INFORMATION REPORT 

April 27, 2009 SECY-09-0067

For: The Commissioners 

From: Vonna L. Ordaz 

 Assistant for Operations 

 Office of the Executive Director for Operations 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

APRIL 17, 2009 

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 For/ 

Vonna L. Ordaz 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

U. Shoop, OEDO 
April 27, 2009 SECY-09-0067

For: The Commissioners 

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

APRIL 17, 2009 

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 For/ 

Vonna L. Ordaz 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

U. Shoop, OEDO 

DISTRIBUTION: 

EDO R/F 

AO R/F Document Name: G:\AO\WIR\2009\Week0417.doc 

OEDO AO/OEDO 

UShoop VLOrdaz ML091180165 

04/27/09 04/27/09 
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING APRIL 17, 2009

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: Undine Shoop, OEDO by E-mail: Undine.Shoop@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 
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE A 

 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending April 17, 2009 

Dam Inspections

From April 6 to 10, 2009, the staff and dam inspectors from Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission performed dam safety inspections at the Comanche Peak and Farley Nuclear 

Plants. 

Public Meeting with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on Safety Culture

On April 16, 2009, the staff hosted a Category 2 public meeting. The purpose of this meeting 

was for NEI to describe in detail its proposed safety culture oversight process, its view of an 

independent regulatory role for the NRC in that process, and safety culture assessment 

guidelines for which the NEI seeks NRC endorsement.
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE E 

 Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending April 17, 2009 

Publication of Draft Regulatory Guide 1211 (DG-1211) “Materials and Inspections for Reactor 

Vessel Closure Studs”

On April 9, 2009, the staff issued DG-1211 to provide an opportunity for public comments. The 

draft guide is proposed Revision 1 to Regulatory Guide 1.65, which provides guidance for use in 

complying with the requirements that the NRC staff deems acceptable for the design, fabrication, 

installation, and testing of reactor vessel closure studs. DG-1211 is available on the NRC 

website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/power-reactors/draftindex.html. 

Publication of Regulatory Guide 3.16, Revision 1, “General Fire Protection Guide for Plutonium 

Processing and Fuel Fabrication Plants”

On April 13, 2009, the staff published a Regulatory Guide that directs the reader to the type of 

information acceptable to the NRC staff for the review of fire protection programs included by an 

applicant as part of an application to construct and operate a plutonium processing and mixed 

oxide fuel fabrication facility. Regulatory Guide 3.16 is available on the NRC website at 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/fuels-materials/active/. 
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE G 

 Office of Administration (ADM) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending April 17, 2009 

Requirements for Fingerprinting for Criminal History Record Checks of Individuals Granted 

Unescorted Access to Research and Test Reactors (RIN 3510-AI25)

On April 14, 2009, the NRC published a document (74 FR 17115) in the Federal Register as an 

advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) proposing to begin the process of establishing 

generic requirements for NRC research and test reactor (RTR) licensees to obtain 

fingerprint-based criminal history checks on individuals having unescorted access to their 

facilities. This document is being published to inform all interested parties of the options that the 

NRC is considering for implementing the requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 as they 

pertain to RTRs. The comment period for this ANPR expires June 15, 2009. 
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE H 

 Office of Information Services (OIS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending April 17, 2009 

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

of April 10, 2009 through April 16, 2009: 

Office of Investigations Report 4-2008-053 FOIA/PA-2009-0137 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Instruction LIC-112, “Power 

Uprate Process” effective February 17, 2009 

FOIA/PA-2009-0138 

Advisory Committee on the Medical Use of Isotopes, other candidates 

for Patients’ Rights Advocate position 

FOIA/PA-2009-0139 

Neutron Energy Inc., public meeting between Neutron and NRC held 

November 6, 2008, detailed account of comments of Neutron 

FOIA/PA-2009-0140 

Allegation, RII-2007-A-0179, including transcripts of interviews and 

correspondence between NRC and named individual 

FOIA/PA-2009-0141 

Allegation, RII-2008-A-0040, including transcripts of interviews and 

correspondence between NRC and named individual 

FOIA/PA-2009-0142 
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE J 

 Office of Human Resources (HR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending April 17, 2009 

Arrivals 

Arnold, Valanita Training Program Specialist (CO-OP) RII 

Osgood, Nancy Consultant NMSS 
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE M 

 Office of Public Affairs (OPA) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending April 17, 2009 

OPA Received Significant Media Inquiries on the Following

NRC’s response to letters from Rep. Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Rep. Jim Matheson 

(D-Utah) on the disposal of depleted uranium as Class A waste 

Discovery of tritium in the water of a cable vault at the Oyster Creek nuclear plant, located near 

Toms River, New Jersey 

Stuck control rod at Unit 3 of the Turkey Point nuclear plant, located near Miami, Florida 

Waste Control Specialist’s proposal to accept waste from outside the Texas Compact 

Other Public Affairs Items

OPA coordinated an interview of Chairman Dale Klein and Commissioner Kristine Svinicki by 

reporters from the Knoxville News-Sentinel and the Chattanooga Times-Free Press about the 

NRC’s oversight of the construction of the Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear plant, (Tennessee), 

Tennessee Valley Authority’s anticipated combined license applications for new nuclear reactors 

and potential construction of unfinished reactors at the Bellefonte site (located near Scottsboro, 

Alabama), the review of applications for new reactors throughout the United States, disposal of 

nuclear waste, and plant security from attack by aircraft. 

OPA arranged for Commissioner Kristine Svinicki and Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama) to be 

interviewed by two Huntsville television stations, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the 

Scottsboro Daily Sentinel, the Huntsville Times, and the Clarion, after their tour of the Bellefonte 

site. 

OPA arranged for the North County News (Westchester, New York) to discuss with NRC staff 

the proposal for the Indian Point nuclear plant, located near New York City, New York, to shift 

fuel from the Unit 3 pool to the Unit 2 pool, and then into dry cask storage. 

A Region I Public Affairs Officer participated in a television interview with a reporter from CBS-3, 

the CBS-TV affiliate in Springfield, Massachusetts, about the safety of the Vermont Yankee 

nuclear plant. 

Press Releases

Headquarters:

09-072 NRC Advisory Committee on Medical Uses of Isotopes to Meet May 7-8 (04/14) 

09-073 NRC Seeks Comment on Proposal to Set Requirements for Security Checks on Staff 

at Research Reactors (04/14) 

09-074 NRC Directs Staff to Enhance Security of Cesium Chloride Radiation Sources while 

Alternatives are Explored (04/15) 
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE M 

Regions: 

I-09-022 NRC to Discuss Annual Assessment for Millstone Nuclear Plant at Two Public 

Meetings Set for April 23 in Waterford, Connecticut (04/17) 

II-09-020 NRC to Discuss 2008 Performance of Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant (04/15) 

II-09-021 NRC to Present Results of Licensee Performance Review at Westinghouse Nuclear 

Fuel Plant in Columbia, South Carolina (04/15) 

 
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE O 

 Office of the Secretary (SECY) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending April 17, 2009 

Document Released 

to Public 

Date Subject 

Decision Documents

1. SECY-09-0051 03/31/09 Evaluation of Radiological Consequence 

Models and Codes 

2. SRM-SECY-09-0007 04/16/09 Proposed Rule Related to Enhancements to 

Emergency Preparedness Regulations 

(10 CFR Part 50) (RIN 3150-Al10) 

 Commission Voting 

 Record on SECY-09-0007 

04/16/09 (same) 

Information Papers

1. SECY-09-0048 03/27/09 Fiscal Year 2008 Results of the Industry 

Trends Program for Operating Power 

Reactors and Status of the Ongoing 

Development of the Program 

2. SECY-09-0060 04/13/09 Weekly Information Report – Week Ending 

April 3, 2009 

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congressman Edward Markey, dated April 9, 2009, responds to letter 

 expressing concern about the potential outcome of the pending lawsuit between the 

 Northwest Interstate Compact on Low-Level Radioactive Waste management and 

 EnergySolutions, Inc. 

2. Letter to Congressman Edward Markey, dated April 9, 2009, responds to letter expressing 

concerns about the safe and secure disposal of depleted uranium. 

3. Letter to Mohammad Anwar Habib, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority, dated April 6, 

2009, express congratulations on appointment as Chairman of PNRA. 

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, notice of 562nd meeting (05/07-09/2009). 
April 17, 2009 ENCLOSURE P 

 Region IV (RIV) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending April 17, 2009 

Meeting with Callaway Plant Management

On April 13, 2009, members of the Region IV staff met with engineering management 

representatives from AmerenUE in the Region IV office to discuss engineering performance at 

the Callaway Plant. The public meeting was held at the request of the licensee. The Callaway 

Plant engineering management presented engineering successes, engineering challenges, and 

engineering-specific regulatory affairs items as topics for discussion. 

Grand Gulf Nuclear Station Public End-of-Cycle Assessment Meeting

On April 14, 2009, Region IV staff conducted a Category 1 public meeting in Port Gibson, 

Mississippi, to discuss Grand Gulf Nuclear Station’s safety performance for 2008. Participants 

included members of the licensee staff and Region IV staff. Approximately 12 people attended 

the presentation, including representatives from state and local governments. 

Wolf Creek Public End-of-Cycle Assessment Meeting

On April 16, 2009, Region IV staff conducted a Category 1 public meeting in Burlington, Kansas, 

to discuss the Wolf Creek’s safety performance for 2008. During the meeting, the NRC also 

discussed the station’s current substantive cross-cutting issues in Human Performance and 

Problem Identification and Resolution. Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Company management 

presented their plans to address these issues. Approximately 70 people were in attendance at 

the meeting. Participants included Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Company employees, NRC 

staff, and one representative from the local county government.