INFORMATION REPORT 

January 31, 2008 SECY-08-0015

For: The Commissioners 

From: Vonna L. Ordaz, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

JANUARY 25, 2008 

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 Tamara E. Bloomer Acting For/ 

Vonna L. Ordaz 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

M. Landau, OEDO 
January 31, 2008 SECY-08-0015

For: The Commissioners 

From: Vonna L. Ordaz, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

JANUARY 25, 2008 

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 Tamara E. Bloomer Acting For/ 

Vonna L. Ordaz 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

M. Landau, OEDO 

DISTRIBUTION: 

EDO R/F 

AO R/F Document Name: G:\AO\WIR\2008\Week0125.doc 

OEDO AO/OEDO 

MLandau VLOrdaz 

01/30/08 01/31/08 

 ML080320061
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING JANUARY 25, 2008

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: M. Landau, OEDO by E-mail: msl@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 6 SECY 19 

RES * Region I 20 

NSIR 10 Region II 21 

ADM 11 Region III 22 

OIS 12 Region IV 23 

CFO * EDO * 

HR 16 OCA 24 

SBCR * 

*No input this week 
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE A 

 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending January 25, 2008 

License Renewal Application for Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1

On January 8, 2008, the staff received an application from AmerGen Energy Company, LLC, 

(AmerGen) requesting the renewal of the operating license for the Three Mile Island Nuclear 

Station (TMI), Unit 1. The application requests an additional 20 years beyond the current 

40-year term, pursuant to 10 CFR Parts 51 and 54. TMI, Unit 1, is a pressurized water reactor 

designed by Babcock & Wilcox with a current operating license that expires at midnight on 

April 19, 2014. The staff is currently reviewing the application to determine whether it is 

sufficient for docketing, and if it is, a public information session will be held near the plant site in 

the near future, to describe the license renewal process. 

Motor-Operated Valve Users Group and Air-Operated Valve Users Group Meeting

On January 14-18, 2008, the staff attended the Motor-Operated Valve Users Group (MUG) and 

Air-Operated Valve Users Group (AUG) annual meetings in Orlando, Florida. Several papers 

were presented at the MUG meeting by industry representatives on topics which may be 

submitted to the NRC as topical reports for review. Industry representatives also discussed 

recent experience with motor-operated valve magnesium rotors. Papers on topics such as 

solenoid valve diagnostics and evaluating air-operated valve diagnostic test results were 

presented at the AUG meeting. 

Public Meeting Regarding Weld Inlay and Overlay Code Cases

On January 16, 2008, the staff held a public meeting in Rockville, Maryland with members of the 

working group of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to discuss the ASME 

draft weld inlay and overlay code cases. The purpose of the meeting was to better understand 

the technical issues of NRC’s concern in order to permit a more expeditious NRC and ASME 

review to allow the use of these code cases to repair or mitigate Alloy 82/182 dissimilar metal 

welds in the reactor coolant system. Alloy 82/182 dissimilar metal welds are susceptible to 

primary water stress corrosion cracking in pressurized water reactors. 

Integrated Head-Loss Testing for Wolf Creek and Callaway

On January 16-18, 2008, the staff visited Alden Laboratory in Holden, MA, to observe Generic 

Safety Issue-191, “Assessment of Debris Accumulation on Pressurized Water Reactor Sump 

Performance,” integrated head loss testing for Wolf Creek and Callaway Nuclear Plants. Alden 

Laboratory has been contracted by AREVA to perform flume testing for plants with sump 

strainers designed by Performance Contracting Inc. The staff observed portions of the following 

tests during the visit: (1) a maximum fiber/maximum particulate test that bounds both Wolf 

Creek and Callaway, (2) particulate only bypass testing to support downstream analyses, and (3) 

a plant-specific head loss test, including chemical effects, for Wolf Creek. During the visit, the 

staff provided feedback on the testing and discussed technical issues with representatives from 

the licensees, vendors, and NRC headquarters staff on a conference call. 
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE A 

Meeting with the Duke-Energy to Discuss use of Polyethylene Piping in the Essential Service 

Water System

On January 17, 2008, the staff met with representatives from Duke-Energy to discuss remaining 

issues in the review of a request for approval to replace portions of the essential service water 

system at Catawba with polyethylene piping. This relief request is based on a draft ASME Code 

Case on use of polyethylene piping in buried piping applications. The staff discussed a number 

of issues including visual examination criteria, qualification of the joint fusion procedure, and 

verification of joint quality through in-process destructive examination of joints. 

Congressional Briefing Concerning Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station License Renewal 

Application

On January 17, 2008, staff members from NRR, Office of Congressional Affairs, and Office of 

the General Counsel, went to Capitol Hill to brief staffers from the offices of Vermont Senators 

Sanders and Leahy on a January 8, 2008, public meeting between the NRC and 

Entergy/Vermont Yankee. The NRC staff provided an overview of the public meeting, which was 

conducted to discuss the calculations and methodology used by Vermont Yankee to address 

time-limited aging analysis for metal fatigue in its license renewal application. 

Government to Government Meetings Concerning Three Mile Island Unit 1 License Renewal 

Application

On January 17 and 18, 2008, the staff held government to government meetings with a member 

of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental 

Protection, and the Borough of Middletown, Pennsylvania, to discuss the TMI, Unit 1, license 

renewal application review process. The staff also met with an interested member of the public 

to discuss the TMI, Unit 1, license renewal application review process. 

Corrective Action Program Owners Group Meeting

On January 21 and 22, 2008, the staff attended the Corrective Action Program Owners Group 

(CAPOG) meeting to discuss topics related to Problem Identification and Resolution (PI&R) 

inspections, interfaces between the reactor oversight process safety culture activities and 

licensee corrective action program, and development of a generic industry definition for a 

significant condition adverse to quality. CAPOG is an external industry group that includes 

representatives from U.S. and international licensees, nuclear vendors, and the Institute of 

Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). The meeting, hosted by Pacific Gas and Electric, was held 

in the vicinity of Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. These meetings are held every six months and 

rotate through the regions. 
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE B 

 Office of New Reactors (NRO) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending January 25, 2008 

AP1000 DC Amendment and Bellefonte Reference Combined License Acceptance Letters

On Friday, January 18, 2008, the NRC issued acceptance letters to both Westinghouse and 

Tennessee Valley Authority stating that their applications are acceptable for review. Each letter 

notes significant review issues. 

Calvert Cliffs Combined Operating License (COL) Application Part 1 Acceptance Letter

By letter dated January 25, 2008, the NRC accepted for docketing a partial application for a new 

reactor at the Calvert Cliffs site. The partial application included the environmental report (ER), 

as well as additional information that must accompany the first part of any COL application as 

required by 10 CFR 2.101(a)(5). The partial application was submitted on July 13, 2007, and 

supplemented on July 16, August 2, September 11, October 30, December 14, 2007, and 

January 14, 2008. The staff has established the milestone of March 19, 2008, for the site audit 

and public scoping meeting as part of the ER review. The second and final part of the COL 

application is expected to be submitted by the end of March 2008. When submitted, the staff will 

undertake an acceptance review of that part of the application, and will issue a more complete 

schedule for the review of the full COL application.
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE D 

 Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs (FSME) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending January 25, 2008 

Publication of Proposed Rule to Improve Decommissioning Planning

On January 22, 2008, a proposed rule was published in the Federal Register (73 FR 3812) to 

amend regulations to prevent future legacy sites. Under changes to 10 CFR 20.1406 and 

20.1501, the proposed rule would require all NRC licensees to minimize the introduction of 

residual radioactivity into their site, including in the subsurface, and to record subsurface 

contamination surveys with the records important for decommissioning under 10 CFR 30.35, 

40.36, 50.75, 70.25, and 72.30. Decommissioning financial assurance amendments also are 

proposed. The changes to regulations are proposed following NRC staff recommendations to 

prevent the occurrence of future legacy sites, which are sites in a decommissioning status with 

insufficient funds to complete the decommissioning work. 
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE E 

 Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending January 25, 2008 

Safety Margins Assessment and Application (SM2A) Task Group Meeting

On January 17 and 18, the staff hosted the first meeting of the SM2A task group. The 

Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) has 

charged this group with evaluating the methodology for integrating risk and safety margins. 

Twelve organizations from ten countries, as well as representatives from NEA and the 

International Atomic Energy Agency, attended the meeting. The group agreed on testing the 

change in margins that would be possible under the proposed 10CFR50.46a rule. Specifically, 

the group will examine a potential 10% power uprate that would be effected in a Zion-like 

pressurized water reactor. 

Meeting of the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information Subcommittee on Hydrology

On January 24, RES and Office of New Reactors (NRO) staff participated in the quarterly 

meeting of the federal Advisory Committee on Water Information Subcommittee on Hydrology 

(SOH) at the Department of Interior, Washington, DC. The subcommittee discussed the need to 

re-examine extreme-storm-event databases and confirm extreme-storm-event methodologies. 

The NRC staff representatives agreed to host the initial meeting of the SOH Task Force on 

Extreme Storm Events. Also discussed was the impact of severe drought conditions on wateravailability estimates for the southeastern U.S. Atlanta, Georgia was identified as a possible 

venue for a meeting to discuss analyses of water availability and local and regional impacts of 

drought. Both topics are of considerable interest to NRO staff in contributing to the bases of 

technical analyses for Early Site Plan reviews. 
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE G 

 Office of Administration (ADM) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending January 25, 2008 

Decommissioning Planning (AH45 – Parts 20, 30, 40, 50, 70, and 72)

On January 22, 2008, the NRC published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (73 FR 3812) 

that would amend its regulations to improve decommissioning planning. The proposed 

amendments are intended to reduce the possibility that any current operating facility would 

become a legacy site. The proposed amendments would require licensees to conduct their 

operations in a manner that minimizes the introduction of residual radioactivity into the site, 

including subsurface soil and groundwater. The comment period for this action closes April 7, 

2008. 
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE H 

 Office of Information Services (OIS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending January 25, 2008 

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

of January 18, 2008 through January 24, 2008: 

Investigation of PECO Energy (now Exelon) of violations of nuclear and 

other safety related activities, 1999/2000 FOIA/PA-2008-0102 

Companies licensed to perform radiography in the State of Michigan FOIA/PA-2008-0103 

Authority to Operate memorandum for the Enterprise Digital Document 

Management System dated April 3, 2007 FOIA/PA-2008-0104 

Receipt of Smith & Wesson 357 Magnum revolvers by NRC, August 

1997; special agent, Office of Investigations, participated in joint task 

force on fasteners/fittings with other agencies, July 1971-1993 (Referral 

by DOD) FOIA/PA-2008-0105 
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE O 

 Office of the Secretary (SECY) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending January 25, 2008 

Document Released 

to Public 

Date Subject 

Decision Documents

1. Memorandum on SECY-07-0078 01/24/08 Options and Recommendations for the 

Responsibility of Future Replenishment of 

Potassium Iodide 

 Commission Voting 

 Record on SECY-07-0078 

01/24/08 (same) 

Information Papers

1. SECY-08-0010 01/18/08 Weekly Information Report – Week 

Ending January 11, 2008 

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congressman Bart Gordon, dated January 17, 2008, responds to letter 

regarding an application from EnergySolutions, Inc., to import approximately 20,000 tons 

of radioactive waste from Italy. 

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, notice of 549th meeting (February 7-9, 

2008). 

2. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste and Materials (ACNW&M), Meeting on Planning 

and Procedures, notice of meeting (February 12, 2008). 

3. ACNW&M, notice of 186th meeting (February 12-14, 2008). 

4. Independent External Review Panel to Identify Vulnerabilities in the NRC’s Materials 

Licensing Program, notice of meeting (February 08, 2008). 
January 25, 2008 ENCLOSURE P 

 Region IV (RIV) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending January 25, 2008 

Senior Management Change at Diablo Canyon Power Plant

On January 23, 2008, Ms. Donna Jacobs, the Diablo Canyon Vice President of Nuclear 

Services, announced her resignation. Ms. Jacobs’ resignation will be effective February 1, 2008. 

Entergy Operations, Inc., Executive Management Announcement

On January 23, 2008, Entergy announced that Ms. Donna Jacobs will join Entergy Nuclear in 

Jackson, Mississippi as Senior Vice President of Planning, Development and Oversight, 

effective March 3, 2008.