INFORMATION REPORT

September 11, 2006 SECY-06-0194

For: The Commissioners

From: Michael R. Johnson, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

AUGUST 25, 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/

Michael R. Johnson 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO
September 11, 2006 SECY-06-0194

For: The Commissioners

From: Michael R. Johnson, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

AUGUST 25, 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/

Michael R. Johnson

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

U. Shoop, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

Central File

Public Document Name: C:\WIR\week825.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

UShoop:paa MRJohnson

09/11/06 09/11/06
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING AUGUST 25, 2006

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 2 STP *

NMSS 4 OPA 18

RES * OIP *

NSIR 9 SECY 19

OGC * Region I *

ADM 10 Region II *

OIS 11 Region III *

CFO * Region IV *

HR 15 EDO *

SBCR * OCA 24

OE * ACRS/ACNW 25

*No input this week
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

Meeting with NEI to discuss Regulatory Issue Summary 2005-20

On August 16, 2006, NRC staff met with representatives of NEI and various utilities. The

purpose of the meeting was to discuss industry concerns with Regulatory Issue Summary (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.'” Specifically, the industry was concerned that

the guidance could result in unnecessary plant shutdowns. These concerns were provided in

the NEI White Paper, treatment of Operational Leakage from ASME Class 2 and 3

Components,” dated May 2, 2006 (ADAMS Accession No. ML061320347). 

Based on the information provided by the industry, NRC staff proposed an approach for revising

the guidance. Industry participants agreed to develop input to the proposed revised guidance

prior to the next meeting. 

Issuance of Oyster Creek License Renewal Safety Evaluation Report with Open Items

On August 18, 2006, the staff issued its safety evaluation report (SER) for the AmerGen Energy

Company, LLC application to renew the operating license for the Oyster Creek Generating

Station for an additional 20 years. The staff’s SER contained five open items that must be

resolved before it can make a final determination on the application. These open items are

related to additional information needed to address drywell corrosion. The staff plans to

present the results of its evaluation to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards on

October 3, 2006. 

Unistar Looks at Early Submittal of Environmental Report

On August 17, 2006, the staff met with UniStar Nuclear representatives to discuss policy issues

associated with an early submittal of portions of a COL application. UniStar Nuclear

communicated their plan to submit the Environmental Report for the U. S. Evolutionary Power

Reactor (US EPR) reference plant as much as six months earlier than the remainder of the

COL application. UniStar also provided their plan for concurrent submission and review of the

US EPR design certification and COL applications.

Braidwood - Senior Management Change

On August 21, 2006, Exelon Nuclear announced that Mr. Tom Coutu has been named Site Vice

President at Braidwood Generating Station, effective immediately. He replaces current Site

Vice President Keith Polson. 
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE A

Public meeting on 10 CFR 50.46a Final Rule Lanquage Meeting

On August 17, 2006, the NRC held a public meeting to discuss the current draft final rule

language for the § 50.46a risk-informed voluntary rule on alternative ECCS requirements. The

draft rule language had been made publicly available on the NRC’s RuleForum web site. The

NRC staff presented possible alternatives to the draft rule language and received feedback

from meeting attendees regarding modifications to the draft rule language. The staff is

evaluating the proposed modifications and will incorporate them into a revised rule consistent

with existing Commission guidance.
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

NRC Staff Observation of the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Quality Assurance

Audit of the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM)

On August 7-17, 2006, staff from NMSS and the Center for Nuclear Waste Repository Analyses

observed a quality-assurance audit of DOE’s OCRWM. The OCRWM office manages the

Yucca Mountain Project and is tasked with preparing the license application for the waste

repository. The DOE audit team examined the recent OCRWM reorganization and the

organization’s readiness to review design products for the Yucca Mountain Project facilities. 

The audit was initiated to determine the adequacy of procedures for compliance with, and

implementation of, DOE/RW-0333P, Quality Assurance Requirements Document, Revision 17.

Meeting of National Conference of State Legislatures’ High-Level Radioactive Waste Working

Group

On August 15, 2006, NMSS staff attended the subject meeting. The meeting was attended by

State legislators representing 18 different States, as well as representatives of the Department

of Transportation, DOE, NRC, and industry groups. The main focus of the meeting was to

update State representatives on activities involving the transportation and storage of

transuranic wastes and spent fuel, and status of new-facility licensing. The Working Group also

solicited ideas about how State legislatures could be involved in addressing the energy crisis. 

Staff proposed that States could become more involved in the recruitment and the offering of

educational opportunities needed to train future engineers and scientists in energy-related

fields, such as nuclear engineering and radiation health physics. The idea was well-received,

and will be pursued in future Working Group meetings.
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE D

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

Preliminary Notifications

1. PNO-III-06-019, Dominion Generation Co.,-TRITIUM DETECTED IN GROUNDWATER

BENEATH PLANT BUILDINGS.

2. PNO-IV-06-010, San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1,-TRITIUM DETECTED

IN WATER SAMPLES TAKEN ON THE SITE.
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE F

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending August 25, 2006

American National Standards Institute N43.10 Committee; Denial of Petition for Rulemaking

(PRM-36-01)

On August 18, 2006, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (71 FR 47751), 

that denies a petition for rulemaking submitted by the American National Standards Institute

N43.10 Committee (PRM-36-01). The petitioner requested that the NRC amend its regulations

governing the operation of panoramic irradiators to ease the requirements for adequate

coverage. The petition was denied because the petitioner did not provide a sufficient basis for

the NRC to conclude that the requirements could be eased and still maintain reasonable

assurance that common defense and security and public health and safety would be adequately

protected.
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

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

August 18 through August 24, 2006:

Sylvania-Corning, Hicksville, NY, license, 24 specific documents FOIA/PA-2006-0279

Solicitation 94122, support for International Atomic Energy Agency

safeguards, awarded contract, attachments & exhibits,

task/delivery/purchase orders & list of proposed submitters

FOIA/PA-2006-0280

Radioactive materials license holders FOIA/PA-2006-0281

Bionomics Inc., P.O. Box 817, Kingston, TN 37763, copy of NRC

license

FOIA/PA-2006-0282

Personnel records re: body count, 1998, from Oyster Creek GPU &

from Berwick Nuclear Power facility, 1996

FOIA/PA-2006-0283
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE I

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

Arrival

FULLER, EDWARD L SR. RELIABILITY AND RISK ANALYST NRR

HULL, AMY MATERIALS ENGINEER RES

Departures

BUSHMAN, ABIGAIL STUDENT ENGINEER RES

COY, MACKENZIE B STUDENT LAW CLERK (SUMMER) OGC

DEUTCHMAN, JACOB S STUDENT ENGINEER RES

GATELY, MATTHEW B. STUDENT IT TRAINEE R-I

HELM, JONATHAN I STUDENT ENGINEER R-II

MCCAULEY, DANIELLE L STUDENT ENGINEER R-III

PARIS, RAHUL DANIEL STUDENT ENGINEER NRR

ROIG-SILVA, CORAL M. STUDENT SCIENTIST NRR

VAN ABEL, ERIC N. STUDENT ENGINEER NRR

WASHINGTON, BRITTNEY MARIE STUDENT CLERK (TYPING) ADM

WASSON, DAVID P. STUDENT ENGINEER NRR
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

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

The Safety Evaluation Report (with open items) issued regarding Oyster Creek’s license

renewal application.

Hatch’s report that most of the unaccounted for spent fuel had been located in the plant’s spent

fuel pool.

Nuclear security issues in the runup to the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

DOE’s request that NRC withdraw its Standard Review Plan for waste determinations at

Savannah River Site and Idaho National Laboratory.

The Project on Government Oversight’s charges of security lapses at Sequoyah.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

06-103 NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to Meet Sept. 7-9 in Rockville,

Maryland (8/21)

06-104 NRC Takes Regulatory Oversight of USEC Lead Cascade, Authorizes

Processing of Radioactive Material (8/24)

Regions:

I-06-047 NRC Issues Safety Evaluation Report with Open Items for Oyster Creek License

Renewal Application (8/21)

II-06-037 Southern Nuclear Notifies NRC of Completion of its Spent Fuel Investigation at

Hatch Nuclear Plant (8/21)
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SRM-SECY-06-0173 8/24/06 History of the Emergency Notification

System and Options to Provide

Confirmation of Authority/Identity of a Caller

Voting Record - SECY06-01738/24/06 (same)

2. SRM-SECY-06-0168 8/23/06 Staff Comments on the Draft

Recommendations of the International

Commission on Radiological Protection

Voting Record - SECY06-01688/23/06 (same)

Information Papers

- SECY-06-0175 8/4/06 Semiannual Update of the Lessons-Learned

Program (LLP)

Commission Correspondence

1. Letters to Governors, dated August 18, 2006, requests information regarding States’

plans for the regulation of certain radioactive materials

2. Letter to Lisa Jackson, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental

Protection, dated August 18, 2006, responds to letter regarding the staff’s

recommendation to terminate the Heritage Minerals, Inc. license.

3. Letter to Konstantin Pulikovskiy, Moscow, dated August 17, 2006, expresses gratitude for

congratulatory letter.

4. Letter Robert Owen, Chair, CSG Midwestern Radioactive Materials Transportation

Committee, dated August 16, 2006, responds to letter requesting that NRC develop

appropriate version of its package security assessments to share with State

organizations.

5. Letter to Maria-Teresa Estevan Bolea, President, Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, dated

August 12, 2006, expresses gratitude for congratulatory letter.
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE O

Federal Register Notices Issued

- Proposed rule, 10 CFR Part 73, RIN: 3150-AH90, Secure Transfer of Nuclear Materials.
August 25, 2006 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

CONGRESSIONAL HEARING SCHEDULE, NO. 32

 OCAContact

 DATE & PLACE

TIME WITNESS SUBJECT 

Decker 09/13/06

TBA

TBA Dennis Spurgeon, DOE,

former NRC ChairmanNils J. Diaz, Ernest Moniz,MIT, Skip Bowman, NEI,Patrick Moore, formerly ofGreenpeace, State PUCrepresentative TBD

Future of Nuclear Power andPossible Impediments

Reps. HoEnergy aAppropria

Combs 09/14/06

SD406

9:30 DOE, NRC’s EDO, NEI,

EDF

NRC Oversight focusing on NRC’scapability for the long- and shortterm spent fuel storage programs

Senators Clean Air

Nuclear SEnvironm

Shane September

SD-406

9:30 Markup S. 2348, Nuclear Release Notice Act

of 2006

Senators Environm

The Senate and House of Representatives are in recess until September 5, 2006.
August 25, 2006 ENCLOSURE S

Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)/

Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW)

Items of Interest

Week Ending August 25, 2006

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

on the following subjects. 

Date

August 16, 2006 Observations from the ACNW Low-level Waste Working Group

Meeting of May 23–24, 2006