INFORMATION REPORT

November 22, 2005 SECY-05-0215

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

NOVEMBER 11, 2005

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 Nuclear Waste S

*No input this week.

/RA by Thomas A. Bergman Acting For/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

L. Rakovan, OEDO
November 22, 2005 SECY-05-0215

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

November 11, 2005

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 Nuclear Waste S

*No input this week.

/RA by Thomas A. Bergman Acting For/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

L. Rakovan, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\week1111.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

LRakovan:paa WMDean tab for

11/22 /05 11/25 /05
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 11, , 2005

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 STP *

NMSS 4 OPA *

RES 8 OIP *

NSIR 9 SECY 19

OGC * Region I 20

ADM 10 Region II *

OIS 11 Region III 22

CFO * Region IV 23

HR 15 EDO *

SBCR * OCA 24

OE * ACRS/ACNW 25

*No input this week
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Wear Indications in Replacement Steam Generators at Oconee Unit 2

On November 1, 2005, Duke Power notified the NRR staff that abnormal levels of wear

degradation were found in the steam generator tubing at Oconee Unit 2. Although no

indications exceeded the technical specification tube repair limit of 40 percent through-wall

wear, the licensee elected to plug each of three tubes with indications measuring 26 percent

through-wall wear or greater. Additionally, Duke Power intends to remove two tubes for

metallurgical examination, install pressure transducers at several elevations within the

secondary side, and install accelerometers at various locations around the steam generator to

gain a better understanding of potential causal factors for the observed wear. The staff plans to

meet with Duke Power as additional information on the root cause of the wear problem

becomes available. 

Staff Holds Public Scoping Meetings on Environmental Issues Pertaining to the License

Renewal of Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS)

On November 1, 2005, the staff conducted two meetings to solicit comments from the public on

the scope of the environmental review of the OCNGS license renewal application. 

Approximately 115 people attended the meetings, including members of the public and

representatives of the NRC staff, Argonne National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National

Laboratory, AmerGen Energy Company LLC (AmerGen, the applicant), Exelon Corporation,

local citizen organizations, and local news media. Public comments and questions were mainly

focused on spent fuel storage and disposal, emergency planning, the draft National Pollutant

Discharge Elimination System permit, and alternatives to license renewal. In addition to the

public meetings, the staff and its contractors conducted an environmental site audit in the

vicinity of OCNGS from October 10-14, 2005. The public scoping period ends on

November 25, 2005. The draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) is

scheduled to be published in June 2006 and the final SEIS is scheduled to be published in

January 2007.

UniStar Combined License Plans

On November 2, 2005, the NRC staff met with representatives of Constellation Energy and

Framatome to discuss plans for combined license applications. Constellation and Framatome

recently formed a joint venture called UniStar, which is intended to support deployment of a

fleet of new reactors standardized on the Framatome EPR design. An application for

certification of the EPR is planned at the end of 2007, with a combined license (COL)

application referencing EPR following about 6 months later. An additional COL application is

planned about a year later. Constellation representatives at the meeting made it clear that

recent trade press articles which described Constellation plans to submit an early site permit

(ESP) application in 2007 are in error; and that an ESP application is not part of this plan. 

Constellation representatives stated that the most likely sites are Nine Mile Point and Calvert

Cliffs. An announcement of the site for the first application is planned for early 2006. 
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Meeting with EPA on Uranium in Drinking Water

On November 3, 2005, staff from NMSS, the Office of the General Counsel, and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met to discuss the status of activities regarding

treatment of uranium in drinking water. In 2000, EPA issued a new radionuclides rule which, for

the first time, set a maximum contaminant level for uranium. As a result, some water treatment

facilities may come under NRC jurisdiction, depending on the extent they concentrate the

uranium during removal. EPA staff indicated that they had begun a survey of certain water

treatment facilities, to determine the effectiveness and potential radiological hazards resulting

from various treatment technologies. The EPA staff indicated they will provide NRC with the

results of the surveys, as they become available.

Public Meeting on Rulemaking Expanding the Definition of Byproduct Material

On November 9, 2005, the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety hosted a

roundtable discussion on the rulemaking expanding the definition of byproduct material to

include naturally occurring and accelerator-produced radioactive material. This rulemaking is

one of the actions that NRC was directed to undertake in the National Energy Policy Act of

2005. This noticed public meeting was held at NRC Headquarters. Roundtable participants

were stakeholders affected by the rulemaking. They included: (a) State government

representatives from the Organization of Agreement States and the Conference of Radiation

Control Program Directors; (b) NRC's Advisory Committee on the Medical Use of Isotopes;

(c) the Nuclear Energy Institute; (d) the research community; (e) other Federal agencies (e.g.,

the Environmental Protection Agency); and (f) the medical community (e.g., Health Physics

Society, Council on Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals, American College of Radiology,

Society of Nuclear Medicine). Among the topics discussed were: (1) current State regulations;

(2) the definition of "discrete source;" and (3) the point at which accelerator-produced material

should come under NRC jurisdiction. The NRC staff will use the information discussed at the

meeting to help prepare a proposed final rule.

DOE Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Meeting

From November 8-9, 2005, staff observed a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Waste

Technical Review Board meeting in Las Vegas, NV. The Board discussed a range of technical

and scientific issues pertinent to DOE efforts to develop a repository for the permanent disposal

of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Topics

discussed included: (1) corrosion of the repository waste package and drip shield;

(2) investigations undertaken in the saturated zone below the proposed repository; and

(3) models used to represent how waste will move through the proposed repository's surface

facilities. A final meeting agenda is available and transcripts of the meeting will be available at

www.nwtrb.gov.
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Semiannual Code Applications and Maintenance Program (CAMP) Meeting

On October 27-28, 2005, staff hosted the subject international meeting for discussion of

assessments and plant accident calculations performed using NRC-developed reactor systems

simulation codes. Technical contributions from the CAMP program provide independent

assessments of NRC codes. 

Meeting of the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM)

Workgroup

From October 31 to November 4, 2005, staff participated in the subject meeting. The group

evaluated the statistical aspects of measurement-based decisions, which will be used for

radiological measurements of materials and equipment during decommissioning activities.

Meeting with the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM)

On November 2, 2005, staff met with representatives of BAM in Berlin, Germany. The purpose

of the meeting was to finalize the plan for exchanging data related to safety evaluation of spent

nuclear fuel storage and transportation casks. During this meeting, both parties agreed to use

this plan.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) - Nuclear Energy Agency 

6th Annual Working Group on Risk Assessment (WGRisk) Meeting

From November 2 to 4, 2005, staff attended the subject meeting in Paris, France. This meeting

focused on ongoing work on the use and development of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) in

OECD member countries. The major topics included work supported by WGRisk (including an

international fire PRA workshop), human reliability analysis, use of risk information in the

regulatory process, and OECD data bases for the quantification of risk and proposals for work

in 2006. 

Publication of NUREG/CR-6885, “Screen Penetration Test Report”

On November 3, 2005, staff published the subject NUREG, which documents the first in a

series of tests being conducted to address the potential effects of debris on emergency core

cooling system sump screens. This research supports the regulatory activities underway to

resolve Generic Letter (GL) 2004-02, “Potential Impact of Debris Blockage on Emergency

Recirculation during Design Basis Accidents at Pressurized-Water Reactors,” dated

September 13, 2004.
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE C

Public Meeting on NUREG-1829, “Estimating Loss-of-Coolant Accident Frequencies Through

the Elicitation Process - Draft for Comment”

On November 9, 2005, RES held the subject meeting at NRC Headquarters. This draft

NUREG was published for public comment in June 2005, and is available in ADAMS (Accession

No. ML051520574) and on the NRC website (http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doccollections/nuregs/staff/sr1829/). The purpose of this meeting was to facilitate the public

comment process. The staff provided a conceptual overview of the report and clarified issues

and questions that have been identified by the public to date. The pipe break frequency

information contained in the NUREG is being used as part of the basis for the proposed

alternative design basis break size in the on-going rulemaking associated with risk-informed

changes to LOCA requirements, and may be used in probabilistic risk assessment modeling.
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE D

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-II-05-012, Southern Nuclear Operating Company, In., Joseph M. Farley Nuclear

Plan, Unit 2 - FARLEY NUCLEAR PLANT UNIT 2 LOSS OF ALL MAIN CONTROL

BOARD ANNUNCIATOR POWER.

2. PNO-III-05-015, D.C. Cook Unit 2, Indiana Michigan Power Company - SPECIAL

INSPECTION OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AFTER REACTOR TRIP.
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Implementation of a Dose Standard After 10,000 Years; Extension of Comment Period (AH68 -

Part 63)

On November 4, 2005, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (70 FR 67098)

that extends the comment period on a proposed rule that would amend the regulations

governing the disposal of high-level radioactive waste in a proposed geologic repository at

Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The proposed rule would implement the Environmental Protection

Agency’s proposed standards for doses that could occur after 10,000 years, but within the

period of geologic stability, and specify a value to be used to represent climate change after

10,000 years. The comment period for this action closes December 7, 2005.

Design Basis Threat (AH60-Part 73)

On November 7, 2005, the NRC published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (70 FR

67380) that would amend the regulations pertaining to design basis threat requirements. The

proposed rule would make the security requirements imposed by the Commission’s April 29,

2003, design basis threat orders to existing licensees generically applicable. The proposed rule

would redefine the level of security requirements necessary to adequately protect public health

and safety and common defense and security. The proposed rule would revise design basis

threat requirements for radiological sabotage and the theft or diversion of NRC-licensed

strategic special nuclear material. The comment period for this action closes January 23, 2006.

Risk-Informed Changes to Loss-of-Coolant Accident Technical Requirements (AH29-Part 50)

On November 7, 2005, the NRC published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (70 FR

67598) that would amend the regulations applicable to nuclear power plant licensees. The

proposed rule would permit licensees to voluntarily implement a risk-informed alternative to the

current requirements for analyzing the performance of emergency core cooling systems during

loss-of-coolant accidents. The proposed rule would also establish procedures and criteria for

requesting changes in plant design. The comment period for this action closes February 6,

2006.

Disposal of Radioactive Material by Release into Sanitary Sewer Systems; Withdrawal of

Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (AE90-Part 20)

 

On November 10, 2005, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (70 FR 68350)

that withdraws an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that presented possible changes to 

the regulations governing the release of radionuclides from licensed nuclear facilities into

sanitary sewer systems. The advance notice of proposed rulemaking is withdrawn because the

NRC has determined that there are no widespread public health and safety concerns due to

radiation exposures associated with the handling, use and disposal of sewage sludge

containing radioactive materials.
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

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

November 4 through November 10, 2005:

Westinghouse Electric Co., 5801 Bluff Rd., Columbia, SC 29205, all

records re: radiological releases, engineering reports, remediation

reports, recycling reports

FOIA/PA-2006-0026

Westinghouse Electric Co., 1201 Riverfront Parkway, Chatanooga,

TN 37402, (formerly ABB Southeast Nuclear Service Center) all

records

FOIA/PA-2006-0027

Westinghouse Electric Co., 2939 Richardson Rd., Richland, WA

99352 (formerly PN Service), all records

FOIA/PA-2006-0028

Sites that store radioactive material or use in a production process &

type of material site is licensed for, Upper Gwynedd Township, PA

FOIA/PA-2006-0029

OIG investigations closed since January 1, 2003, list titles, case

numbers, dates opened & closed

FOIA/PA-2006-0030

Compensation claims submitted to NRC as a result of OPM

Compensation Memo 2004-19, dated October 13, 2004

FOIA/PA-2006-0031

Ft. St. Vrain nuclear reactor & nuclear material storage, survey report

- October 1996, Inspection Reports, docket 05000267, reactor license

termination letter, facility inspection reports 0700009

FOIA/PA-2006-0032

Employees in the State of Georgia FOIA/PA-2006-0033
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Arrival

ABUSSEINI, HASAN REACTOR INSPECTOR

(FIRE PROTECTION)

R-IV

AMMON, BERNICE C. ATTORNEY OCAA

KOUCHINSKY, ALAN J. STUDENT ENGINEER TRAINEE (CO-OP) RES

PENA, GUSTAVO A. IT SPECIALIST (INET) NSIR

Departures

BELLARMINE, PRAKASH XAVIER REACTOR INSPECTOR (NSPDP) R-II

CLEMENTS, BERRY L. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR OI

DUKES, ALINA M. SECRETARY (OA) OGC

SONG, JIWON A. OFFICE AUTOMATION ASSISTANT NRR
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-05-0203 11/03/05 Revised Proposed Rule to Update 10 CFR

Part 52, “Licenses, Certifications, and

Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants”

2. COMSECY-05-0047 10/04/05 Semiannual Report - Status of

Implementation of Davis-Besse Lessons

Learned Task Force Report

Recommendations

SRM-COMSECY-05-0047 11/09/05 (same)

Commission Voting

Record- 05-0047

11/09/05 (same)

3. SECY-05-0170 09/20/05 Proposed Agreement Between the State of

Minnesota and the Commission Pursuant to

Section 274 of the Atomic Energy Act of

1954, as amended

SRM on SECY-05-0170 11/03/05 (same)

Voting Record on SECY05-017011/02/05 (same)

4. SRM-SECY-05-0106 10/27/05 Proposed Rulemaking to Revise 10 CFR

73.1, Design Basis Threat (DBT)

Requirements

Commission Voting

Record- 05-0106

10/27/05 (same)

5. SRM-SECY-05-0151 11/03/05 Proposed Rule: 10 CFR Parts 30, 31, 32,

and 150 - Exemptions from Licensing,

General Licenses, and Distribution of

Byproduct Material: Licensing and Reporting

Requirements (RIN 3150-AH41)

Voting Record for SECY05-015111/03/05 (same)
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE O

Information Papers

SECY-05-0192 10/24/05 Status of the Accident Sequence Precursor

(ASP) Program and the Development of

Standardized Plant Analysis Risk (SPAR)

Models

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congressman Dennis Kucinich, dated November 1, 2005, responds to letter

concerning the effectiveness of radiological emergency plans for nuclear power plants.

2. Letter to Congresswoman Sue Kelly, dated November 1, 2005, responds to letter urging

NRC to assure that Entergy overhauls the emergency siren system for its Indian Point

power plant.

3. Letter to Congresswoman Sue Kelly, dated November 1, 2005, responds to letter regarding

emergency preparedness for the Indian Point power nuclear power plant.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW), revised notice of 165th meeting (11/14-

16/05).

2. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Subcommittee Meeting on Power

Uprates.

3. State of Minnesota: NRC Draft Staff Assessment of a Proposed Agreement Between the

NRC and the State of Minnesota.

4. Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace (MFP) Partial

Grant of Petition for Rulemaking.
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE P

Region I (RI)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Management Review Board Places New York Agreement State Program on Heightened

Oversight

On November 3, 2005, the Management Review Board (MRB) was briefed by staff regarding

the outcome of the periodic management meetings held in April 2005 with the four New York

agencies (New York City Department of Health, State Department of Health, State Department

of Labor and State Department of Environmental Conservation) that comprise the state’s

Agreement State program. Staff noted that each of the four agencies have a significant

number of amendments to NRC regulations that are overdue. The MRB decided that a period

of heightened oversight will give the four agencies the extra level of program visibility to ensure

that this compatibility issue is adequately addressed in a timely manner.

Beaver Valley Contract Agreement Reached 

On November 7, 2005, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 29,

announced it had signed a new three year agreement with Beaver Valley management. The

agreement in principle was reached on October 31, 2005, and was ratified by the union rank

and file membership of the approximately 440 plant employees on November 4, 2005. The

previous labor contract expired on midnight, September 30, 2005. Both sides had extended the

applicable terms of the previous contract during the extended negotiation process. 
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE P

Region III (RIII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

Regulatory Conference with Dominion Generation Co. On Kewaunee Issues

The Regional Administrator and members of the regional staff met November 8, 2005, with

representatives of Dominion Generation Co. for a regulatory conference to discuss the safety

significance of turbine building flooding issues at the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant. The

regulatory conference was followed by discussion of the current status and performance of the

plant.
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV (RIV)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

River Bend Station Site Visit and Entergy Operations Incorporated Annual Meeting

On November 9, 2005, the Executive Director of Operations (EDO) and the Regional

Administrator visited the River Bend Station. The Senior Resident Inspector conducted a site

tour and discussions were held with licensee management regarding plant performance. On

November 10, 2005, the EDO and Regional Administrator attended the annual joint Region IV

and Entergy Operations Inc. meeting held in Jackson, Mississippi. Meeting topics included

plant performance at Arkansas Nuclear One, Waterford-3, River Bend, and Grand Gulf.
November 11, 2005 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 39

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Combs 11/16/05

SD-366

11:30 Markup Nomination of Edward F. Sproat, III

to be Director, Office of CivilianRadioactive Waste Management,DOE

Senators Energy a

Shane 11/16/05

2154 RHOB

2:00 TBA Mitigating the Impact of High Gas

Prices on Federal Employees andOther Workers

Reps. PoFederal WOrganizaGovernm

Keeling 11/17/05

TBA

1:00 TBA International Efforts to Promote

Nuclear Security

Reps. LinPreventioAttackHomeland 

Shane 11/17/05

2154 RHOB

2:30 TBA “15 Years of the CFO Act - What is

the Current State of FederalFinancial Management?”

Reps. PlaGovernmand AccoGovernm
November 11, 2005 ENCLOSURE S

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)/

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW)

Items of Interest

Week Ending November 11, 2005

As a result of its 526th meeting (October 6-8, 2005), the ACRS issued letters and

reports on the following subjects. 

Date Subject

November 4, 2005 ACRS Assessment of the Quality of Selected NRC Research

Projects - FY 2005