INFORMATION REPORT

August 2, 2006 SECY-06-0172

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

JULY 21, 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:

L. Rakovan, OEDO
August 1, 2006 SECY-06-0172

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

JULY 21, 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:

L. Rakovan, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\week721.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

LRakovan:paa WMDean

08/03/06 08/03/06
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JULY 21, 2006

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 STP *

NMSS 4 OPA 17

RES 8 OIP *

NSIR 9 SECY 19

OGC * Region I 20

ADM 10 Region II 21

OIS 11 Region III *

CFO * Region IV 23

HR 15 EDO *

SBCR * OCA 24

OE * ACRS/ACNW 25

*No input this week
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

Meeting with NEI and Industry on Steam Generator Issues

On July 12, 2006, the staff met with Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and industry representatives

to discuss several steam generator issues. The industry representatives presented the results

of an effort to develop guidance for licensees to use in evaluating steam generator tube leakage

under accident conditions. This effort was initiated to support implementation of the industry’s

steam generator initiative (i.e., NEI 97-06, “Steam Generator Program Guidelines”) and to

specifically address the effects of loads other than pressure loads (e.g., bending loads) on

steam generator tube leakage. Several new technical issues were also addressed during the

meeting. The industry representatives indicated that they would evaluate the issues and

determine what changes, if any, are needed to their guidance documents. 

Construction Inspection Presentation at Nuclear Air Cleaning Conference

On July 18, 2006, the staff provided a presentation on the NRC’s Construction Inspection

Program at the 29th Nuclear Air Cleaning Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. The conference is

sponsored by the International Society for Nuclear Air Treatment Technologies. The

presentation provided an overview of the NRCs 10 CFR Part 52 construction inspection process

which is being developed.

Monthly Reactor Oversight Process Public Meeting

On July 19, 2006, the staff hosted the monthly Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) public meeting

at NRC Headquarters. Meeting attendees discussed Mitigating Systems Performance Index

implementation, safety culture integration into the ROP, performance indicator issues and open

and new frequently asked questions.

Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) Staff Audits

During the week of July 10, 2006, Division of Engineering staff and contractors from

Brookhaven National Laboratory conducted an audit of the ESBWR containment structural

design at the General Electric (GE) Nuclear Energy facility in San Jose, CA. Discussions were

held on GE’s responses to the staff’s Request for Additional Information (RAI) in the structural

design area. The audit was performed in support of the structural design review of GE’s

application for design certification of the ESBWR. A public exit meeting for the audit was held

on July 14, 2006. GE agreed to provide revised responses to the RAIs.

ESBWR Design-Centered Working Group (DCWG) Meeting

On July 14, 2006, the staff held a public meeting with the industry’s newly-formed ESBWR

DCWG, composed of Dominion, Entergy, NuStart, and GE along with primary subcontractors

Bechtel and Enercon. The meeting discussions focused on pre-combined license (COL)

application activities. Presentations by the DCWG senior officials addressed the commitment to

standardization, preliminary response to NRC Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2006-06, “New
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE A

Reactor Standardization Needed to Support the Design-Centered Licensing Review Approach,”

plans and schedules, and key COL challenges. The North Anna and Grand Gulf COL

applications are expected November 2007 and the River Bend COL application is expected in

May 2008.

Meeting with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Regarding the USAPWR Standard Design

On July 13, 2006, staff hosted a public meeting with MHI representatives. MHI personnel

provided an overview of the company, status of activities, and the USAPWR design. MHI also

presented suggested topics for near-term discussion and indicated their plans for submittal of a

design certification application in March 2008.

DG-1145: Combined License Applications for Nuclear Power Plants (Light Water Reactor

(LWR) Edition)

On June 30, 2006, a draft work-in-progress version of DG-1145 was posted on the NRC public

website. The draft guide is being developed to provide COL applicants with information to

prepare their applications. Staff is working to complete the draft guide which will be issued for

public comment at a later date.

Beaver Valley Units 1 and 2 (BV) Extended Power Uprate (EPU)

On July 19, 2006, NRC approved an 8 percent EPU for BV, which increases the licensed

maximum steady state reactor core power level from 2689 megawatts-thermal (MWt) to 2900

MWt. The EPU amendment also approves full implementation of the use of an alternative

source term in accordance with 10 CFR 50.67 and Regulatory Guide 1.183. This licensing

action is in response to the licensee's application dated October 4, 2004. The NRC issued its

letter accepting the BV application for detailed staff review on July 19, 2005.

The EPU will be implemented in three phases, with the Unit 1 implementation of the first phase

(3 percent) beginning in August 2006, with full implementation being completed prior to startup

from the fall 2007 refueling outage. The Unit 2 implementation of the first phase (3 percent) will

begin with startup from the fall 2006 refueling outage, with full implementation being completed

prior to startup from the spring 2008 refueling outage.
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

NRC Staff Attends House Subcommittee Hearing on Yucca Mountain Schedule

On July 19, 2006, NRC staff members attended a hearing of the House Subcommittee on

Energy and Air Quality devoted to testimony by Mr. Ward Sproat, newly confirmed Director of

the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management

(OCRWM). Mr. Sproat testified that DOE will submit a license application for a repository at

Yucca Mountain to NRC no later than June 30, 2008. He also announced that if NRC were to

grant construction authorization within 3 years, and if legislative changes that DOE proposed

earlier this year were enacted, the repository would be able to accept spent nuclear fuel in

2017. Mr. Sproat assured several subcommittee members that independent, external

assessments of the draft license application, and DOE’s quality assurance programs, would not

delay the proposed schedule. He also commented, in response to several questions, that

further efficiencies in the schedule might be found by shortening the construction schedule for

the repository once construction authorization was granted. In addition to committing to

submitting an application to NRC by June 30, 2008, Mr. Sproat committed to: (1) staff and train

the OCRWM organization to become a credible NRC licensee; (2) address the growing liabilities

resulting from DOE’s unmet contractual obligations to move spent fuel from nuclear plant sites;

and (3) develop a comprehensive transportation plan that will address State, local, and Tribal

concerns.

Public Meeting to Discuss Transport of VSC-24 Dry Storage Canisters

On July 13, 2006, staff met with representatives of Energy Solutions, at NRC Headquarters, for

a pre-application meeting. Energy Solutions is planning to submit an application, in September

2006, for transporting 58 canisters loaded with 24 PWR spent fuel assemblies in vertical

storage casks (VSC) currently in dry storage sites at the Palisades, Point Beach, and Arkansas

Nuclear One reactor sites. The canisters had been designed for storage only. Energy

Solutions is planning to submit its application, using Burnup Credit for the criticality safety

control under transport conditions. At the meeting, Energy Solutions presented its methodology

and the results of its Burnup Credit analyses. 
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

SPAR Model Development with Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Meeting

On July 12-13, 2006, RES staff met with INL staff to discuss the status and future direction of

the SPAR Model Development Project. The major topics discussed were integration of the

external events, low power shutdown and large early release frequency models in the current

internal events model, long term expectations and uses of the SPAR models, and SAPHIRE

version 8 enhancements which are necessary for the SPAR model integration effort. The result

of this effort will provide an easier to use and more efficient analytical tool in support of the

Reactor Oversight Process.
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE D

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

Differing Professional Opinion (DPO) Involving Emergency Preparedness for Day Care Centers

and Nursery Schools (DPO-2005-008)

On July 14, 2006, the Director, NSIR, issued a decision on a DPO involving emergency

preparedness for day care centers and nursery schools (DPO-2005-008). On September 7,

2005, an NRC employee submitted a DPO that focused on the adequacy of preplanned

evacuation resources and preplanned relocation centers for day care centers and nursery

schools within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (“Commonwealth”) and on whether the

Commonwealth and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS/FEMA) have failed to

comply with DHS/FEMA guidance. On June 8, 2006, an Ad Hoc Review Panel provided the

results of its independent review to the Director, NSIR. The panel concluded that DHS has

arrived at a defensible finding of reasonable assurance that children at day care facilities and

nursery schools would be evacuated in the event of a radiological emergency at a power plant

in the Commonwealth. The panel concluded that the DHS/FEMA finding is consistent with the

relevant regulations and guidance documents as well as legal implementation of Federal, State,

and local requirements. The panel recommended that NSIR continue to work with DHS/FEMA,

as it undertakes an across-the-board review of their guidance documents, to emphasize the

value of clear guidance to the public and others outside of the radiological emergency

preparedness community. Based on a review of the panel’s report, the Director, NSIR, agreed

with the panel’s conclusions and recommendations.
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending July 21, 2006

Implementation of the Nuclear Export and Import Provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005;

Correction (AH88 - Part 110)

On July 14, 2006, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (71 FR 40003)

correcting minor typographical errors in a final rule that implements the nuclear export and

import provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The final rule facilitates exports to specific

countries of high-enriched uranium for medical isotope production in reactors that are using lowenriched uranium or have agreed to convert to low-enriched uranium. The final rule also revises

the definition of byproduct material and requires specific licenses for the export and import of

Radium-226 that meet International Atomic Energy Agency threshold values. 
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

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

July 14 through July 20, 2006:

Budd Company, Red Lion Rd., Philadelphia, PA, groundwater

remediation information

FOIA/PA-2006-0248
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

Arrival

BUCKBERG, PERRY H. PROJECT MANAGER NRR

CARDENAS, DANIEL SECURITY SPECIALIST NSIR

CIRCLE, JEFF A. SR. RELIABILITY AND RISK ANALYST NRR

CONWAY, KIMBERLY GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRR

DEXTER, ROBERT SECURITY SPECIALIST NSIR

FELIZ ADORNO, NESTOR REACTOR ENGINEER (NSPDP) R-III

GHASEMIAN, SHAHRAM ENFORCEMENT SPECIALIST OE

HOFFMAN, ADAM GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRR

HUI, WILLIAM W. PROJECT MANAGER NRR

JACKSON, JAMES F. ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE ASLBP

MCCANN, EDWARD V. FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER NRR

MCKINLEY, RAYMOND R. OPERATIONS ENGINEER R-I

NG, CHING H. GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRR

RADES, PAUL S. AUDITOR/MANAGEMENT ANALYST OIG

REED, WILLIAM H. ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE ASLBP

RIVERA-LUGO, RICHARD GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) RES

RODRIQUEZ, MICHAEL E. SECURITY SPECIALIST NSIR

SCHNETZLER, BONNIE A. SECURITY SPECIALIST NSIR

STECKEL, JAMES A. PROJECT MANAGER NRR

TOMLINSON, JOYCE REACTOR INSPECTOR R-I

VAUGHN, JAMES E. SECURITY SPECIALIST NSIR

WILKINS, LYNNEA E. GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRR

Departures

BRIGGS, CHRISTINE M. CORRESPONDENCE ANALYST EDO

COLEMAN, RJ CHIEF, BUDG POLICY & OPER TEAM CFO
WILKINS, LYNNEA E. GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRR

July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE I

COMPTON, MAKEEKA K. SECRETARY (OA) NRR

GABOSSY, ANDREA C. MANAGEMENT ANALYST NSIR

WEDEWER, HARRY E. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR OGC

ZABKO, JOHN G. HEALTH PHYSICIST STP
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

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

Union of Concerned Scientists’ petition to NRC regarding tritium releases from nuclear power

plants.

NRC’s expectations for new reactor applications.

Other Public Affairs Items:

OPA’s Director and Region II Public Affairs Officers assisted the Chairman during his visit to

Vogtle and discussions with local journalists.

OPA worked extensively with the New York Times Magazine for an article on nuclear power

published July 16.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

06-095 NRC Approves Power Uprate for Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant (7/20)

Regions:

I-06-042 Atomic Safety and Licensing Board to Hear Oral Argument in Vermont Yankee

License Renewal Proceeding (7/21)
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-06-0125

(Redacted Version)

06/01/06 Proposed Reorganization of the Offices of

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards and

State and Tribal Programs

SRM-SECY-06-0125

(Redacted Version)

06/01/06 (same)

2. SECY-06-0143 07/05/06 Stakeholder Comments and Path Forward

on Decommissioning Guidance to Address

License Termination Rule Analysis Issues

Commission Correspondence

- Letter to Congress (Senator Inhofe and Congressman Barton), dated June 30, 2006,

provides the Annual Status Report on the Results of the Security Inspection Program for

Calendar Year 2005.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Renewal notice for the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste, for a period of two years.

2. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, ORDER (Setting Oral Argument Schedule and

Inviting Written Limited Appearance Statements), In the Matter of Entergy Nuclear

Vermont Yankee, LLC, and Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Vermont Yankee). 

3. Proposed rule, Requirements for Expanded Definition of Byproduct Material, 10 CFR

Parts 20, 30, 31, 32, 33, 35, 50, 61, 72, 110, 150, 170, and 171, RIN: 3150-AH84.
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE P

Region I (RI)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

Audit of Region I’s Radiation Safety Program

From July 18-20, 2006, the annual audit of the Region I Radiation Safety Program was

conducted by the Region IV Radiation Safety Officer. The scope of the audit included as low as

reasonably achievable practices, personnel training, personal dosimetry, survey instrumentation

and control of records. There were two findings that were minor in nature and will be entered

into the Region I corrective action program for resolution. The overall conclusion was that the

Region I program was adequate to protect Region I employees and conformed to the

requirements of Management Directive 10.131 and Regional Office Instruction 0860.1.
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE P

Region II (RII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

Chairman Visits Vogtle Nuclear Plant and Region II Office

On July 17, 2006, the Chairman and Regional Administrator visited the Vogtle Nuclear Plant for

a site tour and met with licensee management.

Meeting with Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization

On July 20, 2006, the staff participated in an informal meeting with Dr. Hideki Nariai, the

President of the Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization. During the meeting, the NRC and

Japan staffs discussed the NRC’s inspection program and inspector training.
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV (RIV)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

Entergy Operations, Inc. (River Bend Station) Regulatory Conference

On July 20, 2006, Region IV conducted a Regulatory Conference with Entergy Operations, Inc.

to discuss a preliminary White inspection finding at River Bend Station. The apparent violation

of NRC requirements involved the use of seismic monitoring instrumentation as input to

classifying potential seismic emergencies. Representatives from River Bend Station discussed

the adequacy of the violation and the significance level of the NRC finding. One member of the

public attended the meeting via the teleconference bridge.
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE R

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 27

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT COMMITTEE

Shane TBD

SD-342

2:30 TBA Cyber Security Issues Senators Coburn/Carper

Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International SecurityHomeland Security and Governmental  Affairs

Decker 07/18/06

SD-366

10:00 TBA Energy Needs of India and the role

of nuclear power in meeting theseneeds

Senator Domenici/BingamanEnergy and Natural Resources

Shane 07/18/06

2203 RHOB

2:00 TBA Evaluating Federal Paperwork

Reduction Efforts

Reps. Miller/LynchRegulatory AffairsGovernment Reform

Combs 07/19/06

2322 RHOB

2:00 DOE DOE’s schedule for Yucca Mountain Reps. Hall/Boucher

Energy and Air QualityEnergy and Commerce
July 21, 2006 ENCLOSURE S

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)/

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW)

Items of Interest

Week Ending July 21, 2006

As a result of its 172nd meeting (July 17-20, 2006), the ACNW issued letters and reports

on the following subjects. 

Date

July 18, 2006 The 2006 Draft Recommendations of the International Commission

on Radiological Protection