INFORMATION REPORT

December 20, 2005 SECY-05-0229

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

DECEMBER 9, 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

*No input this week.

/RA/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO
December 20, 2005 SECY-05-0229

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

DECEMBER 9, 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*

*No input this week.

/RA/

William M. Dean

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\week1209.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

UShoop:paa WMDean

12/22/05 12/22/05
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 9, 2005

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 * STP *

NMSS 4 OPA 17

RES 8 OIP *

NSIR * SECY 19

OGC * Region I 20

ADM * Region II 21

OIS 11 Region III 22

CFO * Region IV *

HR 15 EDO *

SBCR * OCA *

OE *

*No input this week
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

Decommissioning Lessons Learned Meeting

On November 30, 2005, staff from the Division of Waste Management and Environmental

Protection (DWMEP), Fuel Cycle Facilities Forum (FCFF), Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI),

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Organization of Agreement States (OAS) met to

discuss potential mechanisms to capture, preserve, and disseminate decommissioning lessons

learned. DWMEP representatives presented four options to preserve the information, and

members from FCFF, NEI, EPRI, and OAS shared their views on these options. In addition,

industry groups and OAS provided additional approaches, and commented on the idea of

communicating this collective effort to the decommissioning community at the Waste

Management Conference next year in Arizona. This is the first in a series of meetings to

discuss ideas to preserve decommissioning lessons learned.

First Annual Workshop on the European Commission Research Program on Fundamental

Processes of Radionuclide Migration

On November 29 to December 4, 2005, staff from the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory

Analyses attended the subject workshop in Saclay, France. The workshop is part of a 4-year

research program, involving 51 teams from 16 European Union countries, whose objective is to

deliver clear and scientifically sound answers to issues related to radionuclide

retention/migration processes, their model representation and up-scaling at host rock level, and

integration of the processes and associated parameters in performance assessment.

U.S. Transport Council Meeting

On December 6, 2006, staff attended the subject meeting in Washington, D.C. The USTC is

composed of industry representatives from utilities, shipping cask vendors, and carriers. The

main focus of the meeting was a DOE presentation on its proposal to use a standardized

transportation, aging, and disposal (TAD) canister as the preferred method for Yucca Mountain

shipments. Industry concerns with the TAD proposal included: (1) the need for a DOE

schedule for developing performance specifications for TADs; (2) the funding for development

and approval of TADs; (3) the single design would need to meet 10 CFR Parts 71, 72, and 63

requirements; and (4) the use of performance-based specifications. Industry asked DOE to

conduct a workshop in late spring 2006 to discuss resolving the issues on TADs that were

raised by the industry. NRC staff gave a presentation on the Baltimore Tunnel Fire Study and

ongoing staff activities related to the shipment of spent fuel.
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

Publication of Integrated Chemical Effects Test # 4 Data Report

On December 2, 2005, staff published the subject report, prepared by Los Alamos National

Laboratory, which details testing performed to simulate the chemical environment inside a

pressurized water reactor (PWR) containment water pool after a postulated loss-of-coolantaccident (LOCA) available in ADAMS at ML053350172. The test used representative amounts

of PWR containment materials and insulation. The staff is reviewing the data for regulatory

implications.

Nuclear and Radiation Studies Board Meeting at the National Academies

On December 6, 2005, the staff attended the subject meeting in Washington, D.C. Department

of Energy (DOE) staff provided information regarding the low dose radiation health effects

research program, long-term management of commercial spent fuel, and the conversion of

reactor fuels and targets to low enriched uranium. Staff is continuing to monitor DOE activities

pertaining to environmental cleanup, health effects research, and the management of

commercial reactor spent fuel.
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

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

December 2 through December 8, 2005:

Millstone Unit 3 RCS leak and reactor trip, event number 42180,

December 1, 2005, all records

FOIA/PA-2006-0045

OI reports 01-2003-011, 1-2003-025, & 1-2003-038 FOIA/PA-2006-0046

Fansteel, Inc., Muskogee, OK, “Technical Report Remediation

Assessment,” (9401240039) all records associated with package

number

FOIA/PA-2006-0047

Licensed facilities, Horsham Township, PA, list of facilities with broad

range of radionuclides (I-131)

FOIA/PA-2006-0048

2.206 petition submitted June 22, 2005, all notes, correspondence, emails leading to decision to denyFOIA/PA-2006-0049
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

Arrival

BROWN, ROHN E. LABOR AND EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SPECIALIST HR

CABALLERO, BRUNO L. OPERATIONS ENGINEER R-II

EMCHE, DANIELLE M. SECRETARY (OA) CSU

HERRITY, THOMAS J. PROJECT MANAGER NRR

KENNEDY, WILLIAM B. GENERAL ENGINEER NRR

KUPERSANIN, WILLIAM IT SPECIALIST (INFOSEC) OIS

Departures

DIPERT, RICHARD A FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEER NRR

KAMAS, STEPHEN A. STUDENT ENGINEER NMSS

LIEBERMAN, JODI B. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SPECIALIST OIP

SMITH, PATRICIA A. PERSONNEL SECURITY SPECIALIST (TL) ADM
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

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

The proposed sale of the Palisades nuclear plant.

The tritium leak at the Braidwood plant.

The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards’ meeting to discuss the proposed Vermont

Yankee power uprate.

Announcements by more utilities that they are considering building new nuclear plants.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

05-163 NRC Seeks Comments on Proposal Requiring Electronic Submissions for Most

Agency Hearings (12/5)

05-164 NRC and States Issue Requirements for Increased Controls on Certain

Radioactive Materials (12/5)

05-165 NRC Revises Environmental Review Schedule for North Anna Early Site Permit

Application (12/6)

05-166 NRC Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste to Meet in Rockville, Maryland,

Dec. 13-15 (12/8)

Regions:

I-05-064 NRC Assigns New Senior Resident Inspector to Hope Creek Nuclear Plant

(12/6)

II-05-045 NRC to Meet with Southern Nuclear Officials in Atlanta to Discuss Hatch

Nuclear Plant (12/7)

II-05-046 NRC Meeting with Southern Nuclear Cancelled (12/9)
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. COMSECY-05-0054 -

Cover Memo and

Attach 2 Only

10/26/05 Policy Revision: Handling, Marking, and

Protecting Sensitive Unclassified NonSafeguards Information (SUNSI)

2. SECY-05-0212 11/17/05 Proposed Rulemaking-Clarification of NRC

Civil Penalty Authority Over Contractors and

Subcontractors Who Discriminate Against

Employees for Engaging in Protected

Activities (RIN 3150-AH59)

Information Papers

SECY-05-0219 12/2/05 Issuance of Nuclear Regulatory

Commission Generic Letter 2005-XX, “Grid

Reliability and the Impact on Plant Risk and

the Operability of Offsite Power”

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Edward Diana, Orange County Executive, New York, dated December 2, 2005,

responds to concerns about reliability of the Alert and Notification System currently

installed at the Indian Point Energy Center.

2. Letter to Congress, dated December 1, 2005, provides NRC’s response to

recommendations made by GAO in its report “Nuclear Security: DOE Needs Better

Information to Guide Its Expanded Recovery of Sealed Radiological Sources” (GAO-05-

967).

3. Letter to Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, dated November 30, 2005, responds to request

that NASA and NRC attend a community meeting to discuss the recent discovery of

radioactive contamination at NASA’s Plum Brook Reactor Facility.

4. Letter to Congressman Edward Markey, dated November 30, 2005, responds to letter

about an article in the August 7, 2005 New York Times that discussed shipments of

radioactive waste from the St. Lucie Nuclear Plant to a public landfill.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) revised notice of 166th meeting 

(12/13-15/05). 
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE P

Region I (RI)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

NRC/Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Survey at Yankee Rowe

On December 6-7, 2005, Region I staff, with support provided by the ORISE/Environmental Site

Survey and Assessment Program, conducted confirmatory surveys of two final status survey

units at the Yankee Rowe site. Individuals from the Massachusetts Department of Health,

Bureau of Radiation Protection accompanied the NRC staff. As part of the confirmatory survey,

soil samples were taken, and selected soil samples were split with Massachusetts. The results

of the ORISE analyses will be available to the NRC staff in approximately six weeks. 
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE P

Region II (RII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

Regional Administrator Attends Turkey Point’s Licensed Certificate Presentation

On December 8, 2005, the Regional Administrator visited the Turkey Point Nuclear Power

Plant. The visit consisted of a tour of the facility, and a meeting with the Resident Inspectors

and senior licensee management. The Regional Administrator also participated in the Licensed

Operator’s Certificate Presentation in Miami, Florida.
December 9, 2005 ENCLOSURE P

Region III (RIII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending December 9, 2005

Region III Utility Group Meeting

On December 6, 2005, the Director, Division of Reactor Safety, and staff met with the Region III

Utility Group to discuss topics of regional interest including managers and associated

organizations, revised engineering team inspections, Alternate Dispute Resolution, and

operability determinations.