INFORMATION REPORT

September 14, 2007 SECY-07-0161

For: The Commissioners 

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2007 

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/ 

Vonna L. Ordaz 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

L. Quinones, OEDO 
September 14, 2007 SECY-07-0161

For: The Commissioners 

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

SEPTEMBER 7, 2007 

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/ 

Vonna L. Ordaz 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

L. Quinones, OEDO 

DISTRIBUTION: 

EDO R/F 

AO R/F Document Name: G:\Melissa\WIR\week0907.WPD 

OEDO AO/OEDO 

LQuinones VLOrdaz 

09/14/07 09/14/07 
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING SEPTEMBER 14, 2007

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: L. Quinones, OEDO by E-mail: lnq@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 3 OPA * 

NMSS 4 OIP * 

FSME * SECY 19 

RES * Region I * 

NSIR * Region II * 

ADM 11 Region III * 

OIS 12 Region IV 23 

CFO * EDO * 

HR 16 OCA 24 

SBCR * 

*No input this week 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE A 

 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending September 7, 2007 

Generic Fundamentals Examination

On September 5, 2007, the staff administered its Generic Fundamentals Examination (GFE) to 

146 license operator applicants in 15 utilities across all four Regions. The GFE measures 

applicant knowledge in components, reactor theory, and thermodynamics, and is the first 

examination that license operator applicants must take and pass before they can proceed to 

their site specific training and subsequently take the NRC site specific license examination. 

Working Group Begins Evaluation of Petition for Rulemaking

On September 5, 2007, the staff working group established to address Petition for Rulemaking 

(PRM) 50-84 held its initial meeting. PRM-50-84 was submitted by a petitioner Mark Leyse and 

requests the NRC to amend its regulations for nuclear power plants to: 

1. Establish limitations on the thickness of crud and/or oxide layers on fuel rod cladding 

surfaces; 

2. Require that the thermal resistance of crud and oxidation be included when calculating 

the performance of emergency core cooling systems during postulated loss-of-coolant 

accidents; and 

3. Establish limitations on the maximum allowable percentage of hydrogen in fuel cladding. 

The petition was published for public comment in the Federal Register in May 2007 and 10 

comments were received. Review responsibilities for the comments were assigned at the 

meeting and an overall schedule for resolving the petition was established. The next working 

group meeting is planned for early October. 

Meeting with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on the NEI White Paper on Operational Leakage 

On August 30, 2007, the staff met with industry representatives to discuss industry concerns with 

RIS 2005-20, “Revision to Guidance Formerly Contained in NRC Generic Letter 91-18, 

“Information to Licensees regarding Two NRC Inspection Manual Sections on Resolution of 

Degraded and Nonconforming Conditions and on Operability,” regarding actions to be taken 

following the discovery of operational leakage in American Society of Mechanical Engineers 

(ASME) Class 2 and 3 piping systems. The discussions focused on two issues. The first issue 

concerned a draft revision to the staff guidance attached to the RIS, in particular guidance 

concerning operational leakage in ASME Class 2 piping and ASME Class 3 high energy piping. 

This draft was provided prior to the meeting by a letter to NEI. The second issue discussed was 

the acceptance criteria for prompt operability determinations in the event of through-wall 

leakage. The staff indicated that it would review material provided by industry during the 

meeting and schedule a follow up meeting. Industry representatives indicated that they would 

consider addressing NRC comments in draft changes to the NEI white paper to be shared with 

the staff at a future meeting. 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE A 

Meeting to Discuss the Steam Generators at Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1 

On August 29, 2007, the staff met with representatives of Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1 (ANO-1) 

to discuss their investigation into the cause of the bowing of several tie rods and tubes in one 

steam generator at the plant. The once through steam generators at ANO-1 were replaced in 

2005. The approximate 16,000 tubes in the steam generators are supported at various axial 

elevations by 15 tube support plates. These support plates are supported at the lower tubesheet 

through a number of rods referred to as tie rods. The tube support plates are free floating (i.e., 

they are free to move in the axial direction as a result of differential thermal expansion between 

the shell and the tie rods). 

During the first refueling outage following replacement of their once through steam generators, 

ANO-1 detected approximately seven distinct locations where the tubes were in close proximity 

to each other and to the tie rods. Following the outage, a root cause team was formed. The 

team concluded that locking of one or more of the upper tube support plates to the upper shroud 

is sufficient to cause the extent of bowing observed at ANO-1. Based on this postulated cause, 

the licensee performed analysis which demonstrates that the steam generators can safely 

operate for at least 10 heatup and cooldown cycles. The licensee is planning additional 

analyses, and it plans to inspect the steam generator during their next refueling outage (Fall 

2008) to confirm the apparent root cause and the analyses inputs. The staff will continue to 

monitor the licensees’ analyses and their inspection results. 

Comanche Peak Units 1 and 2 Stretch Power Uprate (SPU) Application 

On August 28, 2007, the licensee requested a 4.5 percent Stretch Power Uprate for Comanche 

Peak Units 1 and 2. The application requests NRC’s approval of the amendment by July 31, 

2008, with an implementation period of six months following NRC’s approval of the amendment. 

The licensee followed the guidance in NRC’s extended power uprate Review Standard RS-001, 

“Review Standard for Extended Power Uprates,” in developing its application. 

Vogtle Units 1 and 2 Measurement Uncertainty Recapture Power Uprate (MUR) Application

 

On August 28, 2007, the licensee requested a 1.7 percent measurement uncertainty recapture 

power uprate for Vogtle Units 1 and 2. The application requests NRC approval of the 

amendment by March 1, 2008. The licensee plans to implement the power uprate during the 

Spring 2008 refueling outage for Unit 1, and during the Fall 2008 for Unit 2. 

The licensee indicated that they followed the guidance in NRC RIS 2002-03, “Guidance on the 

Content of Measurement Uncertainty Recapture Power Uprate Applications” in developing its 

application. 

Issuance of NUREG on Steam Generator Operating Experience 

In August 2007, the staff issued NUREG-1841, “U.S. Operating Experience with Thermally 

Treated Alloy 690 Steam Generator Tubes.” This NUREG describes the inspection history and 

the design of steam generators with Alloy 690 tubes. This is the first such compilation of the 

design and operating data for these steam generators. There has been no detected corrosion of 

the tubes in these steam generators and less than 0.1-percent of the tubes have been plugged. 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE B 

 Office of New Reactors (NRO) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending September 7, 2007 

Staff Issues the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Vogtle Early Site Permit 

(ESP)

On September 7, 2007, the staff delivered NUREG-1872, “Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement for an ESP at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Site” to the U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency for issuance. The EIS includes the staff’s preliminary environmental 

recommendation that the ESP should be issued and that there are no environmentally preferable 

or obviously superior sites. In addition, the staff concluded that the site preparation and 

preliminary construction activities allowed by 10 CFR 50.10(e)(1) will not result in any significant 

adverse environmental impacts that cannot be redressed. 

A 75-day public comment period is expected to begin on September 14, 2007, with the Notice of 

Availability of the draft. The staff has scheduled a public meeting at the Augusta Technical 

College, Waynesboro Campus Auditorium on October 4, 2007, to present its analyses and to 

accept public comments on the draft EIS. 

Change in Expected Submittal Date for Lee Station Combined License (COL) Application

By letter dated September 5, 2007, Duke informed the NRC that it would submit the Combined 

License application for two AP1000 units at the Lee Station site in December 2007, rather than 

in October 2007 as originally planned. Duke made this decision to avoid interference between 

the reference COL application (Bellefonte) and subsequent COL applications. Duke believes 

that staggering these applications will allow for more effective and efficient interactions during 

the reference and subsequent COL acceptance reviews. 

Vendor Inspection of Babcock and Wilcox Canada (BWC)

From August 27 - 31, 2007, staff conducted an inspection of selected portions of the BWC 

facility’s 10 CFR Part 50 Appendix B quality assurance (QA) program and selected portions of 

the program established to implement the provisions of 10 CFR Part 21 (Part 21), “Reporting of 

Defects and Noncompliance.” Two quality management specialists from the Canadian Nuclear 

Safety Commission (CNSC) observed inspection activities conducted by the staff. Currently, the 

CNSC regulatory structure does not provide for the conduct of vendor inspections. However, the 

NRC’s vendor inspection process was of significant interest to the CNSC members and they 

expressed an interest in observing future vendor inspection activities. 

PPL Generation Commencement of Activities at Berwick Site

By letter dated September 4, 2007, PPL Generation informed the NRC that it has commenced 

activities associated with performing feasibility and environmental impact studies for potential 

new nuclear generation at the Berwick site. This is the same site as identified previously for the 

PPL proposed application. The name of the site has been changed from Susquehanna to 

Berwick. The letter also indicated that UniStar Nuclear has been retained by PPL to perform the 

feasibility studies and site characterization activities. 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE B 

 Public Meeting on Health Physics Issues

On August 30, 2007, a public meeting was held between staff and representatives of the 

Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss new reactor health 

physics issues including implementation policy for Revision 2 of Regulatory Guide (RG) 4.15, 

“Quality Assurance for Radiological Monitoring Programs;” development of templates for 

Chapter 11 operational programs; and acceptable methods for addressing 10 CFR 20.1406, 

“Minimization of Contamination” requirements at the COL submittal stage. NRC staff committed 

to providing an agency position on implementation of RG 4.15, rev. 2, for new and operating 

reactors as soon as possible. A commitment was also made to provide industry with an answer 

concerning the appropriate regulatory process to follow for modifying operational programs 

required by license conditions after the COL has been issued. NRC staff plans to respond to 

NEI on this topic at the next public meeting on new reactor health physics issues to be held on 

September 20, 2007. 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE C 

 Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending September 7, 2007 

Meeting with Energy Solutions on TS125/VSC-24 Transportation Package

On September 5, 2007, Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation staff met with Energy 

Solutions to discuss the request for additional information (RAI) issued by the staff on the 

amendment request for the TS125/VSC-24 transportation package. The applicant has 

requested approval for transport of 48 VSC-24 canisters loaded with spent fuel assemblies and 

stored at Arkansas Nuclear One, Palisades, and Point Beach dry storage facilities. The purpose 

of the meeting was to clarify the RAIs issued by the staff on July 26, 2007. 

Meeting with Washington TRU Solutions on TRUPACT-III and HalfPACT Transportation 

Packages

On September 5, 2007, Division of Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation staff met with 

Washington TRU Solutions to discuss the application on the TRUPACT-III transportation 

package, which was submitted in June 2007, and a future amendment request for the HalfPACT 

transportation package. The discussion on the TRUPACT-III application focused on an 

exemption request included in the application for some portions of the TRUPACT-III contents 

with flammable gases. The discussion on the upcoming HalfPACT amendment request was 

with respect to transporting shielded remote-handled transuranic waste drums in HalfPACT 

transportation packages, which have been designed for contact-handled waste. Washington 

TRU Solutions is planning to submit the HalfPACT amendment request in November 2007. 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE G 

 Office of Administration (ADM) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending September 7, 2007 

Contract Awarded to Nuclear Safety Solutions Limited 

As a result of a competitive acquisition, contract no. NRC-04-07-087 was awarded to Nuclear 

Safety Solutions Limited on August 31, 2007. The contractor will provide the NRC with research 

investigation on of Local Heat Transfer Phenomena in a High Temperature Gas-Cooled 

Reactors (HTGR) Core. The total value of the contract is $590,859. The period of performance 

is August 31, 2007 - November 30, 2009. 

Contract Awarded to University of Florida

As a result of a competitive acquisition, contract no. NRC-04-07-086 was awarded to University 

of Florida on August 29, 2007. The contractor will provide the NRC with research investigation 

on of Local Heat Transfer Phenomena in a HTGR Reactor Cavity Cooling System. The total 

value of the contract is $348,955. The period of performance is August 29, 2007 - February 28, 

2009. 

Contract Awarded to Carlson Wagonlit (CW) Government Travel Inc.

On August 28, 2007, a task order no. DR-09-07-362 under the General Services Administration 

e-travel master contract was awarded to CW Government Travel Inc. The contractor will provide 

travel agent services to the NRC. The total value of the contract is $590,720. The period of 

performance is September 1, 2007 - December 31, 2007, with additional four (4) 6-month 

options. 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE H 

 Office of Information Services (OIS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending September 7, 2007 

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

August 31, 2007 through September 6, 2007: 

Palisades nuclear plant, copy of an investigation re: a 2007 incident in 

which security personnel were caught reading magazines while on the 

job 

FOIA/PA-2007-0317 

Office of the Inspector General Case 03-02S re: NRC’s Oversight of 

Davis-Besse Boric Acid Leakage and Corrosion during the April 2000 

Refueling Outage, all interview memoranda or reports of interview with 

current or former FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company employees 

FOIA/PA-2007-0318 

Office procedure for Combined License acceptance training material FOIA/PA-2007-0319 

Legal opinion re: Issuance of Generic Environmental Impact 

Statement for In-situ Leach Uranium Recovery Operations, Spring 

2007, all remarks including drafts not already publicly available 

FOIA/PA-2007-0320 

Office of Investigations Report 4-2007-008 FOIA/PA-2007-0321 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE J 

 Office of Human Resources (HR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending September 7, 2007 

Retirements

CHEUNG, LEONARD SENIOR REACTOR INSPECTOR RI 

FELDMAN, CARL NUCLEAR ENGINEER RES 

Departures

CHANDLER, LAWRENCE CONSULTANT OGC 

LILLY, MARK PHYSICAL SCIENTIST NRO 

RABER, HARRIET JESSICA STUDENT TRAINEE EDO 

WHITE, MATHEW STUDENT ENGINEER (SUMMER) RII 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE O 

 Office of the Secretary (SECY) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending September 7, 2007 

 Document Released 

 to Public 

 Date Subject 

Decision Documents

1. SRM-SECY-07-0129 8/31/07 Revisions to Policy Governing Public 

Availability of Information Associated with 

Category I Fuel Facilities 

 Commission Voting 

 Record on 07-0129 8/31/07 (same) 
September 7, 2007 ENCLOSURE P 

 Region IV (RIV) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending September 7, 2007 

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Public Meeting

On September 6, the staff conducted a public meeting in the RIV office with 

representatives of Arizona Public Service Company to discuss the status of the Palo 

Verde Nuclear Generating Station improvement efforts and evaluations in support of the 

IP 95003 supplemental inspection and to describe their readiness for the inspection. 

Several members of the public and one media representative observed the meeting. 

The Executive Director for Operations (EDO) Visits San Onofre Nuclear Generating 

Station

On September 4, the EDO toured the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. While at 

the site, the EDO met with the resident inspectors and licensee management to discuss 

station challenges, plant security, safety culture assessments and the use of risk insights 

at the facility. 
September 7, 2007 

 Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)  Items of Interest  Week Ending September 7, 2007 

CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS SCHEDULE, NO. 27 

OCA 

Contact 

Date & 

Place Time Committee Subject W

Shane 10/03/07 

TBD 

TBD Senate Environment and Public 

Works (Senators Carper / Voinovich) 

NRC Oversight: Reactor Oversight Process 

TBD 

Powell 10/TBD/07 

TBD 

TBD Senate Environment and Public 

Works (Senators Boxer / Inhofe) 

Licensing of a Repository at Yucca Mountain 

TBD