INFORMATION REPORT 

August 27, 2010 SECY-10-0110

For: The Commissioners 

From: Nader L. Mamish 

 Assistant for Operations 

 Office of the Executive Director for Operations 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

AUGUST 20, 2010 

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/ 

 

Nader L. Mamish 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

L. Rakovan, OEDO 
August 27, 2010 SECY-10-0110

For: The Commissioners 

From: Nader L. Mamish, Assistant for Operations, Office of the EDO 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING 

AUGUST 20, 2010 

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. 

Nader L. Mamish 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

L. Rakovan, OEDO 

DISTRIBUTION: 

EDO R/F ML102370695 

AO R/F Document Name: G:\AO\WIR\2010\Week0820.doc 

OEDO AO/OEDO 

LRakovan NLMamish 

 8/26/10 8/27/10 
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING AUGUST 20, 2010

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: Lance Rakovan, OEDO by E-mail: Lance.Rakovan@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 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE A 

 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station License Renewal Draft Supplemental Generic 

Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) Issued for Public Comment

On August 12, 2010, the staff issued the draft of NUREG-1437, “Generic Environmental Impact 

Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 43, Regarding Palo Verde 

Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3,” for public comment. This SEIS includes the 

staff’s preliminary analysis that considers and weighs the environmental effects of the proposed 

action, the environmental impacts of alternatives to the proposed action, and mitigative 

measures available for reducing or avoiding adverse impacts. It also includes the staff’s 

preliminary recommendation that the adverse environmental impacts of license renewal for Palo 

Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, are not so great that preserving the option 

of license renewal for energy planning decision-makers would be unreasonable. The public 

comment period is scheduled to end on October 29, 2010. The staff has scheduled public 

meetings on September 15, 2010, in Tonopah and Avondale, Arizona, to present its analyses 

and accept public comments on the draft SEIS. 

Public Meeting on 50.46(b) Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) Acceptance Criteria

On August 12, 2010, the staff conducted a Category 3 public meeting to provide a status update 

on the 50.46(b) ECCS acceptance criteria rulemaking and also to allow the industry to present 

its project plan to provide plant specific ECCS performance assessments to the NRC. This 

information is necessary in light of recent research findings which identified previously unknown 

embrittlement mechanisms and will supplement a preliminary safety assessment conducted by 

the staff (ADAMS Accession No. ML090340073). 

Fire Protection Meeting on National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 805 Frequently Asked 

Questions (FAQs)

On August 19, 2010, the staff held a Category 2 public meeting with the Nuclear Energy 

Institute NFPA Standard 805 Task Force, other stakeholders, and the public to discuss the 

FAQs related to licensees’ adoption of NFPA 805. The staff began holding these monthly public 

meetings in July 2006 and expects to continue holding them at least throughout the transition 

period for the pilot plants adopting NFPA 805. 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE C 

 Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

Meeting with the Blue Ribbon Commission Subcommittee

On August 10, 2010, NRC staff observed a public meeting of the Transportation and Storage 

Subcommittee of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future. The meeting 

provided a forum for a number of external stakeholders, including industry, state and local 

government officials, and members of the public to provide information and insights on the 

continued storage of spent fuel at away-from-reactor sites. Comments included support for 

development of centralized interim storage of spent fuel to allow removal of spent fuel from 

decommissioned sites, such as Maine Yankee, while a permanent disposal solution is sought. 

Staff will continue to follow the Blue Ribbon Commission activities. 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE D 

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

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

Public Meetings on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed AREVA 

Enrichment Services, LLC (AES) Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility in Bonneville County, Idaho

 

On August 9 and 12, 2010, staff conducted public meetings in Boise and Idaho Falls, Idaho, 

respectively, to gather public comments on the Draft EIS for the proposed AES uranium 

enrichment facility to be located near Idaho Falls in Bonneville County, Idaho. The staff 

provided an overview of the licensing and environmental review process and presented 

the preliminary conclusions from the Draft EIS (NUREG-1945). Attendees included State and 

local officials; supporters of the proposed facility; individuals opposing the proposed facility; and 

individuals from Boise, Idaho Falls, and other nearby communities. The NRC received 

comments on a variety of topics, including storage, transportation, and disposal of depleted 

uranium; environmental impacts of pre-construction; public and occupational health; ecological 

resources; and socioeconomic, groundwater, and transportation impacts. The period to provide 

comments on the Draft EIS ends on September 13, 2010. 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE E 

 Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

RES Staff Seeks Digital Systems and Software Knowledge from National Science Foundation 

Program and Other Federal Agencies

On August 10-12, 2010, RES staff participated in a National Science Foundation “CyberPhysical Systems” (CPS) program meeting for technical exchange across medical, automobile, 

aircraft, energy, and other applications of software-reliant digital systems (various types of CPS) 

and, in cooperation with technical staff from the Office of New Reactors, organized a special 

interest group (SIG) on “Research Needs in Certifiable CPSs.” The SIG attracted participants 

from the Air Force Research Labs, Office of Naval Research, National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA), CalTech’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Boeing, Ford, and five 

universities. Further technical interchange will continue in a virtual community online at 

http://www.cps-vo.org/faceted_search/results/taxonomy%3A126. 

RES Staff Seeks Digital Systems and Software Knowledge from NASA and JPL

On August 13, 2010, under the NRC-NASA memorandum of understanding, RES staff met with 

researchers from JPL and NASA headquarters to learn from their operating experience in flightcritical software. NASA and JPL staff will make available to NRC over 13,000 anomaly reports 

from unmanned space missions and related knowledge about methods for root cause analysis; 

related NASA standards, requirements, and guidelines; and related lessons learned. RES 

intends to extract from these reports information about credible failures and faults and causes 

that could occur in digital systems and software used in nuclear power plants. 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE G 

Office of Administration (ADM) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

Extended Functionalities in Support of New Reactor Licensing

On August 5, 2010, as a result of a competitive General Services Administration (GSA) schedule 

solicitation, a firm fixed-price task order (NRC-33-10-337) was awarded to Ruland Associates, Inc. 

of Kearnesyville, West Virginia for professional information technology services to continue the 

operation, maintenance, and support of a number of subsystems and integrations previously 

developed for the NRC to support an increased volume of new reactor license applications. The 

period of performance is September 30, 2010, through September 29, 2011, with a 1-year option 

period. The total cost is $1,143,253.78, inclusive of all options. 

Decommissioning Financial Assurance Reviews

On August 11, 2010, as a result of a competitive GSA schedule solicitation, a labor hour task 

order (NRC-DR-41-10-003) was awarded to ICF Incorporated, LLC of Fairfax, Virginia to 

provide assistance to the Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management 

Programs with the review of licensee submittals related to decommissioning financial 

assurance. Such submittals include, but are not limited to: financial documents and 

instruments, financial assurance certifications, financial ratings, decommissioning cost 

estimates, and decommissioning funding plans. The period of performance is August 11, 2010, 

through August 10, 2011, with four 1-year option periods. The ceiling price is $858,406.66, 

inclusive of all options. 

Response Letter to a Petition for Rulemaking from the American Physical Society

On August 16, 2010, the Executive Director for Operations signed a letter to Dr. Francis Slakey 

of the American Physical Society (APS) informing him that his correspondence does not meet 

the acceptance criteria for a petition for rulemaking. APS requested that the NRC promulgate a 

regulation that includes proliferation assessments as part of the licensing process. The APS 

request does not meet the NRC’s acceptance criteria for a petition for rulemaking because: (1) 

the petition acknowledges that the NRC is not, “formally required to consider non-proliferation 

as part of the licensing process,” but the petition does not address why the “formality” of a rule 

requiring such consideration during licensing is necessary; (2) the petition does not explain how, 

from a substantive or technical standpoint, the NRC would evaluate non-proliferation in a 

licensing proceeding; and (3) the petition does not clearly indicate what licensing actions and 

types of “facilities” would be covered by a rulemaking. APS has 90 days to meet the criteria. 

Infrastructure Services and Support Contract – SEAT Management

On August 18, 2010, as a result of a non-competitive modification, a hybrid firm fixed-price/labor 

hour modification (DR-01-0290) was awarded to L-3 Communication Government Services, Inc. 

of Reston, Virginia to ensure continuity of services for maintenance, operation, administration, 

control, and upgrade of the NRC Information Technology (IT) infrastructure until the follow-on IT 

Infrastructure and Support Services contract is awarded. The period of performance of the 

extension is September 28, 2010, through December 27, 2010, with two 3-month option 

periods. The total cost for the contract modification is $24,866,200.00, inclusive of all options. 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE G 

Meeting and Facilitation Support for the Office of Federal and State Materials and 

Environmental Management Programs (FSME)

On August 18, 2010, as a result of a competitive negotiated acquisition set aside for small 

businesses in historically underutilized business zones, an indefinite quantity labor hour type 

contract (NRC-41-10-020) was awarded to B.L. Seamon Corporation of Greenbelt, Maryland. 

The contractor will provide, on a task order basis, meeting, planning, and facilitation type 

services for FSME sponsored offsite meetings and functions. The period of performance is 

August 18, 2010, through August 17, 2011, with a 1-year option period. The estimated cost is 

$961,375.00, inclusive of all options. 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE H 

 Office of Information Services (OIS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

Nuclear Information and Records Management Association Conference

From August 15-18, 2010, staff attended the annual Nuclear Information and Records 

Management Association (NIRMA) conference. Three technical tracks presented information 

on various topics including: 1) long-term strategies around the use of portable document format 

(PDF)/A; 2) knowledge management best practices for new built projects; 3) cloud computing; 

and 4) the relationships of Nuclear Quality Assurance Standard 1 and National Archives and 

Records Administration regulations. Staff participated in the NIRMA board meeting plus made 

two presentations. One was a panel that included an industry representative from Braidwood, a 

NARA representative, and OIS staff. The panel discussed the lifecycle of a license record. The 

second NRC presentation was made on the establishment of the NRC’s Enterprise Content 

Management Program. 

National Archives Meetings

On August 18, 2010, staff attended meetings hosted by the National Archives and Records 

Administration (NARA). Representatives from the Federal Records Center Program Forum 

conducted the first meeting and described the planned replacement of the Washington National 

Records Center by 2014 to allow for greater storage capacity and enhanced records retrieval 

capability. The second meeting, the Bimonthly Records and Information Discussion Group, 

enabled NARA representatives to describe the current status of the Electronic Records 

Archives, electronic records scheduling, FY 2011 records management training, and plans for 

the release of forthcoming guidance on Cloud Computing, Web 2.0 records, and on scheduling 

records in all formats or media neutral records. 

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

of August 13, 2010, through August 19, 2010: 

White House, Office of Management and Budget reviews or political 

appointees of incoming Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests 

deemed politically sensitive, etc., all documents from 01/20/2009 to 

present 

FOIA/PA-2010-0306 

Documents sent by NRC's Chief FOIA Officer to staff responsible for 

implementing or working with FOIA to request documents/memoranda 

sent widely to multiple viewers outside the context of specific requests 

Dec 19, 2005 -present 

FOIA/PA-2010-0307 

Depleted uranium shipped from Savannah River site in South Carolina, 

14,800 drums, to Energy Solutions in Clive, Utah 

CON-2010-0005 

General Electric Plant, Evendale, Ohio, documents pertaining to the 

transfer of or maintenance of buildings C or D 

CON-2010-0006 

 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE H 

Radioactive materials at 1001 College Street, Madison, Illinois 62060 

from 1-1-57 to 8-10-10 (site commonly known as Cherokee Industries, 

Spectrulite Consortium, Consolidated Aluminum Company, et., all 

reports and test results 

FOIA/PA-2010-0308 

Tritium database report, groundwater database and any related 

databases that contain information about groundwater contamination, on 

or off nuclear power plant sites 

FOIA/PA-2010-0309 

 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE J 

 Office of Human Resources (HR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

Arrivals 

Allen, William PROJECT MANAGER NMSS 

Boyle, Thomas GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRO 

Brown, Shannon INVESTIGATIVE ANALYST OIG 

Floyd, Niklas REACTOR ENGINEER (NSPDP) RI 

Foli, Adakou GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRR 

Folk, Kevin PROJECT MANAGER NRR 

Ganti, Usha GRANTS MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST ADM 

Hicks, Angelisa GENERAL ENGINEER RES 

Kenyon, Thomas SR. PROJECT MANAGER (RE-EMPLOYED) NRO 

West, Stephanie ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT RES 

Retirements 

None 

Departures 

Alberts, David GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NMSS 

Allen, Justin STUDENT ENGINEER (Summer) RII 

Battle, Stephanie STUDENT CLERK NSIR 

Cai, James STUDENT ENGINEER (Summer) RII 

Carrico, Erica STUDENT ENGINEER (Summer) RII 

Debold, Thomas STUDENT ENGINEER NMSS 

Dickerson, Michael STUDENT MANAGEMENT ANALYST OIG 

Donovan, Molly STUDENT ENGINEER RES 

Eastman, David STUDENT CLERK RES 

Ernst, Patrick PROJECT MANAGER NRR 

Everett, Samantha STUDENT HEALTH PHYSICIST RIV 

Fitz, Jonah STUDENT ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT ACRS 

Fuller, Gabrielle STUDENT ENGINEER (CO-OP) ACRS 

Fuller, Jeffrey STUDENT ENGINEER NRR 

Garcia, Karla STUDENT CONTRACT ASSISTANT (CO-OP) ADM 

Governor, Kendrick STUDENT SPACE DESIGN ASSISTANT ADM 

Hansing, Nicholas STUDENT ENGINEER RIII 

Hiser, Diana STUDENT ENGINEER ( CO-OP) NRR 

Jenkins, Kevin STUDENT FINANCIAL ANALYST (CO-OP) CFO 

Khan, Akhteruzzaman STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANT CFO 

Lake, Russell MECHANICAL ENGINEER NRR 

Lemay, Matthew STUDENT ENGINEER RIII 

Lighty, Ryan LAW CLERK OGC 

Lindell, Joseph LAW CLERK OGC 

Liptak, Joseph STUDENT ENGINEER RES 

McGrattan, Brian STUDENT MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT RES 

Mehrvarzi, Christopher SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER ACRS 

Meyers, Beth STUDENT SCIENTIST NMSS 

Molik, Daniel STORAGE & TRANS SAFETY INSPECTOR NRR 

Morse, Theresa LAW CLERK OGC 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE J 

Newell, Trenton STUDENT ENGINEER OIP 

Nguyen, Cong-tam Michael STUDENT ENGINEER RIV 

Olson, Bradford STUDENT ENGINEER ACRS 

Patrick, Laura STUDENT ENGINEER NRR 

Popova, Alexandra STUDENT ENGINEER NRR 

Pruett, Timothy IT SPECIALIST (INET) OIS 

Semmes, Mollie STUDENT ENGINEER RES 

Skaggs Ryan, Teresa STUDENT ENGINEER (CO-OP) RIV 

Smith, Clint STUDENT ENGINEER (CO-OP) RII 

Smith, Jordan STUDENT MANAGMEMENT ASSISTANT ACRS 

Steddenbenz, Katherine STUDENT ENGINEER RII 

Sterling, Gwin ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT NRR 

Sugrue, Rosemary STUDENT ENGINEER RES 

Treadway, Ryan SENIOR RESIDENT INSPECTOR (PWR/TL) RIV 

Tregre, David CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR OI 

Tsukruk, Taisia STUDENT ENGINEER (SUMMER) RII 

Turner, Annaleigh PROJECT MANAGER ADM 

Weimer, Stephanie STUDENT ENGINEER NRR 

Wu, Angela STUDENT ENGINEER (CO-OP) NRR 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE M 

Office of Public Affairs (OPA) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

OPA Received Significant Media Inquiries on the Following: 

 

The dual unit shutdown at Braidwood nuclear power plant (Illinois). 

Commission votes on waste confidence. 

Other Public Affairs Items

 

OPA facilitated a call between NRR and a reporter from Platts discussing staff’s efforts to get 

information from industry on the potential for fuel cladding oxidation. 

Press Releases Issued

Headquarters:

10-140 NRC Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement for Cooper Nuclear Power 

Plant License Renewal Application (8/16/10) 

10-141 NRC Meeting Aug. 27 In Rockville, Maryland to Discuss Draft Rule on New 

Reactor Construction Site Security (8/16/10) 

10-142 NRC Seeks Public Input on Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Palo 

Verde Nuclear Power Plant License Renewal; Meeting September 15, 2010 

(8/17/10) 

10-143 NRC Issues Final Environmental Impact Statement Impact Statement for 

Kewaunee Nuclear Plant License Renewal Application (8/20/10) 

10-144 NRC Submits Inter-Agency Task Force Report on Radiation Source Protection 

and Security (8/20/10) 

10-145 NRC Approves Power Uprate for Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant (8/20/10) 

Regions:

II-10-059 NRC Schedules Meeting to Discuss Inspection Results for Crystal River Nuclear 

Plant Containment (8/18/10) 

III-10-032 NRC Begins Special Inspection at Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant (8/18/10) 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 20, 2010 

Documents Released

to Public Date Subject 

Decision Documents

1. Commissioner 

Apostolakis’ vote and 

comments on SECY-09-

0090 

08/13/10 Final Update of the Commission’s Waste 

Confidence Decision 

2. Commissioner 

Magwood’s vote and 

comments on SECY-09-

0090 

08/13/10 Final Update of the Commission’s Waste 

Confidence Decision 

Information Papers

1. SECY-10-0104 8/13/10 Weekly Information Report – Week Ending 

August 6, 2010 

2. SECY-10-0098 7/29/10 Summary of Activities Related to Generic 

Issues Program 

3. SECY-10-0099 7/30/10 Proposed Revision to Memorandum of 

Understanding Between the Federal 

Emergency Management Agency and the 

Nuclear Regulatory Commission 

4. SECY-10-0100 8/5/10 Staff Progress in Resolving Issues 

Associated with Inspections, Tests, 

Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria 

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Senators Thomas Carper and Susan Collins, dated August 12, 2010, responds 

to letter concerning the Federal use of information technology. 

2. Letter to Congressman William D. Delahunt, dated August 11, 2010, responds to letter 

requesting an update on the status of the Pilgrim license renewal application and a 

timeframe for when the review will be completed. 

3. Letter to Paul Verkuil, Chairman, Administrative Conference of the United States, dated 

August 11, 2010, responds to invitation to join the Council of Independent Regulatory 

Agencies. 

4. Letter to Congress, dated August 11, 2010, provides the Radiation Source Protection 

and Security Task Force Report. 
August 20, 2010 ENCLOSURE O

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), notice of the 575th meeting (09/9-

11/2010). 

2. ACRS, Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on Planning and Procedures, notice of 

meeting (09/08/2010). 

3. ACRS, Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on Digital I&C Systems, notice of meeting 

(09/08/2010). 

4. ACRS, Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on Thermal Hydraulics Phenomena, notice 

of meeting (09/07/2010). 

5. ACRS, Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on Plant License Renewal, notice of 

meeting (09/08/2010). 

6. Notice – Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving 

Proposed No Significant Hazards Considerations and Containing Sensitive Unclassified 

Non-Safeguards Information and Order Imposing Procedures for Access to Sensitive 

Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information.