INFORMATION REPORT

April 17, 2006 SECY-06-0088

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

APRIL 7, 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
April 17, 2006 SECY-06-0088

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

APRIL 7, 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\week407.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

UShoop:paa WMDean

04/17/06 04/18/06
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING APRIL 7, 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 9 SECY 19

OGC * Region I *

ADM * Region II 21

OIS 11 Region III 22

CFO * Region IV 23

HR 15 EDO *

SBCR * OCA 24

OE * ACRS/ACNW *

*No input this week
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Palisades Draft Environmental Impact Statement Regarding License Renewal Public Meeting

On April 5, 2006, the staff conducted two meetings at Lake Michigan College in South Haven,

Michigan, to solicit comments on the Palisades Nuclear Plant draft supplemental environmental

impact statement (SEIS), which was issued on February 14, 2006 (Supplement 27). The draft

SEIS is a plant-specific supplement to the "Generic Environmental Impact Statement for

License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants" (NUREG-1437). The staff held an open house prior

to each meeting to provide members of the public with an opportunity to talk informally with

NRC staff and view informational displays and brochures. The public comment period for the

Palisades SEIS ends on May 18, 2006. At the conclusion of the comment period, the staff will

evaluate the comments received and revise the SEIS as appropriate. The staff plans to issue

the final SEIS in October 2006.

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Subcommittee Meeting - Nine Mile Point’s

License Renewal Application (LRA) Presentation

On April 5, 2006, the staff conducted the subject presentation on the results of its evaluation. 

Constellation Energy Group (CEG) submitted the LRA for the NMP Plant on May 26, 2004. The

staff has completed its safety review and determined that there is one open item. No

confirmatory items were identified. During the meeting, the license renewal project team

received full support and participation from the NRC reviewers, audit team members, and

Region I staff. This item is scheduled to be discussed during an ACRS full committee meeting

in July 2006.

License Renewal Application for Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2 - Issuance of

Final Safety Evaluation Report (SER)

On March 31, 2006, the staff issued the subject SER. The staff completed its review and

issued the Draft SER without any open item on December 20, 2005. The staff presented its

evaluation to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) subcommittee on

February 8, 2006. A public meeting is scheduled for May 4, 2006, to discuss the final SER with

the ACRS full committee.
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

ANSI/HPS 43 Committee’s Annual Meeting

On April 5, 2006, a staff member attended the subject meeting in Arlington, VA, as the

designated NRC delegate. The ANSI/HPS 43 Committee is responsible for oversight of the

N43 series standards (N43.1 through N43.17), which include equipment and sources ranging

from particle accelerators to irradiators. The annual meeting serves to summarize the previous

year’s accomplishments and set an agenda for the upcoming year. In 2005, three standards

were updated and in 2006, three other standards will be updated. In addition, the Committee

unanimously re-affirmed three other standards for further use without update: N43.2, N43.10,

and N43.15, concerning x-ray diffraction/flourescence analysis equipment, Category II and IV

irradiators, and Category III irradiators, respectively. 

Underground Thermal Experiment at Yucca Mountain

On April 4, 2006, the staff and a representative from Clark County, NV, observed the opening

and sample removal from a completed underground thermal experiment at Yucca Mountain by

Department of Energy (DOE) project staff. This experiment was designed to evaluate the

thermal-mechanical-chemical response of water and rock to heat supplied by analog high-level

waste packages. The packages were placed in a tunnel that is 47 meters long and 5 meters in

diameter. The test started with a 4-year heating phase, where tunnel wall-rock temperatures

reached approximately 200 degrees C. This phase was followed by a 4-year cooling phase. 

Mapping was initiated by DOE project staff for: (1) patchy and streaky red stains on the analog

waste packages and the tunnel floor; (2) precipitated minerals on tunnel walls; and (3) rock

fragments that had fallen from the tunnel ceiling. DOE project staff collected dust samples and

retrieved metal and metal/microbial coupons. Photographs and videos to document visual

observations were taken by both DOE and NRC staff.

Issuance of Environmental Assessment Associated with a 10 CFR Part 72 Exemption Request

On March 31, 2006, the staff issued an environmental assessment, with a finding of no

significant impact, associated with an exemption request submitted by PPL Susquehanna, LLC

(PPL). PPL is requesting an exemption to allow loading Framatome ANP 9X9-2 fuel in the

Transnuclear, Inc., NUHOMS 61BT dry- shielded canister (DSC). The Certificate of

Compliance for this DSC allows the storage of General Electric (or equivalent) 9X9-2 fuel

assemblies that contain 66 full and 8 partial fuel rods. Framatome 9X9-2 fuel assemblies

contain 79 full fuel rods. PPL is requesting the exemption because space in the spent fuel pool

has become limited earlier than anticipated, and is negatively impacting a dry fuel storage

campaign planned for May 2006. 

Tokyo, Japan, and Daejeon, Korea Visit to Discuss Spent Nuclear Fuel

From March 27-29, 2006, NRC staff visited nuclear research and development institutes in

Tokyo, Japan, and Daejeon, Korea. Staff discussed and collected technical information on the

performance of spent nuclear fuel and the development of multi-use canister and waste
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE B

packages. The visits focused on information that could be relevant to the assessment of spent

nuclear fuel and waste package performance in a potential Yucca Mountain High-Level Waste

Repository.
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Publication of NUREG/CR-6902, “Effects of Insulation Debris on Throttle-Valve Flow

Performance”

RES has published the subject report, which describes flow tests that were performed to assess

the amount of different types of insulation debris that may become trapped in a throttle valve

and eventually restrict flow. This report also provides test data to support performance

assessments of high-pressure safety injection valves and other components downstream of the

containment recirculation sump strainer screens to determine if they can be affected by

ingested debris following a postulated loss-of-cooling accident.

Public Meeting with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on Seismic Issues Related to Future

Reactor Siting

On March 24, 2006, the staff participated in the subject meeting, which focused on a

performance-based approach for establishing the safe-shutdown-earthquake design response

spectrum aimed at achieving an acceptably low core-damage frequency due to seismic events. 

Also discussed were NEI preliminary reports on the performance-based approach for

determining seismic ground motion. The NRC and NEI agreed to hold a follow-up meeting on

this issue in May 2006.

Chemical Effects Peer Review Group Meeting

From March 27 through 29, 2006, the staff held the subject meeting to continue the review by

the group’s technical experts into the adequacy of RES-sponsored research related to chemical

effects in post-loss-of-coolant accident sump pool environments in pressurized water reactors. 

A final independent assessment report from the peer reviews is scheduled to be provided to the

NRC Project Manager on May 30, 2006. The RES sump research program is providing data

and analyses that will be used by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation in its review of

licensee responses to Generic Letter 2004-02. 
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE D

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-I-06-005, Millstone Unit 2 Power Station - SHUTDOWN GREATER THAN 72

HOURS - MILLSTONE UNIT 2 TURBINE DRIVEN AUXILIARY FEEDWATER PUMP

ROTATING ASSEMBLY DEGRADATION.

2. PNO-I-06-006, Certified Testing Laboratories, Inc. - LICENSED MATERIAL IN A

VEHICLE ON FIRE ON A NEW JERSEY HIGHWAY.

3. PNO-III-06-004A, Byron Generation Station Unit 1 and 2 - TRITIUM LEAKAGE (Update).

4. PNO-III-06-008, Indiana University Medical Center - MEDICAL EVENT INVOLVING

INCORRECT BRACHYTHERAPY SOURCE POSITIONING.
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

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

March 31 through April 6, 2006:

Allegation NRR-97-A-0097, all records including correspondence

between named individual & NRC

FOIA/PA-2006-0164

Palo Verde, 1981 Safety Evaluation Report, 3 documents referenced

on page 3-36 of report

FOIA/PA-2006-0165

OI Report 4-2005-029 FOIA/PA-2006-0166

OI Report 1-2003-011, all records FOIA/PA-2006-0167

Nuclear weapons & bombs incidents, accidents, crashes involving

U.S. Air Force aircraft between 1950 & 1968

FOIA/PA-2006-0168

LER for Waterford 3, 1992, re hurricane Andrew; NRC report on

Andrew if Waterford 3 is included; LER for Waterford 3 on hurricane

Katrina

FOIA/PA-2006-0169

Mailing list of Government personnel involved in the purchase of

office supplies (Referral by GSA)

FOIA/PA-2006-0170

Copy of application for license to import radioactive waste from a

NPP in Mixico Eastern Technologies, Inc., Ashford, AL, filed with

NRC on 2/3/06

FOIA/PA-2006-0171

MLTS database, active & retired facilities FOIA/PA-2006-0172

OI Report re: closed investigation regarding Dept. Of Transportation

& Public Facilities former Radiation Safety Officer, unlawful

discrimination

FOIA/PA-2006-0173
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Arrival

EAGLE EUGENE ELECTRONICS ENGINEER (DIGITAL I&C) NRR

WONG, YUKEN MECHANICAL ENGINEER NRR

Retirements

MATE, JOSEPH J. SR CONTRACT ANALYST RES

Departures

WOODS, MICHAEL A. ATTORNEY OGC
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Media Interest

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

GAO Security Hearing Followup Actions.

Tritium Public Meeting hosted by Exelon and Attended by Region III.

Request for Independent Review at Indian Point Nuclear Plant.

Palisades License Renewal Public Comments.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

06-044 NRC Announces New Head of Nuclear Regulatory Research (4/3/06)

06-045 NRC Uses Risk Insights to Revise Mitigating Systems Category in Reactor

Oversight Process (4/4/06)

06-046 NRC Increases the Amount of Security-Related Information Released as

Part of its Reactor Oversight Process (4/4/06)

06-047 NRC Finds No Significant Environmental Impacts From Proposed Grand

Gulf Early Site Permit (4/5/06)

06-048 NRC Advisory Committee on Medical Uses of Isotopes to Meet April 25-26,

2006 (4/6/06)

Regions:

I-06-19 NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance for Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant

(4/5/06)

II-06-012 NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance at Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant

(4/4/06)

II-06-013 NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance at Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant

(4/5/06)

II-06-014 NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance at Hatch Nuclear Power Plant (4/6/06)

II-06-015 NRC to Meet with Westinghouse Nuclear Fuel Plant Officials to Discuss

Facility Safety Performance (4/6/06)
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE M

II-06-016 NRC Begins Special Inspection at Hatch Nuclear Plant to Review Shutdown

(4/7/06)

III-06-013 NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance Assessment for Duane Arnold Nuclear

Power Plant (4/5/06)

III-06-014 NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance for Byron Nuclear Power Plant (4/6/06)

III-06-015 NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance Assessment for Prairie Island Nuclear

Power Plant (4/7/06)
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-06-0056 3/9/06 Improving Transparency in the 10 CFR

20.2002 Process

SRM on 06-0056 3/31/06 (same)

Commission Voting

Record on 06-0056

3/31/06 (same)

2. SECY-06-0036 2/14/06 Public Disclosure Options Within the

Security Cornerstone of the Reactor

Oversight Process

SRM on 06-0036 4/4/06 (same)

Commission Voting

Record on 06-0036

4/4/06 (same)

3. SECY-06-0069 3/27/06 Proposed Rule: Requirements for Expanded

Definition of Byproduct Material (RIN: 3150-

AH84)

4. SECY-06-0065 3/23/06 Office of the Inspector General

Recommendations on Decommissioning

Funding Assurance

5. SECY-06-0066 3/22/06 Regulatory and Resource Implications of a

Department of Energy Spent Nuclear Fuel

Recycling Program

Information Papers

SECY-06-0072 3/30/06 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

March 24, 2006
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

Memoranda

M060403 4/3/06 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-06-0044 - USEC Inc. (American

Centrifuge Plant); Geoffrey Sea Appeal of

LBP-05-28; II. SECY-06-0057 - USEC, Inc.

(American Centrifuge Plant) Appeal of

LBP-05-28 by Portsmouth/Piketon

Residents for Environmental Safety and

Security (PRESS); III. SECY-06-0061 -

Hydro Resources, Inc. – Petition for Review

of Partial Initial Decision on Phase II

Cultural Resource Challenges

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Roy Brown, Council on Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc., dated

April 1, 2006, responds to request that the Commission delay the implementation of

NRC’s Rulemaking on the Expanded Definition of Byproduct Material.

2. Letter to Jon Corzine, Governor of New Jersey, dated April 1, 2006, responds to request

that an independent safety assessment be performed as part of the license renewal

process for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station.

3. Letter to Senator Norm Colman, dated March 29, 2006, responds to concerns expressed

at the March 28, 2006 hearing held by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on

Investigations.

4. Letter to Marvin Fertel, NEI, dated March 29, 2006, responds to letter concerning the use

of operator manual actions to address industry fire protection program concerns.

5. Letter to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, dated March 29, 2006, responds to request for

an independent safety assessment to be conducted of the Indian Point Energy Center.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes, updated notice of meeting

(4/25-26/06). 

2. ASLB Notice of Hearing - In the Matter of Steven P. Moffitt.

3. ASLB Notice of Hearing - In the Matter of Dale L. Miller.

4. ASLB Notice of Hearing - In the Matter of David Geisen.

5. ACRS Subcommittee Meeting on Power Uprates - 04/25-26/2006, Notice of Meeting.

6. ACRS Subcommittee Meeting on Power Uprates - 04/27/2006, Notice of Meeting.
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

7. ACNW Meeting on Planning and Procedures - Notice of Meeting.

8. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste - Notice of Meeting.
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE P

Region II (RII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) Exit Meeting at the Turkey Point Nuclear Plant

On April 6, 2006, the Regional Administrator attended the AIT Exit Meeting at the Turkey Point

Nuclear Plant.

H. B. Robinson Management Meeting

On April 4, 2006, representatives from Carolina Power and Light Company attended a

management meeting in the Regional Office to discuss the operating performance of the

Robinson Plant.

Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Annual Assessment Meetings

During the week of April 3-7, 2006, the Regional Office held the NRC ROP Annual Assessment

Meetings for the Watts Bar and Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plants. The meetings were held at or

near the nuclear plants and were open to the public. 
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE P

Region III (RIII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Tritium Remediation at Braidwood Public Meeting

On April 6, 2006, the staff participated in a community meeting, held by Exelon Generation Co.,

to discuss its remediation plan to pump water from an offsite pond containing tritiated water. 

State and local approval for the plan is pending.

LaSalle End-of-Cycle Meeting

On April 6, 2006, the staff met with representatives of Exelon Generation Co. in Seneca, Illinois,

to discuss the end-of-cycle performance assessment for the LaSalle Nuclear Power Station. 

Meeting attendees included state and local officials and several news reporters.

Special Inspection at Indiana University Medical Center

On April 3-4, 2006, Region III conducted a special inspection into the circumstances

surrounding two medical events at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

The events involved brachytherapy treatments with radiation doses more than 20 percent under

the intended dose as a result of incorrect positioning of the radiation source within the treatment

device.

NRC Management Visit to Perry

On April 4, 2006, the Deputy Executive Director for Reactor and Preparedness Programs and

the Region III Regional Administrator visited the Perry Nuclear Power Plant to tour the facility,

meet with the NRC resident inspectors, and meet with FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co.

management.
April 7, 2006 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV (RIV)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

Palo Verde End-of-Cycle Public Meeting

On April 5, 2006, the staff conducted a public meeting in Tonopah, Arizona to discuss Palo

Verde Nuclear Generating Station’s safety performance for 2005. Participants included Arizona

Public Service Company officials, Region IV staff, and local community leaders.
April 7, 2006 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending April 7, 2006

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 13

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Keeling 04/04/06

2247 RHOB

2:00 NRC, GAO, NEI, Exelon,

Connecticut AttorneyGeneral, POGO

NRC efforts to define the DBT andset protective standards for theNuclear Power Industry

Reps. ShNational Sand InternGovernm

Decker 04/05/06

SH-216

9:30 Secretary Rice, DOS U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation

Agreement

Senators Foreign R

Decker 04/05/06

2172 RHOB

1:30 Secretary Rice, DOS U.S.-Indian Nuclear Agreement Reps. Hy

Internatio

Combs 04/06/06

2362BRHOB

10:00 DOE DOE Waste Treatment Plant at

Hanford

Reps. HoEnergy aAppropria

Decker 04/06/06

2318 RHOB

10:00 Shane Johnson, DOE, MIT,

EPRI, Watson ResearchCenter

Global Nuclear Energy Program(GNEP)

Reps. BigEnergyScience

Combs April TBA DOE Status of Yucca Mountain license

application

Senators Energy a

Combs 04/26/06

TBA

TBA NRC, GAO, DOE/OCRWM,

DOE/IG, Bechtel

Yucca Mountain Project: PersistentManagement and Quality Assurance

Reps. PoFederal WOrganizaGovernm
CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 13

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

April 7, 2006 

Shane 05/22/06

TBA

TBA TBA New Nuclear Power Plants Senators 

Energy a

Shane 06/22/06

TBA

9:30 NRC, GAO, NEI, Public

Interest Groups

GAO Report on Reactor OversightProcess

Senators Clean Air

Nuclear SEnvironm