INFORMATION REPORT

February 7, 2007 SECY-07-0028

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

JANUARY 26, 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:

R. Taylor, OEDO
February 7, 2007 SECY-07-0028

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

JANUARY 26, 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:

R. Taylor, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

EDO R/F

AO R/F Document Name: C:\WIR\week126.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

RTaylor:paa MRJohnson

02/07/07 02/07/07
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 26, 2007

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: R. Taylor, OEDO by E-mail: rxt2@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 * SECY 19

RES 9 Region I *

NSIR 10 Region II *

ADM 11 Region III *

OIS 12 Region IV *

CFO * EDO *

HR 16 OCA *

SBCR *

*No input this week
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

Participation in the Working Group Operating Experience (WGOE)

From January 17-19, 2007, staff participated as a member of the WGOE, and as the U.S.

coordinator for the National Incident Reporting System at a Nuclear Energy Agency task group

meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The staff interacted with other members of the WGOE task

group to establish an International Operating Experience process that will greatly benefit the

exchange of operating experience and lessons learned. Outcomes of the meeting will be

documented in a report highlighting a proposed path forward.

Staff Issues Oyster Creek License Renewal Final Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact

Statement

On January 17, 2007, staff issued the Final Supplement 28 to NUREG-1437, “Generic

Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants,” regarding Oyster

Creek Nuclear Generating Station. The supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS)

represents the completion of the staff’s environmental review of the license renewal application

submitted by AmerGen Energy Company, LLC. 

The SEIS includes the staff’s final analysis in which the staff considers and weighs the

environmental effects of the proposed action, the environmental impacts of alternatives to the

proposed action, and mitigative measures available for reducing or avoiding adverse impacts. 

The report contains the NRC’s finding that there are no environmental impacts that would

preclude license renewal for an additional 20 years of operation. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue the Notice of Filing of the final

SEIS in the January 26, 2007, Federal Register. The NRC can then proceed with the renewal

actions after a 30-day period expires (February 26, 2007), provided that no Federal agency

refers matters in dispute in the final SEIS to the Council on Environmental Quality.
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, Spent Fuel Management Seminar XXIV

On January 17, 2007, the staff presented a paper describing the status of the current activities

and future plans of the NRC associated with the prospective licensing of the proposed geologic

repository. This paper discusses the disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive

waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE E

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

Meeting with Naval Sea Systems Command and Naval Surface Warfare Center on

Development of a Modular Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Code

During the subject meeting held on January 24, 2007, staff described the FAVOR code that is

used for calculating the frequency of throughwall cracking of reactor vessels due to pressurized

thermal shock loading. The staff described plans to develop a generic, modular code that

employs the best aspects of FAVOR, but extends analytical capability to materials other than

steel and to degradation mechanisms other than radiation embrittlement. The modular code

could be rapidly adapted to analyze a variety of component geometries and different damage

mechanisms. The Navy is interested in participating in the development of the modular code

and will begin a process to secure funding. Participation may be restricted to observation, but

could potentially include development of specific code modules that could be incorporated into

the code. 

Publication of NUREG/CR-6870, “Consideration of Geochemical Issues in Groundwater

Restoration at Uranium In-Situ Leach Mining Facilities”

The subject report discusses the in-situ leach mining process, common restoration methods,

historical information on in-situ leach mining restoration, and analytical techniques that may be

used for estimating the future costs for restoring these sites. A general approach for modeling

the restoration process, as well as the information and analytical techniques discussed in this

report, may be used by licensees, state regulators, and NRC staff who oversee uranium leach

mining facilities and assess the costs associated with their restoration.
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-III-07-001A - Monticello Nuclear Management Co., MONTICELLO REACTOR

SHUTDOWN DUE TO TURBINE CONTROL VALVE FAILURE (UPDATE)

2. PNO-II-06-004B - AREVA NP, Inc., UPDATE CLOSEOUT ON WORKERS EXPOSED

TO HYDROGEN FLUORIDE (HF) RELEASE
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending January 26, 2007

Secure Transfer of Nuclear Materials (AH90 - Part 73)

On January 24, 2007, the NRC published a final rule in the Federal Register (72 FR 3025) that

implements requirements for the secure transfer of nuclear materials. The final rule, which

implements provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, identifies certain licensees as

appropriate exceptions to the provisions requiring security background checks consistent with

protecting public health and safety and common defense and security. The final rule becomes

effective February 23, 2007. 
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE H

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

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

of January 19 through January 25, 2007:

Nuclear Materials Events Database (NMED), all years available FOIA/PA-2007-0088

Decommissioning Funding Status Reports, 2006, for Fermi, Vallecitos

WR, Humboldt Bay, Indian Point, La Crosse, & Carolinas-Virginia

Tube reactor

FOIA/PA-2007-0089

Records on named individual FOIA/PA-2007-0090

MLTS database, radioactive materials FOIA/PA-2007-0091

Radiation Therapy provider licenses, w/addresses, fax, phone, & emailFOIA/PA-2007-0092

Correspondence, from January 2002 to present, to & from Senators

McCain, Clinton, Obama, Dodd, Biden, Brownback, Hagel, named

former Senators, Representatives, Mayors & Governors

FOIA/PA-2007-0093

Blanket deputation to special agents/investigators in NRC’s Office of

Investigations (Referral by the Department of Justice)

FOIA/PA-2007-0094
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE J

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

Arrivals

LEOUS, JUSTIN ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST NRR

MAUCK, JERRY CONSULTANT NRR

SWAIN, PATRICIA PROJECT MANAGER (EIS) FSME
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

OPA received significant media inquiries on the following:

Commissioner McGaffigan’s comments regarding difficulties facing the Yucca Mountain Project.

Medical patients and radiation scanners in preparation for the Feb. 4 Super Bowl.

Other Public Affairs Items:

The Chairman spoke at Ohio State University and was interviewed by local public radio.

OPA reached out to the Asbury Park Press and the Press of Atlantic City to correct errors in

their reporting of the Oyster Creek license renewal process, and to the Vermont Guardian

regarding an error in its reporting on Vermont Yankee.

OPA assisted at public meetings in Plymouth, Mass., regarding the Pilgram plant’s license

renewal.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

07-009 NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to Meet Feb. 1-3 in Rockville,

Maryland (1/23)

07-010 NRC Grants Entergy’s Request for Extended Deadline for Meeting Order

Related to Siren Back-Up Power (1/23)

Regions:

I-07-004 NRC to Discuss Preliminary Results of License Renewal Inspection for Pilgrim

Nuclear Power Plant (1/23)

IV-07-002 NRC to Hold Public Meeting Feb. 1 on Draft Environmental Assessment for

Proposed Hawaiian Irradiator (1/25)
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Memoranda

M070122A 01/22/07 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session: I. SECY06-0240 - Entergy Nuclear Vermont Yankee, LLC, &

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Vermont Yankee

Nuclear Power Station), LBP-06-20 (Sept. 22, 2006):

Entergy Nuclear Generation Company & Entergy

Nuclear Operations, Inc (Pilgrim Nuclear Power

Station), LBP-06-23 (Oct. 16, 2006); II. SECY-07-

0003 - Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Early Site

Permit for Clinton ESP)

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Fred Madden, New Jersey Senate, dated January 17, 2007, responds to letter

opposing Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation’s proposed Decommissioning Plan.

2. Letter to Senator Frank Lautenberg, dated January 17, 2007, responds to letter expressing

opposition to the Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation’s proposed Decommissioning Plan.

3. Letter to Li Gangie, People’s Republic of China, January 11, 2007, acknowledges China’s

recent announcement regarding its plans to purchase four Westinghouse AP 1000 reactors.

4. Letter to Luis Echavarri, Director General, Nuclear Energy Agency, dated January 11, 2007,

responds to invitation to participate in the upcoming Nuclear Energy Agency Committee on

Nuclear Regulatory Activities Regulatory Forum on Assuring Nuclear Safety in June 2007.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW), Meeting on Planning and Procedures,

notice of meeting (2/15/07). 

2. ACNW, notice of 176th meeting (2/13-15/07). 

3. Establishment of Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, Shieldalloy Metallurgical Corporation

(License Amendment Request for Decommissioning the Newfield Facility).

4. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), Subcommittee Meeting on ThermalHydraulic Phenomena, notice of meeting (2/26-27/07). 
January 26, 2007 ENCLOSURE O

5. ACRS, Subcommittee Meeting on Materials, Metallurgy, and Reactor Fuels, notice of

meeting (2/22/07). 

6. ACRS, Subcommittee Meeting on Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena, notice of meeting

(2/28/07). 
January 26, 2007 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending January 26, 2007

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 1

 OCA

Contact

 DATE &

 PLACE

TIME COMMITTEE SUBJECT 

Sahm 01/30/2007

406 Dirksen

TBA Senate Environment and Public

Works(Senators Boxer / Inhofe)

Global Climate Change <TBA

Decker 02/07/2007

366 Dirksen

9:30 Senate Energy and Natural

Resources(Senators Bingaman / Domenici)

Proposed FY2008 budget forthe Department of Energy

<TBA