INFORMATION REPORT

March 9, 2007 SECY-07-0048

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

MARCH 2, 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/

Michael R. Johnson 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

R. Taylor, OEDO
March 9, 2007 SECY-07-0048

For: The Commissioners

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

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING

MARCH 2, 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/

Michael R. Johnson

Assistant for Operations, OEDO

Contact:

R. Taylor, OEDO

DISTRIBUTION:

EDO R/F

AO R/F Document Name: C:\WIR\week302.WPD

OEDO AO/OEDO

RTaylor:paa MRJohnson

03/09/07 03/09/07
WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING MARCH 2, 2007

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

Headquarters and Regional Office activities. 

Contact: R. Taylor, OEDO by E-mail: rxt2@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 1 OE *

NRO * OPA 7

NMSS 2 OIP *

FSME * SECY 8

RES 3 Region I *

NSIR * Region II 9

ADM 4 Region III *

OIS 5 Region IV 10

CFO * EDO 11

HR 6 OCA 12

SBCR *

*No input this week
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

Coatings Meetings with American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Electric Power

Research Institutue (EPRI), and Nuclear Utilities Coatings Council (NUCC)

From February 13 to 16, 2007, the staff participated in protective coatings meetings associated

with the 2007 Paint and Coatings Expo in Dallas, Texas. On February 13 and 14, 2007, the

staff attended the coatings aging task group meetings sponsored by EPRI and the Nuclear

Utilities Coatings Council (NUCC). This working group was formed to address the failures of

protective coating systems that the nuclear industry experienced inside the reactor containment

building. This meeting served as a forum to share results of the project to date and to make

decisions on the next steps in the project. On February 15 and 16, 2007, the staff attended

meetings of ASTM Committee D33 on “Protective Coating and Lining Work for Power

Generation Facilities.” The annual ASTM Committee meeting was conducted to revise existing

coatings standards and to propose new standards.
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE C

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

Public Meeting with Department of Energy (DOE) and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on

Standardized Canister Design

On February 22, 2007, staff met with representatives of the DOE/Idaho Field Office and their

contractors from INL to discuss the design of the Standardized Canister. DOE is designing the

canister for storage, transportation, and disposal of DOE-owned spent nuclear fuels (i.e., spent

fuels discharged from research reactors, production reactors, etc.). DOE is planning to submit

a topical report that addresses the design aspects of the Standardized Canister with respect to

NRC Regulatory requirements. The meeting focused on the criticality analyses that have been

performed for the canister. DOE and INL have performed a series of criticality analyses for

certain types of research reactor spent fuel. The criticality analyses were performed for water

moderated and unmoderated single canisters, as well as arrays of nine canisters, to represent a

possible shipping configuration. DOE and INL plan to consider basket and fuel configuration

under accident conditions for water moderated canisters. A future meeting to discuss structural

issues is also planned.
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE E

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

Public Meeting With Stakeholders Regarding NRC Risk-Informed Initiatives

On February 23, 2007, staff held a public meeting with stakeholders to discuss the NRC’s riskinformed initiatives. The meeting focused on the staff’s plans to improve the Risk-Informed

Regulation Implementation Plan (RIRIP). The staff noted that the proposed RIRIP

improvements resulted from Commission direction to improve the RIRIP so that it is an

integrated master plan for activities designed to help the agency achieve the Commission’s goal

of a holistic, risk-informed, and performance-based regulatory structure. Stakeholders

attending the meeting indicated that they were supportive of efforts to simplify the RIRIP and

clearly define the future direction of risk-informed initiatives. The staff indicated that they would

continue to interact with stakeholders and solicit their input.

Meeting With Delegation from Japan Nuclear Energy Safety Organization (JNES) and the

Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry to Discuss Fire Safety Research

On February 23, 2007, staff met with representatives from JNES and the Central Research

Institute of Electric Power Industry to share information and discuss issues related to fire safety

research. The staff presented information about current fire research on the CAble Response

to Live FIRE (CAROLFIRE) project, fire modeling verification and validation, fire probabilistic

risk analysis, and fire human reliability analysis activities. The representatives from JNES

shared information about their recent fire experiments performed for their mixed oxide fuel

fabrication facility. 

Resolution of Generic Safety Issue (GSI)-196, Boral Degradation

In accordance with Management Directive 6.4 entitled "Generic Issues Program," the staff has

completed all actions necessary for resolution of Generic Safety Issue (GSI)-196, "Boral

Degradation," without imposing new or additional generic actions for dry cask storage of spent

nuclear fuel. The decision to close out this GSI was based upon the staff's technical

assessment, which was endorsed by the Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste.

Joint Meeting with the Department of Energy on the Phenomena Identification and Ranking

Table (PIRT) Technique for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP)

On February 27-28, 2007, staff conducted the subject meeting during which experts identified

key safety phenomena and assessed the existing technical knowledge base in four subject

areas: (1) thermofluidics and accident analysis; (2) high temperature materials and graphite;

(3) fission product transport and dose calculations; and (4) process heat and hydrogen

co-generation. The PIRT effort supports two elements of the NGNP licensing strategy

mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005: (1) identifying analytical tools needed for

confirmatory safety analyses and (2) surveying research and development needs in preparation

for NGNP license review. A follow-on meeting to finalize the NGNP PIRT is scheduled for midApril 2007.
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE E

Public Meeting of Task Working Group (TWG) Designated by the Digital Instrumentation and

Control (I&C) Steering Committee to Address Digital System Communications that Involve

Equipment Assigned to Different Safety Divisions

On February 23, 2007, the subject TWG, composed of staff and industry representatives, met

to discuss issues related to licensing digital I&C systems in new and operating nuclear power

plants and fuel facilities. This first meeting focused on preparing a project plan for developing

guidance for designers and reviewers about cross-channel interactions (such as exchanges of

information and of actuation requests) in nuclear safety systems (including interactions with

non-safety systems). This TWG will determine what types of cross-channel interactions have

been or will be proposed, and will establish guidelines for design and review. 
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE G

Office of Administration (ADM)

Items of Interest 

Week Ending March 2, 2007

Power Reactor Security Requirements; Reopening of Public Comment Period (AG63 - Parts 50,

72, and 73)

On February 28, 2007, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (72 FR 8951)

that reopens the comment period until March 26, 2007, for this rulemaking. The comment

period was reopened in response to requests that the comment period be extended beyond the

date of the rescheduled public meeting on this action. 
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE H

Office of Information Services (OIS)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

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

of February 23 through March 1, 2007:

Contract NRC-27-01-001 FOIA/PA-2007-0130

Certification Board of Nuclear Cardiology (CBNC) correspondence

between NRC & CBNC from August 31, 2006 & January 31, 2007

FOIA/PA-2007-0131

Contract NRC-27-01-001 FOIA/PA-2007-0132

Contract NRC-27-01-001 FOIA/PA-2007-0133

NUREG/BR-0073, NRC Project Manager’s Handbook FOIA/PA-2007-0134

Material License Tracking System database information on specific

program codes

FOIA/PA-2007-0135
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE J

Office of Human Resources (HR)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

Arrivals

BLAKE, KATHLEEN SECRETARY FSME

DEMPSEY, HEATHER SECRETARY (OA) NRR

FEDERLINE, MARGARET CONSULTANT NMSS

FONT, OSVALDO NSPDP ENGINEER / SCIENTIST RES

FUHRMANN, MARK GEOCHEMIST RES

GOMEZ, ANA SECRETARY NMSS

HARDIN-MURPHY, KAREN SECRETARY (OA) NRR

HEIDA, BRUCE REACTOR SYSTEMS ENGINEER NRR

JIMENEZ, PATRICIA SECRETARY (OA) CSU

LEHMAN, BRYCE GENERAL ENGINEER (NSPDP) NRR

LISING, ALLAN REACTOR ENGINEER NRR

MAJEED, FAJR SECRETARY (OA) FSME

MATLACK, HEATHER SECRETARY (OA) NRR

MYERS, CRYSTAL SECRETARY (OA) RIV

O'DRISCOLL, JAMES PROJECT MANAGER NRR

TOMPKINS, ZIA FAIZ GENERAL ENGINEER NSIR

VALENCIA, SANDRA IT SPECIALIST OIS

WILSON, ANDREA SECRETARY (OA) NRR

YU, IRENE PROJECT MANAGER

(ENVIRONMENTAL)

NRO

Retirements

AITCHESON, MARIANNE TEAM LEADER RES

MEEK, TERESA PROGRAM ANALYST NRR

MO, TIN HEALTH PHYSICIST RES

SCOTT, MICHAEL SENIOR REACTOR INSPECTOR RIV
Retirements

March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE J

TRIMBLE, DAVID SR. REACTOR OPERATIONS ENG. NRR

WATKINS, LIONEL SR. VISUAL INFORMATION SPECIALIST ADM

Departures

HUFFMAN, CHAD RELIABILITY AND RISK ENGINEER RES

MCCONNELL, TIMOTHY RESIDENT INSPECTOR (PWR) R-IV
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE M

Office of Public Affairs (OPA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

The OPA received significant media inquiries on the following:

TXU’s buyout announcement and how the NRC reviews reactor license transfers.

The Commission’s rulings in the Diablo Canyon, Oyster Creek and related cases on whether

terrorism should be considered in environmental reviews of licensing actions.

An electrical fire at Peach Bottom.

Other Public Affairs Items:

Chairman Klein spoke at the Waste Management Conference in Tucson, Arizona.

OPA Region I assisted staff at a meeting with Vermont lawmakers regarding the license

renewal review for Vermont Yankee.

Press Releases

Headquarters:

07-028 NRC Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards to Meet March 8-10 in

Rockville, Maryland (2/26)

07-029 NRC Announces Appointment of New Member to the Advisory Committee on

the Medical Uses of Isotopes (2/26)

Regions:

III-07-004 NRC Returns Perry to Regular Oversight (3/2)

IV-07-004 NRC Proposes $6,500 Fine for Universal Testing, LLC (2/26)
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE O

Office of the Secretary (SECY)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

Document Released

to Public

Date Subject

Decision Documents

1. SECY-07-0032 2/12/07 Recommended Staff Actions Regarding

Correspondence with Allegers Involving

Security-Related Concerns

2. COMSECY-07-0002 1/26/07 Potassium Iodide Replenishment

SRM on 07-0002 2/28/07 (same)

Commission Voting Record

on 07-0002

2/28/07 (same)

Information Papers

1. SECY-07-0031 2/9/07 Status of the Silex Project Proposed by

General Electric Nuclear

2. SECY-07-0033 3/1/07 Weekly Information Report - Week Ending

February 9, 2007

Memoranda

1. M070215B 2/26/07 Briefing on Office of Chief Financial Officer

(OCFO) Programs, Performance, and Plans

2. M070226 2/26/07 Staff Requirements - Affirmation Session: I.

SECY-06-0243 - AmerGen Energy

Company, LLC (License Renewal for Oyster

Creek Nuclear Generating Station) Docket

No. 50-0219, Remaining Legal Challenges

to LBP-06-07; II. SECY-06-0245 - Nuclear

Management Co., LLC (Palisades Nuclear

Plant, License Renewal Application);

Response to "Notice" Relating to San Louis

Obispo Mothers for Peace; III. SECY-06-

0246 - System Energy Resources, Inc.

(Early Site Permit for Grand Gulf ESP Site);

Response to NEPA/Terrorism Issue; IV.

SECY-07-0006 - Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

(Diablo Canyon ISFSI), Docket No.

72-26-ISFSI
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE O

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Rod Blagojevich, Governor of Illinois, dated February 21, 2007, provides request

for a State Liaison Officer to act as the primary liaison to the NRC.

2. Letter to Congress, dated February 16, 2007, provides NRC’s Annual Report on the

administration of the Government in the Sunshine Act for Calendar Year 2006,

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee

on Reliability and Probabilistic Risk Assessment, notice of meeting (3/22/2007). 

2. ACRS, Meeting of the ACRS Subcommittee on Reliability and Probabilistic Risk

Assessment, notice of meeting (3/23/2007).

3. 10 CFR Part 50 [Docket No. PRM-50-81], Mr. Eric Epstein; Denial of Petition for

Rulemaking. 

4. Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW), Meeting on Planning and Procedures,

notice of meeting (3/20/2007).

5. ACNW, notice of 177th meeting (3/20-22/2007). 

6. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board, Notice of Hearing, USEC,Inc. (American Centrifuge

Plant) (3/13/2007). 
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE P

Region II (RII)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

Commissioners’ Visit BWX Technologies and AREVA Richland Facilities

On February 28 - March 1, 2007, Commissioners Merrifield and Lyons visited the BWX

Technologies, Inc. in Virginia, accompanied by the Deputy Regional Administrator for

Operations (DRAO). Commissioner Lyons and the DRAO also visited AREVA Lynchburg. 

They met with licensee management and toured the sites. 

Executive Director for Operations (EDO) Visits Virginia Electric and Power Company

On March 2, 2007, the EDO, accompanied by the Deputy Regional Administrator for

Operations, visited the North Anna Nuclear Station. They met with licensee management and

toured the sites. 
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE P

Region IV (RIV)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

Chairman Klein Visit to Palo Verde

On February 23, 2007, Chairman Klein toured the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station,

accompanied by the Regional Administrator. They met with senior plant management and

discussed plant performance. Later that day, Dr. Klein held a press conference in Phoenix

where he answered questions regarding NRC oversight of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating

Station.
March 2, 2007 ENCLOSURE Q

Office of the Executive Director for Operations (OEDO)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

DPO-2005-005: Issuance of Differing Professional Opinion (DPO) Appeal on Chemical

Consequence Limits

On March 1, 2007, the Executive Director for Operations (EDO) issued a decision on an appeal

to an August 25, 2006 decision made by the Director of the Office of Nuclear Materials Safety

and Safeguards (NMSS). The appeal related to a June 21, 2005, DPO submitted by an NRC

employee on the adequacy of chemical consequence limits proposed by a license applicant. 

The submitter requested in the original DPO that: (1) the management/staff decision to accept

the use of the chemical consequence limits for the proposed facility be revised; (2) an issue on

chemical consequence limits identified during the NRC’s review of the license application be

reopened; (3) the applicant be requested to submit on the docket adequate justification for its

use of chemical consequence values; (4) a task force with credentials and experience in

chemical consequence assessment and exposure limits be formed to establish an NRC staff

position; and (5) a rulemaking process be conducted that presents these proposed limits to the

licensees and the public such that consistent guidance for license and applicants can be

developed. The EDO agreed with the DPO decision that a sufficient basis does not exist to

reverse the NRC decision on the use of the proposed chemical consequence limits and take the

actions proposed by the submitter. However, the EDO acknowledged that the staff is currently

developing a guidance document which addresses, in part, the appropriate standards to use in

setting chemical limits which will provide additional clarity on the appropriate considerations in

review of chemical consequence limits. The EDO also recognized the efforts of the submitter

in raising the issues concerns and the contribution of the employee in ensuring the agency’s

safety goals are achieved. 
March 2, 2007 

Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)

Items of Interest

Week Ending March 2, 2007

CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS SCHEDULE, NO. 6

 OCA

Contact

 DATE &

 PLACE

TIME COMMITTEE SUBJECT 

Decker 03/07/07

2318

Rayburn

10:00 House Science and Technology,

Subcommittee on Energy andEnvironment(Representatives Lampson /Inglis)

Proposed fiscal 2008 budgetfor Energy Departmentresearch and development

< Ray Or

Energy 

< Andrew 

of EnerRenewa

< Jeffrey 

Energy 

< Dennis 

of Ener

< Kevin K

ElectricReliabil
CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS SCHEDULE, NO. 6

 OCA

Contact

 DATE &

 PLACE

TIME COMMITTEE SUBJECT 

March 2, 2007 

Combs /Decker

03/13/2007

342 Dirksen

2:30 Senate Committee on Homeland

Security and GovernmentalAffairs, Subcommittee onOversight of GovernmentManagement, the FederalWorkforce, and the District ofColumbia(Senators Akaka / Voinovich)

International Efforts to SecureRadiological Materials

Not yet determRequested:< GAO< IAEA (w< Andrew 

AdminisReduct

< Patty M

AssistaInternaProlifer

< Janice < non-gov

Decker 03/28/2007

2362B

Rayburn

10:00 House Appropriations Committee,

Subcommittee on Energy andWater Development(Representatives Visclosky /Hobson)

FY 2008 Appropriations Not yet determ

Requested:< NRC (C< DOE O< DOE O

Waste