INFORMATION REPORT

January 24, 2007 SECY-07-0016

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

JANUARY 12, 2007

Contents Enclosure

Nuclear Reactor Regulation A

New Reactors B*

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards C

Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs D

Nuclear Regulatory Research E

Nuclear Security and Incident Response F

Administration G

Information Services H

Chief Financial Officer I*

Human Resources J

Small Business and Civil Rights K*

Enforcement L*

Public Affairs M

International Programs N*

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/

Michael R. Johnson 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO
January 24, 2007 SECY-07-0016

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

JANUARY 12, 2007

Contents Enclosure

Nuclear Reactor Regulation A

New Reactors B*

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards C

Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs D

Nuclear Regulatory Research E

Nuclear Security and Incident Response F

Administration G

Information Services H

Chief Financial Officer I*

Human Resources J

Small Business and Civil Rights K*

Enforcement L*

Public Affairs M

International Programs N*

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/

Michael R. Johnson

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

EDO R/F

AO R/F Document Name: C:\WIR\week112.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

UShoop:paa MRJohnson

01/24/07 01/26/07
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 12, 2007

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 OE *

NRO * OPA 17

NMSS 4 OIP *

FSME 6 SECY 19

RES 8 Region I *

NSIR 10 Region II *

ADM 11 Region III *

OIS 12 Region IV 23

CFO * EDO *

HR 16 OCA *

SBCR *

*No input this week
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

License Renewal Application for Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant

On January 8, 2007, the staff completed the acceptance review of the license renewal

application for the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant and determined that the application

contains sufficient information for docketing. The staff has not sent the license renewal review

schedule to the applicant because of the potential impacts that may result from the Continuing

Resolution. On November 16, the staff received from Carolina Power & Light Company, doing

business as Progress Energy Carolinas Inc., an application requesting the extension of the

operating license for Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant for an additional 20 years. Shearon

Harris Nuclear Power Plant is a pressurized water reactor designed by Westinghouse with a

current operating license that expires on October 24, 2026.
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

General Electric - Hitachi Change of Control of Licensed Facilities

General Electric (GE) briefed staff from the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguard’s

Divisions of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards and Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation, the

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, and the Office of the General Counsel on a proposed

plan to request consent of a change of control. GE plans to establish a holding company with

Hitachi, where GE will own 60 percent of the company. The holding company will own 100

percent of the licensee that will be renamed GE - Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC. The

transfer of control will affect the GE-Vallecitos facility, the Morris Independent Spent Fuel

Storage Installation, several certificates of compliance and transportation Quality Assurance

Program approvals, and some import/export licenses under 10 CFR Part 110. GE will change

the decommissioning financial assurance mechanism from self-guarantee, to parent company

guarantee for the affected facilities. This change of control will not affect the Wilmington plant

or Silex; control of Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas will not change. GE expects to submit the

request for NRC’s consent of the change of control by January 19, 2007, and will request

approval by April 30, 2007.

Issuance of Certificate of Compliance for the NUHOMS® HD System

On January 10, 2007, the staff issued a Certificate of Compliance (CoC) for the NUHOMS® HD

System. The issuance of the CoC is consistent with the publication of the final rule for the

NUHOMS® HD System, which was noticed in the Federal Register on December 11, 2006. 

The NUHOMS® HD System provides for the horizontal storage of high burnup spent

pressurized water reactor fuel assemblies in a dry shielded canister that is placed in a

horizontal storage module utilizing an OS-187H transfer cask. The system is a modified version

of the Standardized NUHOMS® System described in Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1004. 

The NUHOMS® HD System has been modified for high thermal loads, limited space, and

radiation shielding performance. 
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE D

Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs (FSME)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

Big Rock Point Property Release

On January 8, 2007, the staff approved the November 16, 2006, Consumers Energy request to

release a majority of the Big Rock Point property for unrestricted release. The staff concluded

that the release of the property met the approved license termination plan and the unrestricted

use criteria of 10 CFR Part 20, Subpart E. The remaining property which is necessary to

support the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation remains under NRC license. 
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE E

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

Resolution of Generic Safety Issue (GSI) 196

The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) staff has completed all actions planned for

the resolution of the subject GSI dealing with boral degradation in spent fuel dry storage casks,

and will close out this issue without imposition of new or additional generic action. On

December 13, 2006, the staff met with the Advisory Committee on Nuclear waste (ACNW), and

presented the rationale for closing out this issue. The ACNW reviewed and accepted the staffs

proposed resolution, and formally endorsed it (ADAMS Accession No. ML063520459).

Issuance of TRACE Version 5.0

On December 28, 2006, RES provided Version 5.0 of the TRACE (TRAC/RELAP Advanced

Computational Engine) Thermal-Hydraulic code to the Offices of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

(NRR) and New Reactors (NRO). TRACE will provide the NRC staff with an independent

analysis tool to perform audit calculations of design basis accident scenarios for both

conventional and new light water reactor systems.
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

Preliminary Notification

- PNO-III-07-001, Monticello Nuclear Management Company, MONTICELLO REACTOR

SHUTDOWN DUE TO TURBINE CONTROL VALVE FAILURE
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending January 12, 2007

Power Reactor Security Requirements; Extension of Comment Period (AH63-Parts 50, 72, 73)

On January 5, 2007, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (72 FR 480)

extending the comment period for the subject rulemaking until February 23, 2007, in response

to an Nuclear Energy Institution request.

Scott Portzline, Three Mile Island Alert; Petition for Rulemaking (PRM-73-11)

On January 5, 2007, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (72 FR 481)

stating that the Commission will consider the subject petition within the context of the proposed

rulemaking ‘‘Power Reactor Security Requirements.” The comment period for this rulemaking

closes February 23, 2007.
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE H

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

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

January 5 through January 11, 2007:

MLTS database, active & retired facilities FOIA/PA-2007-0071

OIG reports & memoranda on investigations in which named

individual was interviewed

FOIA/PA-2007-0072

NRC Rulemaking on 10 CFR 50.69, all documents dated from

November 2004 to present between named individuals & the

Commission, EDO, and/or NRR

FOIA/PA-2007-0073

FOIA case log for 2006 FOIA/PA-2007-0074

Listing of active NRC contracts to include contract number, contractor

name, program office, etc.

FOIA/PA-2007-0075

ABC Laboratories, Inc., 7200 E. ABC Lane, Columbia, MO 65202, all

paper copies of documents

FOIA/PA-2007-0076

ADM, Division of Facilities & Security, all records on performance,

job-related duties of administrative management trainee, on named

individual, March 2006 through December 2006

FOIA/PA-2007-0077
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE J

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

Arrival

ORENAK, MICHAEL GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRR

Departure

DERRICK, BRADLEY STUDENT ENGINEER (CO-OP) RIII

KALKMAN, ADAM STUDENT CLERK (SUMMER) OI

LANGE, CHRISTOPHER ROBERT MANAGEMENT ANALYST OIG

OWUSU, TOLANI GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) RES

RICKS, OLIVIA SECRETARY (OA) NRR
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

OPA received significant media inquiries on the following:

The effects on NRC operations of having to continue with FY 2006 funding levels.

NRC’s evaluation of Indian Point’s emergency exercise in November.

Plans for restarting Browns Ferry Unit 1.

Other Public Affairs Items:

OPA filed letters to the editor to multiple newspapers attempting to clarify the issue of security

requirements for new reactors following an inaccurate New York Times story.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

07-003 NRC’s Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards Elects Chairman, Vice

Chairman, and Member-at-Large (1/8)

07-004 NRC Releases Most of Big Rock Point Nuclear Plant Site for Unrestricted Public

Use (1/11)

07-005 NRC to Review Entergy Request for Extension of Deadline for Meeting Energy

Policy Act Requirements

Regions:

I-07-001 New NRC Resident Inspector Assigned to the Peach Bottom Atomic Power

Station (1/8)

I-07-002 NRC to Hold Public Meetings on Draft Environmental Impact Report for Pilgrim

Nuclear Plant License Renewal Application (1/12)

II-07-001 NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference to Discuss Oconee Nuclear Plant

Concern (1/11)

II-07-002 NRC to Meet with U.S. Enrichment Corporation to Discuss Performance at

Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (1/12)

IV-07-001 NRC to Hold Regulatory Conference with Arizona Public Service Company on

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (1/9)
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SRM on SECY-06-0200 01/08/07 Results of the Review of Emergency

Preparedness Regulations and Guidance

Voting Record on SECY06-020001/08/07 (same)

2. SECY-06-0244 12/22/06 Final Rulemaking–10 CFR Part 26–Fitness-forDuty Programs

Information Papers

1 SECY-07-0002 01/03/07 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

December 15, 2006

2. SECY-07-0004 01/05/07 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

December 22, 2006

3. SECY-07-0005 01/05/07 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

December 29, 2006

Memoranda

1. SRM-M061213 010/9/07 Staff Requirements - Briefing on Equal

Employment Opportunity, Diversity

Management, and Small Business

2. SRM-M070111 01/11/07 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-06-0227 - Entergy Nuclear Vermont

Yankee, LLC, & Entergy Nuclear Operations,

Inc. (Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station),

LBP-06-20 (Sept. 22, 2006), Reconsid'n Denied

(Oct. 30, 2006); II. SECY-06-0238 - Entergy

Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Pilgrim Nuclear Power

Station) Intervenor Pilgrim Watch’s Appeal of

LBP-06-23 (Ruling on Standing and Contentions)

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Dr. Lars-Erik Holm, International Commission on Radiological Protection, Sweden,

dated January 3, 2007, concerns the development of a new set of radiological protection

recommendations. 
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE O

2. Letters to Congress, dated December 20, 2006: welcome letters to Senate and House

Elects, and departing letters to Senate and House.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB), Order (Notice of Opportunity to Make Oral or

Written Limited Appearance Statements), Dominion Nuclear North Anna, LLC (Early Site

Permit for North Anna ESP Site).

2. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, Subcommittee Meeting on Planning and

Procedures, notice of meeting (1/31/07). 

3. Request to Amend License to Import Radioactive Waste, Diversified Scientific Services,

Inc. (DSSI). 
January 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV (RIV)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 12, 2007

Cooper Nuclear Station Senior Management Change

On January 9, 2007, Randy Edington, Chief Nuclear Officer and Site Vice President,

announced that he will be leaving Cooper Nuclear Station (CNS) later in the month. 

Stu Minahan, currently the General Manager, Plant Operations, will become the Chief Nuclear

Officer and Site Vice President at CNS following Randy Edington’s departure.

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Senior Management Changes

On January 9, 2007, Craig Seaman, General Manager Regulatory Affairs and Performance

Improvement, announced that he will be leaving Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station on

January 19, 2007. A replacement has not been selected for his position at this time. 

On January 25, 2007, Randy Edington, Site Vice President at Cooper Nuclear Station, will

report to Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station where he will become the Arizona Public

Service Company (APS) Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer.