INFORMATION REPORT 

October 25, 2007 SECY-07-0187

For: The Commissioners 

From: Vonna L. Ordaz, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

OCTOBER 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/ 

Vonna L. Ordaz 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

L. Rakovan, OEDO 
October 25, 2007 SECY-07-0187

For: The Commissioners 

From: Vonna L. Ordaz, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

OCTOBER 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/ 

Vonna L. Ordaz 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

L. Rakovan, OEDO 

DISTRIBUTION: 

EDO R/F 

AO R/F Document Name: G:Melissa\WIR\week1012.DOC 

OEDO AO/OEDO 

L. Rakovan VLOrdaz 

10/23/07 10/25/07 
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 12, 2007

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: L. Rakovan, OEDO by E-mail: ljr2@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 * Region I 20 

NSIR 10 Region II 21 

ADM 11 Region III 22 

OIS 12 Region IV 23 

CFO * EDO * 

HR 16 OCA 24 

SBCR * 

*No input this week 
October 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE B 

 Office of New Reactors (NRO) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending October 12, 2007 

Public Meeting with South Carolina Electric & Gas (SCE&G) to Discuss Details of Seismology at 

the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station Site

On October 3, 2007, NRO staff met with SCE&G to discuss seismic justifications and the 

associated bases for those justifications. An overview of Section 2.5 of the Final Safety Analysis 

Report was presented, and a summary of the geology, seismology and geo-technical 

investigations were provided. Further, seismic issues (bedrock shear fractures and reservoir 

induced seismicity) were addressed. SCE&G took a proactive approach in providing the staff 

with sufficient detail to address their seismic justifications and bases. 

Intergovernmental Outreach Meeting

On October 4, 2007, NRO and Office of the Federal and State Materials and Environmental 

Management Programs staff met with staff from the Environmental Protection Agency’s radiation 

protection division and their regional counterparts. The NRC representatives discussed the new 

reactor environmental review process and schedule. 

Public Meeting with Westinghouse Regarding the AP1000 Design Certification (DC) Amendment

On October 11, 2007, NRO met with Westinghouse, NuStart, and TVA representatives to 

discuss the review approach for the Westinghouse AP1000 DC Amendment. Several areas of 

concern were discussed regarding the amendment application, and specific examples were 

provided in support of those areas of concern. Westinghouse then presented its understanding 

of the identified issues. Westinghouse agreed to review the staff’s issues, and revise its 

application if necessary to address our concerns. 

Public Meeting with Westinghouse on the AP1000 Piping Design Acceptance Criteria (DAC) as 

Part of the Design Certification Amendment 

 

On October 11, 2007, NRO met with Westinghouse representatives to discuss staff issues with 

the piping DAC resolution. The staff discussed example options concerning Westinghouse’s 

initiative to address the Piping DAC in the AP1000 design. Westinghouse agreed to consider 

the matter further and indicated that it would propose an approach in completing the piping 

design that would be consistent with the regulations and would support a path forward to 

resolution of the Piping DAC. 
October 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE D 

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

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending October 12, 2007 

Proposed Rule Signed by Acting EDO

On October 10, 2007, the Acting Executive Director for Operations approved a proposed rule 

which revises 10 CFR Part 72.214, “List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks,” by revising the 

Holtec International HI-STORM 100 listing within the “List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage 

Casks” to include Amendment No. 4. This amendment will modify the Certificate of Compliance 

(CoC) by including changes to add site-specific options to the CoC to permit use of a modified 

HI-STORM 100 cask system at the Indian Point Unit 1 (IP1) Independent Spent Fuel Storage 

Installation. 
October 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE E 

 Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending October 12, 2007 

10th Meeting of the International Cooperative Program for the Inspection of Nickel Alloy 

Components (PINC)

From October 3-5, 2007, RES staff attended the subject meeting which focused on the reliability 

of non-destructive examinations (NDE) for primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). 

Participants reviewed the progress of the Atlas Database of PWSCC Morphology and NDE 

Responses and assessed the performance of various NDE techniques to detect and size 

PWSCC cracks in piping and dissimilar metal welds. Staff visited the Finnish nuclear regulator 

(STUK) to discuss this program and the codes and standards governing NDE in plant 

construction and in-service inspection. 

Meeting on Halden Reactor Project (HRP) Proposed Research 

On October 11, 2007, the staff participated in briefings by HRP representatives on HRP’s 

proposal for the next three-year agreement period (2009-2011). The HRP program covers two 

main areas – Fuels and Materials and Man-Technology-Organization (MTO). The proposal for 

the Fuels and Materials program addresses fuel high burn-up capabilities in normal operating 

conditions, fuel response to transients, cladding corrosion and water chemistry Issues, plant 

lifetime assessments, and instrumentation for use in materials studies. The proposal for the 

MTO program addresses human performance; design, evaluation and review of human-system 

interfaces and control centers; mixed-reality technologies; computerized operations and 

maintenance support; and software systems dependability. The intent is to have all 17 HRP 

member countries review and prioritize the proposed research projects and have international 

agreements put in place by mid-2008. 
October 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE G 

 Office of Administration (ADM) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending October 12, 2007 

Limited Work Authorizations for Nuclear Power Plants (AI05- Parts 2, 50, 51, & 52)

On October 9, 2007, the NRC published a final rule in the Federal Register (72 FR 57419) that 

amended its regulations applicable to limited work authorizations that allow certain construction 

activities on nuclear power plants to begin before a construction permit or combined license is 

issued. The final rule modifies the scope of activities that are considered construction for which 

a construction permit, combined license, or limited work authorization is necessary. The final 

rule becomes effective November 8, 2007. 
October 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE H 

 Office of Information Services (OIS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending October 12, 2007 

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

of October 4 through October 11, 2007: 

Strawberry Point & Building D, Martin State Airport, Baltimore, Maryland 

21220, IR-94-001, Licenses 19-01398-32, SNM-53, SNM-1192 & 

STB-187, records re: hazardous substance usage & waste generation FOIA/PA-2008-0006 

Contract NRC-02-07-006, issued to Southwest Research Institute, 

include statement of work & releasable pricing FOIA/PA-2008-0007 

Silicon carbide containing insulation materials approved for installation, 

use or installed or removed from Vogtle Electric Generating Plant & 

Hatch Nuclear Plant, 2001 & 2002 FOIA/PA-2008-0008 

NOVO Nordisk Bioindustrials, 33 Turner Road, Danbury, Connecticut, 

license no. 06-17718-01, license, violations, inspections, disposal, 

decommissioning FOIA/PA-2008-0009 

Joint Task Force conducting investigations of firms suspected of having 

supplied substandard fasteners/fittings to the U.S. Government, all 

records FOIA/PA-2008-0010 

RIV-2007-A-0093, RIV-2007-A-0048, & RIV-2007-A-0028, reports, 

allegation review board (ARB) briefing sheets & meeting summaries FOIA/PA-2008-0011 
October 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE J 

 Office of Human Resources (HR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending October 12, 2007 

Arrivals 

BENNEY, KRISTEN INFORMATION MANAGEMENT ANALYST OIS 

BRANDT, PHILIP PROJECT MANAGER NRO 

BULAVINETZ, RICHARD AQUATIC BIOLOGIST NRR 

CREEDON, MEGHAN SECRETARY (OA) NRR 

GORDON, MATTHEW MATERIALS ENGINEER NMSS 

HALBRITTER, SHANNA SECRETARY (OA) FSME 

LENEHAN, DANIEL ATTORNEY OGC 

LIGHTY, TONYA PROJECT ENGINEER RII 

MOSHIER, MARY SECRETARY (OA) FSME 

NOVE, CAROL MATERIALS ENGINEER NRR 

PATEL, GITA FISCAL ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT CFO 

PATEL, RAJU OPERATIONS ENGINEER NRO 

SANTOS, DANIEL SR. TECH ADVISOR FOR DIGITAL I&C RES 

THOMADSEN, BRUCE ACMUI MEMBER FSME 

TRAN, TAM PROJECT MANAGER NRR 

YOUNG, ZSA ZSA SECRETARY (OA) NRO 

Departures 

OLIVIER, JULIE SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER NMSS 

RAJANI, JANAK IT SPECIALIST (SYSANALYSIS) NRR 

YOUNG, RONALD REACTOR SYSTEMS ENGINEER NRR 
October 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE M 

 Office of Public Affairs (OPA) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending October 12, 2007 

OPA Received Significant Media Inquiries on the Following:

Fermi 2 nuclear plant steam lines puncture. 

Inattentive guards at Peach Bottom nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. 

Mixed Oxide plant construction issues, NRC’s environmental impact statement, new contention 

filings and the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board hearing process. 

Tritium leaks at Catawba and Beaver Valley nuclear plants. 

Recent uranium recovery application NRC received for a new in-situ recovery facility in 

Wyoming. 

Leakage at the Pennsylvania State University’s research reactor. 

Other Public Affairs Items:

OPA conducted a taped interview with AT&T Tech Channel, an online news service, regarding 

new reactor application activity. 

Press Releases

Headquarters:

07-133 NRC Seeks Public Comment on Implementation of Reactor Oversight 

Process(10/9) 
October 12, 2007 ENCLOSURE O 

 Office of the Secretary (SECY) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending October 12, 2007 

Document Released 

to Public Date Subject 

Decision Documents

1. SECY-07-0167 9/25/07 Revision of Policy Statement on Regulation 

of Advanced Reactors 

Information Papers

1. SECY-07-0174 10/5/07 Weekly Information Report – Week Ending 

September 28, 2007 

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congressman Christopher Shays, dated October 2, 2007, provides NRC’s 

position on the Government Accountability Office’s unclassified summary report, “Nuclear 

Security: DOE and NRC Have Different Security Requirements for Protecting 

Weapons-Grade Material from Terrorist Attacks” (GAO-07-1197R). 

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Subcommittee Meeting on Planning 

 and Procedures - notice of meeting (10/31/2007). 

2. ACRS Meeting of Subcommittee on AP1000, notice of meeting (10/31/2007). 

3. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel (ASLBP) Notice of Constitution - Nuclear Fuel 

 Services (Confirmatory Order). 

4. ASLBP Notice of Constitution - Andrew Siemaszko (Enforcement Action). 

5. Independent External Review Panel to Identify Vulnerabilities in the NRC’s Materials 

 Licensing program - notice of meeting (10/30/2007). 

6. Notification of the Plan for the Transition of Regulatory Authority Resulting from the 

 Expanded Definition of Byproduct Material.
October 12, 2007 

 Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)  Items of Interest  Week Ending October 12, 2007 

CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS SCHEDULE, NO. 32 

OCA Contact 

Date & Place Time Committee Subject Witnesses 

Decker 10/10/07 

311 Cannon 

2:00 House Homeland Security, 

Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology (Representatives Langevin / McCaul) 

HR 2631 – Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act 

• Representative Adam S• Vayl Oxford – Director, • Mike Evenson – Associ

DTRA 

• Vahid Majidi – Assistant 

FBI 

• Steven Aoki – Deputy U

Counterterrorism 

• Carol Burns – Group Le

Radiochemistry, Chemis

• Andrew Grant – Acting 

Bureau of International Department of State 

Decker 10/10/07 

311 Cannon 

3:00 House Homeland Security, 

Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology (Representatives Langevin / McCaul) 

Markup of HR2631 – Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act 

• N/A 

Powell 10/23/07 

2154 Rayburn 

10:00 House Oversight and 

Government Reform (Representatives Waxman / Davis) 

Health and Environmental Impact on Navajo Nation of Uranium Mining on Indian lands 

• Charlie Miller, NRC • EPA • DOE • Indian Health Service • Bureau of Indian Affairs • Navajo Nation 

Powell 10/31/07 

TBD 

TBD Senate Environment and Public 

Works (Senators Boxer / Inhofe) 

Licensing of a Repository at Yucca Mountain 

TBD