INFORMATION REPORT

November 22, 2004 SECY-04-0218

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-04-0218 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING NOVEMBER 12, 2004

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

Chief Information Officer 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*

*No input this week.

/RA/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

T. Kim, OEDO
November 22, 2004 SECY-04-0218

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: SECY-04-0218 WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK 

ENDING NOVEMBER 12, 2004

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

Chief Information Officer 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*

*No input this week.

/RA/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

T. Kim, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\Week1112.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

T. Kim WMDean

11/ /04 11/ /04
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 12, 2004

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: T. Kim, OEDO by E-mail: tjk3@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 18

NSIR * SECY 19

OGC * Region I 20

ADM 10 Region II 21

CIO 11 Region III *

CFO * Region IV *

HR 15 OEDO *

SBCR * OCA *

OE *

*No input this week
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

Public Meeting on Electric Grid Reliability

On November 3, 2004, staff members from the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

and the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) met with representatives of the Nuclear

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

Electric Reliability Council (NERC), and several reactor licensees to discuss the ongoing

activities regarding electrical grid reliability. The following topics were discussed: (1) binding

agreements with reliability coordinator (Independent System Operator) and control area

operators, (2) single point accountability for plant activities with the switchyard and grid, (3)

plant voltage needs against grid voltage predictions, and (4) plant’s ability to respond to loss-ofoffsite power conditions including potential complications when non-essential power is lost for

an extended time period. 

Brunswick - Public Meeting on License Renewal

On November 4, 2004, NRR staff, supported by staff members from Region II, conducted a

Category 3 public meeting in Southport, North Carolina regarding a recently submitted license

renewal application for the Brunswick nuclear power plant. The staff presented an overview of

the NRC’s license renewal review process which includes opportunities for public participation. 

Approximately 30 members of the public attended the meeting. 

NRC Information Notice (IN) 2004-19: Problems Associated with Back-up Power Supplies to

Emergency Response Facilities and Equipment

On November 4, 2004, the NRC issued the subject IN to alert all operating nuclear power

reactor licensees to recent problems with back-up power supplies for emergency response

facilities (ERFs) and equipment at several facilities. The IN reminds the addressees of the

requirements in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 50, Paragraph

47(b)(8), which specifies that adequate emergency facilities and equipment to support the

emergency response are provided and maintained. 

Meeting with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

On November 9, 2004, NRR staff attended a meeting held at the NIST facilities in Gaithersburg,

Maryland to discuss the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) for

certification of calibration laboratories. This meeting provided background for the staff’s

ongoing evaluation of a licensee’s proposal to allow use of the NVLAP accredited calibration

laboratories as part of their commercial grade dedication programs. 
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

Meeting of the Western Interstate Energy Board

On November 4-5, 2004, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) staff

attended a meeting of the Western Interstate Energy Board’s High-Level Radioactive Waste

Committee in Portland, Oregon. The Board, composed of members from 12 western states

and three western Canadian provinces, deals with safety and operational issues related to

shipment of spent fuel. NMSS staff gave a brief presentation on the recently completed

full-scale drop tests in Germany. Other major topics discussed at the meeting include the

status of the Department of Energy’s shipping program for Yucca Mountain; Section 180(c)

funding; routing; and the safety and security of spent fuel shipping casks. In addition, a

representative of Private Fuel Storage presented an update on its proposed facility in Skull

Valley, Utah. The representatives from Utah and Nevada expressed a strong interest in the

Commission’s upcoming decision on the future direction of the Package Performance Study.

Participation in the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America

On November 7-10, 2004, staff members from the Division of High-Level Waste Repository

Safety (DHLWRS) and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA)

participated in the annual Geological Society of America meeting in Denver, Colorado. 

Department of Energy consultants on Yucca Mountain project discussed the preliminary results

of recent observations of plate tectonic motions and aeromagnetic anomalies associated with

potential volcanic features; identification of a known carcinogenic mineral in the tunnel; and

evidence of small amounts of water flowing through the Yucca Mountain fractures in the past

several million years. The DHLWRS and CNWRA staff members discussed their permeability

studies of a natural analog to Yucca Mountain non-welded tuff; its risk-insights of geologic,

hydrologic and geological features and processes at Yucca Mountain; and how it will conduct a

review of the License Application.
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

OECD-MCCI Program Review Group and Management Board Meetings

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) staff conducted the 6th Organization for Economic

Cooperation and Development (OECD) Melt Coolability and Concrete Interaction (MCCI)

Program Review Group (PRG) and Management Board (MB) meetings, held at the Argonne

National Laboratory on November 3 - 5, 2004. The OECD-MCCI Program is coordinated by

NRC with participation by 13 OECD countries and by the U.S. Department of Energy. The

outcome of the program is expected to determine the efficacy of severe accident management

strategy of flooding the reactor cavity. The 6th PRG/MB meetings focused on the recently

completed core-concrete interaction test (CCI-2), second in a series of two tests to generate the

two-dimensional concrete erosion data involving reactor core material. The CCI series of tests

provides data for modeling core-concrete interaction phenomena and for assessing the limit of

debris cooling by an overlying water pool. 

RES Management Meeting with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)

On November 5, 2004, RES management met with EPRI representatives to discuss ongoing

and planned cooperative research projects under the Memorandum of Understanding with

EPRI. The meeting focused on key research program status, challenges, and milestones. The

meeting covered issues related to risk-informed regulation, grid reliability, pressurized-water

reactor (PWR) sump performance, PWR materials degradation, advanced reactor designs, fire

protection, dry cask storage, digital instrumentation and control, and fuels.

Public Meeting on Draft Regulatory Guide DG-1138, “NRC Staff Regulatory Position on ANS

External Hazards P.A. Standard”

On November 9, 2004, staff from the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and RES

held a public meeting to solicit public comments on the staff’s proposed position on American

Nuclear Society (ANS) standard ANSI/ANS-58.21-2003, “American National Standard -

External Events P.A. Methodology,” as documented in Draft Regulatory Guide DG-1138. DG1138, which provides the draft Appendix C to Regulatory Guide 1.200, “An Approach for

Determining the Technical Adequacy of Probabilistic Assessment Results for Risk-Informed

Activities,” was issued for public comment on August 31, 2004. Representatives from ANS, the

Nuclear Energy Institute, the Electric Power Research Institute, and Westinghouse participated

in the meeting. In general, the meeting attendees agreed with the proposed staff position on

the external-events standard and ANS plans, with a few exceptions, to modify the standard to

reflect the staff position. Commenters also recommended that the staff consider issuing

Appendix C for trial use prior to issuing the document as final. This standard supports ongoing

staff efforts associated with the implementation of the phased approach to Probabilistic Risk

Assessment quality.
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration 

Items of Interest 

Week Ending November 12, 2004

Receipt of Petition for Rulemaking (PRM-73-12)

On November 8, 2004, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a Notice in the

Federal Register (69 FR 64690) that announced the receipt of a petition for rulemaking

submitted by the Committee To Bridge the Gap. The petitioner requests that the NRC amend

its regulations to upgrade the design basis threat (or the magnitude of threat that a facility’s

security systems must be capable of defeating), and associated requirements for protection of

domestic reactors from nuclear terrorism to a level that encompasses, with a sufficient margin

of safety, the capabilities evidenced by the attacks of September 11, 2001. The comment

period for this action closes on January 24, 2005. 
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE G

Chief Information Officer

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of

November 5 through November 11, 2004:

Allegations, RIII-04-A-0052 & RIII-04-A-0113; all communications

between NRC & Nuclear Management Co., re: complaint

FOIA/PA-2005-0035

NRC Contract 2600307, statement of work FOIA/PA-2005-0036
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

Arrivals

RJ Coleman Chief, Budget, Policy, and Operations Team, OCFO

Cynthia M. Flannery Team Leader NMSS

Brian Haagensen Operations Engineer R-I

Clifford Hall Security Specialist NSIR

Jorge Hernandez Reactor Engineer NRR

Harriet Nash Environmental Scientist NRR

Veronica Rodriguez Project Manager NRR

Benjamin Sandler Intelligence Analyst NSIR

Departures

Elizabeth Bowlin Auditor OIG

Victoria G. Francis Investigative Analyst OIG

Janet O'Dell IT Specialist R-IV
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

Media Interest

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

A “white” finding regarding Vermont Yankee’s inventory of tone-alert radios for residents of the

10-mile emergency protection zone.

Safety issues at the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear plants in New Jersey.

The NRC’s shutdown of the ADAMS document system for its ongoing security review.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

04-141 NRC Seeks Public Comment on Implementation of Reactor Oversight

Process (11/8)

04-142 NRC Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste to Meet Nov. 16-18 in

Rockville, Maryland (11/10)

Regions:

III-04-049 NRC to Meet with FirstEnergy on Nuclear Plant Performance (11/9)
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE N

Office of International Programs

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

JNES President’s Visit to the NRC Headquarters

On November 12, 2004, Dr. Hideki Nariai, President of the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety

Organization (JNES), visited the NRC offices at headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, and met

with Chairman Diaz and the Executive Director for Operations, Mr. Luis Reyes. JNES is a

technical support organization for Japan’s Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), created

in October 2003. 
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-04-0195 10/21/04 Rulemaking Plan: Clarification of NRC Civil

Penalty Authority Over Contractors and

Subcontractors Who Discriminate Against

Employees for Engaging in Protected

Activities (RM #636)

2. SECY-04-0191 10/19/04 Withholding Sensitive Unclassified

Information Concerning Nuclear Power

Reactors from Public Disclosure

SRM on 04-0191 11/9/04 (same)

Commission Voting

Record on 04-0191

11/9/04 (same)

3. SECY-04-0200 10/26/04 A Risk-Informed Approach to Defining the

Design Basis Tornado for New Reactor

Licensing

Information Paper

1. SECY-04-0197 10/25/04 Update of the Risk-Informed Regulation

Implementation Plan

Memorandum

1. M041110 11/10/04 Affirmation Session: I. SECY-04-0186

(Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Clinton

Esp Site), LBP-04-17 (August 6, 2004); II.

SECY-04-0189 - U.S. Department of Energy

(High Level Waste Repository:

Pre-application Matters); DOE's Appeal of

LBP-04-20

Commission Correspondences

1. Letter to Senator James M. Jeffords, dated November 2, 2004, responds to letter

regarding the engineering team inspection conducted at the Vermont Yankee nuclear

power plant.
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE O

2. Letter to Senator Patrick Leahy, dated November 2, 2004, responds to letter regarding

the engineering team inspection conducted at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.

3. Letter to Congressman Bernard Sanders, dated November 2, 2004, responds to letter

regarding the engineering team inspection conducted at the Vermont Yankee nuclear

power plant.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste, notice of 155th meeting on November 16-18, 

2004.

2. NUREG-1600, NRC Enforcement Policy, ACTION: Policy Statement: Revision.

3. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, Meeting of the Subcommittee on Plant

License Renewal, Notice of Meeting for 12/01/04. 
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE P

Region I

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

New England Radiological Health Committee (NERHC) Meeting

The Regional State Agreement Officer (RSAO) attended the annual meeting of the NERHC on

November 3-5, in Portland, Maine. The meeting was well attended by representatives from

nearly all Agreement and non-Agreement States within New England, as well as several federal

agencies. Topics of discussion, among others, included counter-terrorism, low-level radioactive

waste, site decommissioning, and a tritium accident case-study. The RSAO provided an

update on NRC issues and in particular, those important to the New England states.
November 12, 2004 ENCLOSURE P

Region II

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 12, 2004

Tennessee Valley Authority - Watts Bar Operator License Certificate Presentation

On November 9, 2004, the Deputy Regional Administrator attended a presentation ceremony of

operator license certificates held in Spring City, Tennessee for the recently licensed operators

at the Watts Bar nuclear power plant. On the following day, the Deputy Regional Administrator

visited the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant for a site tour and met with licensee management and the

resident inspectors.

U. S. Enrichment Corporation - Licensee Performance Review

On November 9, 2004, Region II staff conducted a pubic meeting to discuss the Licensee

Performance Review for the U. S. Enrichment Corporation’s Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion

Plant in Piketon, Ohio.