INFORMATION REPORT

August 31, 2006 SECY-06-0191

For: The Commissioners

From: Michael R. Johnson, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

AUGUST 18, 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/

Michael R. Johnson 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO
August 31, 2006 SECY-06-0191

For: The Commissioners

From: Michael R. Johnson, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

AUGUST 18, 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/

Michael R. Johnson

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\week818.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

UShoop:paa MRJohnson

08/31/06 08/31/06
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING AUGUST 18, 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 8 OIP *

NSIR * SECY 19

OGC * Region I *

ADM * Region II *

OIS 11 Region III *

CFO * Region IV *

HR * EDO *

SBCR * OCA 24

OE * ACRS/ACNW *

*No input this week
August 18, 2006 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 18, 2006

Construction Inspection Team Meeting

On August 14-16, 2006, the NRC New Construction Inspection Team held a meeting in the

Region II Office. The team consisted of members from the NRR, Reactor Inspection Branch

and each of the Regional Offices. The purpose of the meeting was to review the status of

ongoing team activities in developing construction inspection procedures and associated

program guidance and to identify and address any problematic issues. Conduct of the meeting

in Atlanta facilitated information exchange between the Headquarters Program Office and

Region II as that Region assumes responsibility for construction inspection activities nationwide.

Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Public Meeting

On August 16, 2006, the staff hosted the monthly subject meeting at NRC Headquarters. 

Meeting attendees discussed the Mitigating Systems Performance Index implementation, safety

culture integration into the ROP, performance indicator issues, and open and new frequently

asked questions.

Ground-water Protection Meeting

On August 10, 2006, the staff held a meeting with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) at the

NRC Headquarters. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the status of implementing the

industry’s ground-water protection initiative at all sites. During the meeting, NEI stated that all

sites had established an action plan and had completed the NEI questionnaire on historical

spills and leaks. The NRC staff provided feedback to industry on the results of an initial staff

review of the action plans and questionnaire responses. There was significant attendance by

the public at the meeting. 

Vogtle Early Site Permit (ESP) Application

On August 15, 2006, the staff received an early site permit application from Southern Nuclear

Operating Company for the Vogtle site. The ESP application was developed to bound the

impact of siting two Westinghouse AP1000 designed reactors co-located with the existing two

reactor units. 

Main Steam Isolation Valve Operability Meeting

On August 16, 2006, NRC staff met with the Wolf Creek and Callaway licensees to discuss

operability issues related to main steam isolation valves (MSIVs) that are in use at both

facilities. The NRC staff identified and documented operability concerns related to this MSIV

design during an inspection at the Callaway facility. The licensees described the design of the

MSIVs, including actuator trains, and presented their views on compliance with the Technical

Specifications in light of the MSIV actuator train designs. The staff will use the information

provided by the licensees during the development of an Agency position on this issue.
August 18, 2006 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 18, 2006

Meeting with Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF) Regarding NRC Needs for High-Burnup Fuel

Integrity Data

On August 16, 2006, NMSS staff met with representatives from GNF to discuss NRC’s needs

for structural integrity data of high-burnup fuel and for GNF to provide a summary of its current

fuel-cladding research and testing programs. During the meeting, NRC staff provided an

overview of the current data available on high-burnup fuel-cladding integrity and its continued

need for more information on this subject. GNF provided a comprehensive summary of its

research programs and activities on this specific area. GNF also identified future and ongoing

research activities in which NRC may be interested.

Department of Energy (DOE) Industry Briefing on Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP)

On August 14, 2006, staff attended the subject briefing. During the briefing, DOE summarized

the contents of the Requests for Expressions of Interest (EOI) it issued in the Federal Register,

on August 7, 2006, for a commercial-scale Consolidated Fuel Treatment Center (CFTC) and a

commercial-scale Advanced Burner Reactor (ABR). DOE also collected and responded to

several industry questions and indicated that the answers to all questions will be posted on the

GNEP website (http://www.gnep.energy.gov/). DOE stated that maximum flexibility is afforded

to respondents for the EOIs. All separations technologies that do not separate pure plutonium

will be considered (i.e., not only UREX+1a) and all advanced reactor types will be considered

(i.e., not only sodium-cooled). DOE indicated that NRC would probably regulate the CFTC and

ABR. However, the specific licensing pathway will be developed later.

More than 100 representatives from private industry, including Areva, GE, the Embassy of

Japan, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries attended this briefing. A listing of all the attendees at

the briefing will be posted at the GNEP website. The deadline for submitting EOIs is

September 8, 2006. DOE plans to evaluate the EOIs and potentially issue a Request for

Proposal for the two facilities.

Louisiana Energy Services (LES) Public Meeting on Inspections

On August 10, 2006, staff from NMSS and Region II held a public meeting in Eunice, NM, to

discuss the NRC inspection program planned for the LES gas-centrifuge uranium-enrichment

project. NRC staff discussed the current project status and planned inspection-program

objectives and areas of focus. About 20 people attended the meeting.
August 18, 2006 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 18, 2006

Duke Power Fire Testing of Armored Cable

Duke Power has been conducting a series of fire tests at Omega Point Laboratories with the

goal of better understanding the phenomena of hot shorts occurring in armor-jacketed cable

control circuits when exposed to thermal transients. The Office of Nuclear Regulatory

Research (RES) currently has a similar program in process (i.e., CAROLFIRE) that is testing

conventional polymer-jacketed cables. Staff is monitoring the Duke testing and is evaluating

the technical consistency between the Duke and NRC programs, including potential differences

in how the Duke circuits were being instrumented and monitored when compared to the NRC’s

CAROLFIRE testing.

Publication of NUREG/CR 6906, “Containment Integrity Research at Sandia National

Laboratories, An Overview”

On August 10, 2006, the subject NUREG was issued and made available on the NRC website

at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/contract/cr6906/. This report

summarizes the current understanding regarding the integrity of nuclear power plant

containment structures and components under severe accident pressure and temperature

loads. This NUREG documents the results obtained during the past 25 years from the research

activities conducted at Sandia National Laboratory related to the performance of containment

structures and components, and identifies common themes that have emerged. Also

highlighted is the relevant work conducted by other research organizations in this area.
August 18, 2006 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 18, 2006

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

August 11 through August 17, 2006:

Allegation NRR-1998-A-0019, including correspondence between

named individual & NRC

FOIA/PA-2006-0270

OI Report No. 2-2005-006, Browns Ferry, apparent violation, January

& February 2004, interview of named individual

FOIA/PA-2006-0271

OI Report No. 2-2005-006, Browns Ferry, apparent violation, January

& February 2004, interview of named individual

FOIA/PA-2006-0272

Event at foreign Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) that lead to the

issuance of Information Notice 2004-04, dated 2-24-04, re: fuel

damage during cleaning of PWR

FOIA/PA-2006-0273

Correspondence involving Hurricane Katrina (Referral from

Department of Homeland Security)

FOIA/PA-2006-0274

Correspondence involving Hurricane Katrina (Referral from

Department of Homeland Security)

FOIA/PA-2006-0275

Correspondence involving Hurricane Katrina (Referral from

Department of Homeland Security)

FOIA/PA-2006-0276

Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station’s completed Groundwater Protection

Data Collection questionnaire

FOIA/PA-2006-0277

OIG Report No. 05-40, complete copy FOIA/PA-2006-0278
August 18, 2006 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 18, 2006

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

The reports of tritium leaks at Kewaunee and San Onofre nuclear plants.

Public meetings at North Anna regarding the Early Site Permit application.

The Energy Department’s public comment letter requesting NRC withdraw its draft standard

review plan for DOE waste determinations at Savannah River and Idaho National Lab.

Other Public Affairs Items:

OPA assisted at public meetings regarding North Anna’s Early Site Permit application.

CNN ran a feature on nuclear plant security that was facilitated by OPA Region IV and included

the resident inspector at Waterford.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

06-101 NRC Announces Availability of Vogtle Early Site Permit Application (8/15)

06-102 NRC Announces New Head of Office of Enforcement (8/15) 

Regions:

I-06-046 NRC to Conduct Media Workshop on Sept. 28th in Southbridge, Mass. (8/16)

IV-06-018 Licensing Board to Hear Public Comments August 28 in Grand Gulf Early Site

Permit Application Proceeding (8/14)

IV-06-019 New Resident Inspector Named at Arkansas Nuclear One (8/14)
August 18, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 18, 2006

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-06-0168 07/27/06 Staff Comments on the Draft

Recommendations of the International

Commission on Radiological Protection

2. SRM-SECY-06-0139 08/14/06 Secure Transfer of Nuclear Material (RIN:

3150-AH90)

Voting Record on

SECY-06-0139

08/14/06 (same)

3. SRM-SECY-06-0152 08/14/06 Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part

72 License and Certificate of Compliance

Terms

Voting Record on 

SECY-06-0152

08/14/06 (same)

4. COMGBJ-06-0004 06/30/06 Potential Closure of the Issues Surrounding

the February 25, 2002, Security Orders o

Nuclear Power Plants

SRM on 06-0004 08/14/06 (same)

Comr. McGaffigan 

 vote on 06-0004

08/09/06 (same)

5. SECY-06-0173 08/02/06 History of the Emergency Notification

System and Options to Provide

Confirmation of Authority/Identity of a Caller

Information Papers

- SECY-06-0182 08/16/06 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

August 4, 2006

Memoranda

- M060817 08/17/06 Affirmation Session: SECY-06-0162 -

Louisiana Energy Services, LP (National

Enrichment Facility) Docket No. 70-3103-

ML, Petitions for Review of LBP-06-15
August 18, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congress, dated August 12, 2006, provides NRC’s quarterly report on the status

of its licensing and other regulatory activities.

2. Letter to Won-Ky Shin, Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, dated August 1, 2006,

expresses gratitude for congratulatory letter.

3. Letter to Min-Shen Ouyang, Atomic Energy Council, Taiwan, dated August 1, 2006,

expresses gratitude for congratulatory letter.
August 18, 2006 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 18, 2006

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 31

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Combs 09/14/06

SD406

9:30 DOE, NRC’s EDO, NEI,

EDF

NRC Oversight focusing on NRC’scapability for the long- and shortterm spent fuel storage programs

Senators Clean Air

Nuclear SEnvironm

Shane September

SD-406

9:30 Markup S. 2348, Nuclear Release Notice Act

of 2006

Senators Environm

The Senate and House of Representatives are in recess until September 5, 2006.