soils (ML052770370) Appendices A & B

FOIA/PA-2006-0083

Eastern Technologies Inc. (ETI), license no. 01-30362-01, all records,

correspondence, drawings, licenses

FOIA/PA-2006-0084

Commission’s Ex Parte & Separation of Functions Rules, SECY

papers & memoranda re: proposed rule & revisions

FOIA/PA-2006-0085
January 13, 2006 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 13, 2006

Arrival

GOODMAN, P. CLARE CONSULTANT NRR

RUTH, LAWRENCE C. CONSULTANT NRR

WERTZ, TRENT L. REACTOR ENGINEER NRR

Departures

COOPER, LATOYA D. STUDENT CLERK (SUMMER) NMSS

KALKMAN, ADAM N. STUDENT CLERK (SUMMER) OI

KOLLATH-ROMANO, PAUL E. STUDENT ENGINEER NSIR
January 13, 2006 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 13, 2006

The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) received significant media inquiries on the following:

Allegations of security lapses at Shearon Harris nuclear plant.

Plans by several utilities to submit applications for new nuclear plants.

Possible federal government plans to begin reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel.

Other Public Affairs Items:

OPA staff assisted at a public meeting regarding FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co.’s operation

of its nuclear plants.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

06-005 NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Elects New Chairman, Vice

Chairman and Member-at-Large (1/9)

06-006 NRC Seeks Public Comment on Radiation Source Protection and Security

(1/12)

Regions:

I-06-002 NRC Finalizes “White” Finding for Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant Over

Classification of Emergency (1/9)

III-06-002 NRC Begins Special Inspection at Quad Cities Nuclear Plant (1/10)
January 13, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 13, 2006

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. COMSECY-05-0061 12/13/05 Information Sensitivity of the National

Source Tracking System

SRM on COMSECY-05-

0061

1/11/06 (Same)

Voting Record on

COMSECY-05-0061

1/4/06 (same)

2. SECY-05-0234 12/27/05 Adequacy of Medical Event Definitions in 10

CFR 35.3045, and Communicating

Associated Risks to the Public

Information Papers

1. SECY-06-0003 01/05/06 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

December 23, 2005

2. SECY-06-0004 01/05/06 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

December 30, 2005

Memoranda

M060111A 1/11/06 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-05-0220 - Hydro Resources, Inc.

(Crownpoint, New Mexico) Petition for

Review of LBP-05-17 (Groundwater Issues)
January 13, 2006 ENCLOSURE P

Region III (RIII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 13, 2006

Meeting on FirstEnergy Nuclear Plants

On January 10, 2006, Region I and Region III staff members met with representatives of

FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. at the Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Station to discuss the

performance of the three FirstEnergy facilities – Beaver Valley, Davis-Besse, and Perry.

Special Inspection at Quad Cities

Region III initiated a special inspection on January 9, 2006, at the Quad Cities Nuclear Power

Station to review the circumstances surrounding the degradation of electromagnetic relief valve

actuations for both Units 1 and 2. The inspectors continue to review the licensee’s root cause

determination and corrective actions.
January 13, 2006 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 13, 2006

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 1

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Combs 01/25/06

SD-406

9:30 DOE, EPA, NRC, NEI,

Radiation oncologist BillHendie, Ted Rockwell

EPA and NRC radiation standards Senator I

Environm

Combs 02/07/06

Tentative

TBA DOE Status of Yucca Mountain license

application

Senator DEnergy a

Note: The Senate will convene January 18, 2006, and the House of Representatives will convene January 31, 2006.