INFORMATION REPORT 

May 24, 2011 SECY-11-0069

For: The Commissioners 

From: Mary C. Muessle 

 Acting Assistant for Operations 

 Office of the Executive Director for Operations 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING MAY 13, 2011 

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/ 

Mary C. Muessle 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

R. Rihm, OEDO 
May 24, 2011 SECY-11-0069

For: The Commissioners 

From: Mary C. Muessle, Acting Assistant for Operations, 

 Office of the Executive Director for Operations 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING MAY 13, 2011 

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. 

Mary C. Muessle 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

R. Rihm, OEDO 

DISTRIBUTION: 

EDO R/F 

AO R/F 

ADAMS ML11145A120

OFFICE OEDO AO/OEDO 

NAME RRihm MMuessle 

DATE 05/24/11 05/24/11 

 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE A 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending May 13, 2011 

Harris 1 Measurement Uncertainty Recapture (MUR) Power Uprate Application

By application dated April 28, 2011, the licensee requested a 1.6% MUR power uprate for Harris 

Unit 1 using Cameron Leading Edge Flow Meter CheckPlus ultrasonic flow measurement 

instrumentation. The application requests NRC approval by March 21, 2012. NRC’s standard 

review time for an MUR power uprate is six months after NRC’s acceptance of the application. 

The staff will be conducting an acceptance review of the application. 

 

Bilateral Exchange with Taiwan Atomic Energy Council (AEC)

On May 4, 2011, staff participated in a bilateral meeting with representatives from the Taiwan’s 

AEC. The event was part of a three day bilateral meeting focused on spent fuel pool (SFP) 

neutron absorbing materials. The staff discussed operating reactor experience and ongoing 

NRC research associated with Boral, Carborundum, Boraflex, and Metamic materials used in 

SFPs in plants in the U.S. The AEC discussed degradation of Boral, which is the primary 

neutron absorber material used in the Taiwan plants. The AEC expressed their appreciation for 

the staff’s open communication on material degradation issues and indicated their desire to 

maintain the same level of communication in the future. AEC is in the early stages of research 

on the use of Boral material. 

 

Public Meeting with Licensee on Transition to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 805

On May 10, 2011, the staff held a Category 1 public meeting with Indiana Michigan Power 

Company representatives to discuss the transition to NFPA 805 for Donald C. Cook Nuclear 

Power Plant, Units 1 and 2. 

Public Meeting Regarding NFPA 805 License Amendment Requests

On May 11, 2011, the staff held a Category 3 public meeting with the industry and Nuclear 

Energy Institute representatives to discuss the staggering of NFPA 805 license amendment 

request submittals. 

 

Public Meeting with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)

On May 11, 2011, the staff held a Category 2 public meeting with INPO. The purpose of this 

annual coordination meeting was to discuss items of mutual interest concerning INPO’s training 

program accreditation process including initiatives and issues related to the training and 

qualification of nuclear power plant personnel.
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE C 

 Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending May 13, 2011 

Public Meeting on Issuance of Final Safety Evaluation Report (SER) for Mixed Oxide Fuel 

Fabrication Facility

On May 10, 2011, staff from NMSS led a public meeting to discuss the NRC’s recent completion 

of the SER for the license application to possess radioactive material at the Mixed Oxide Fuel 

Fabrication Facility in Aiken, South Carolina. The meeting was also supported by staff from 

Region II and the Office of the General Counsel. During the meeting, staff discussed its review 

process and the findings detailed in the SER for the major review areas. Meeting attendees 

included members of the press, special interest groups, and several members of the Aiken, 

South Carolina community. Following the general question and answer session, poster 

sessions were held and resulted in several one-on-one discussions between meeting attendees 

and the lead reviewers.
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE E 

 Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending May 13, 2011 

Publication of Draft Regulatory Guide (DG)-1250, “Guidance for Inspections, Tests, Analyses, 

and Acceptance Criteria (ITAAC) Closure Under 10 CFR Part 52”

On May 13, 2011, the RES staff issued DG-1250, “Guidance for ITAAC Closure Under 10 CFR 

Part 52,” to provide the public with an opportunity to comment on proposed revision 1 to 

Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.215 dated October 2009. This RG describes a method acceptable to 

NRC for use in satisfying the requirements for documenting the completion of ITAAC. The 

purpose of this proposed revision is to maintain consistency with anticipated rulemaking 

changes to 10 CFR 52.99, “Inspection During Construction,” and with changes in the industry 

guidance document Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 08-01, “Industry Guideline for the ITAAC 

Closure Process under 10 CFR part 52,” which is endorsed in DG -1250. DG-1250 is online at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/power-reactors/draft-index.html. 

Publication of Revision 2 of RG 1.174, “An Approach for Using Probabilistic Risk Assessment in 

Risk-Informed Decisions on Plant-Specific Changes to the Licensing Basis,” and Revision 1 of 

RG 1.177, “An Approach for Plant-Specific, Risk-Informed Decisionmaking: Technical 

Specifications.” 

On May 13, 2011, the RES staff published Revision 2 of RG 1.174, “An Approach for Using 

Probabilistic Risk Assessment in Risk-Informed Decisions on Plant-Specific Changes to the 

Licensing Basis,” and Revision 1 of RG 1.177, “An Approach for Plant-Specific, Risk-Informed 

Decisionmaking: Technical Specifications.” Both RGs were revised to be consistent with 

revision 2 of RG 1.200, “An Approach for Determining the Technical Adequacy of Probabilistic 

Risk Assessment Results for Risk-Informed Activities,” and the 2009 American Nuclear 

Society/American Society of Mechanical Engineers Probabilistic Risk Assessment standard. 

RG 1.174 describes an acceptable method for the licensee and NRC staff to use in assessing 

the nature and impact of changes to plant licensing bases. RG 1.177 describes methods for 

assessing the nature and impact of proposed technical specifications changes including new 

quantitative criteria that align with NUMARC-93-01, Revision 2. RG 1.174 and RG 1.177 are 

available on the NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/regguides/power-reactors/rg/division-1/division-1-161.html. 
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE G 

 Office of Administration (ADM) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending May 13, 2011 

Thomas Popik; Petition for Rulemaking (PRM-50-96; NRC-2011-0069)

On May 6, 2011, (76 FR 26223) the NRC published for public comment in the Federal Register

a notice of receipt for a petition for rulemaking dated March 14, 2011, which was filed with the 

NRC by Thomas Popik. The petition requests that the NRC amend its regulations regarding the 

domestic licensing of special nuclear material to require production and utilization facilities 

licensed by the NRC to assure long-term cooling and unattended water makeup of spent fuel 

pools. The public comment period for this petition for rulemaking closes on July 20, 2011. 

Headquarters Furniture (Chair) Procurement

On May 6, 2011, as a result of a competitive acquisition under the General Services 

Administration Federal Supply Schedule, a fixed price Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) 

(NRC-HQ-11-A-10-0015), was awarded to Price Modern, LLC of Baltimore, Maryland, for the 

purchase of side/gallery chairs for NRC Headquarters. The period of performance is from 

May 15, 2011, through May 14, 2016. The total value (ceiling) of the BPA is $450,000.00. 

Region II Onsite Administrative Office Support Services

On May 12, 2011, as a result of a non-competitive 8(a) solicitation, a firm fixed-price contract 

(NRC-HQ-11-C-29-0045) was awarded to AWD Management Services of Grayson, Georgia, to 

provide onsite administrative office support services for the NRC Region II Office in Atlanta, 

Georgia. The period of performance is from June 1, 2011, through May 31, 2012, with two 

1-year option periods. The total estimated cost of the contract is $397,318.56, inclusive of all 

options. 
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE H 

 Office of Information Services (OIS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending May 13, 2011 

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

of May 6, 2011, through May 12, 2011: 

Flooding in multipath vertical countercurrent air water flow NRC 0193-5 

(1978) 

FOIA/PA-2011-0216 

Allegation RIV-2005-A-0112 including all correspondence between 

named individual and NRC 

FOIA/PA-2011-0217 

List of Contractors, general contractors and sub-contractors who are 

working on or have worked on Nuclear Facilities 

FOIA/PA-2011-0218 

Leak and Release of Uranium UF6 - Fluoride, Green Salt, 1958-1962 at 

Metropolis, Illinois Allied Chemical/Honeywell Corp 

FOIA/PA-2011-0219 
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE J 

 Office of Human Resources (HR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending May 13, 2011 

Arrivals 

Cohen, Benjamin STUDENT ENGINEER (SUMMER) R-II 

Dudley, Scott STUDENT MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT OE 

Fitz, Jonah STUDENT MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT (SUMMER) ACRS 

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

Patterson, Randy PHYSICAL SECURITY SPECIALIST R-II 

Roberts, Sarah CYBER SECURITY ASSISTANT NSIR 

Smith, Tiffany STUDENT ENGINEER (SUMMER) ACRS 

Willis, Michael STUDENT ENGINEER (SUMMER) R-II 

Retirements 

None 

Departures 

Thoman, Raymond SR. LABOR & EMPLOYEE RELATIONS SPEC HR 
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE M 

 Office of Public Affairs (OPA) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending May 13, 2011 

OPA Received Significant Media Inquiries on the following:

A tritium leak and potential flooding issues at Grand Gulf nuclear power plant (Mississippi). 

Browns Ferry “red” finding for the failure of a value in the low pressure coolant injection system. 

A reactor operator at Fermi nuclear power plant (Michigan) who tested positive on a drug test. 

The Commission briefing by the Japan Task Force that included the first U.S. plant inspection 

reports. 

The failure of about a third of the emergency sirens around the Catawba nuclear power plant 

(South Carolina) during a thunderstorm. 

Other Public Affairs Items:

OPA supported Chairman Jaczko’s visit to Indian Point nuclear power plant (New York) and a 

media event afterwards. 

OPA supported annual assessment meetings/open houses for Salem and Hope Creek (New 

Jersey), Braidwood (Illinois), and Dresden (Illinois) nuclear power plants. 

OPA did a radio interview with WRKF (of Baton Rouge, Louisiana) about the impact flooding 

along the Mississippi River would have on the River Bend nuclear power plant (Louisiana). 

OPA supported a discussion at a public meeting of the results of a special inspection for two 

issues: backup cooling pumps, and the loss of equipment alarms in the Braidwood Unit 2 

(Illinois) control room. 

OPA did a recorded interview with the Chicago CBS TV station on the safety of Illinois’ nuclear 

power plants. 

OPA supported an interview with the Federal Times on the impacts of a year-long 2011 

Continuing Resolution on NRC budgets. 

Press Releases Issued

Headquarters:

11-077 NRC Public Meeting May 18 in Rockville, Maryland, to Discuss Upcoming 

Seismic Review of U.S. Nuclear Power Plants (5/9) 

11-078 NRC Staff Issues Bulletin to Nuclear Power Plants on Strategies to Handle 

Extreme Events (5/11) 
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE M 

11-079 NRC Public Meeting May 19 in Piketon, Ohio, to Discuss Decertification of 

Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (5/12) 

11-080 NRC, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Issue Final Environmental Impact 

Statement for New Reactor at Calvert Cliffs Site (5/13) 

11-081 Inspections at U.S. Nuclear Plants Prompt Corrective Actions; Reports Being 

Made Public (5/13) 

Regions:

I-11-011 NRC to Hold Public Meeting on May 18, 2011, in Limerick, Pennsylvania, to 

Discuss Annual Assessment of Limerick Nuclear Power Plant (5/9) 

I-11-012 NRC to Hold Public Meeting on May 19, 2011, in Berwick, Pennsylvania, to 

Discuss Annual Assessment of Susquehanna Nuclear Plant (5/9) 

II-11-034 NRC Finds Valve Failure at Browns Ferry to be of High Safety Significance 

(5/10) 

III-11-017 NRC Schedules Open House for May 23, 2011, to Discuss Fermi Nuclear Power 

Plant Performance and NRC Oversight (5/11) 

III-11-018 NRC Schedules Public Meeting for May 25, 2011, to Discuss Point Beach 

Nuclear Plant Performance and NRC Oversight (5/13) 

III-11-019 NRC Schedules Public Meeting for May 26, 2011, to Discuss Kewaunee Power 

Station Performance and NRC Oversight (5/13) 

IV-11-019R Reissued - NRC to Discuss 2010 Performance Assessment for Waterford 3 

Nuclear Plant (5/9) 

IV-11-021 NRC Names New Resident Inspector at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant 

(5/10) 

IV-11-022 NRC to Discuss Performance Assessment of South Texas Project Nuclear 

Power Plant (5/10) 

IV-11-023 NRC to Discuss Performance Assessment for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power 

Plant (5/12) 
May 13, 2011 ENCLOSURE O

 Office of the Secretary (SECY) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending May 13, 2011 

Document Released 

to Public 

Date Subject 

Decision Documents

1. Staff Requirements 

Memorandum on SECY11-0024 

05/11/11 Use of Risks Insights to Enhance the Safety 

Focus of Small Modular Reactor Reviews 

Commission Voting 

Record on 11-0024 

05/11/11 (same) 

Memoranda

1. M110503 05/10/11 Staff Requirements – Information Briefing on 

Emergency Preparedness (SECY-11-0053) 

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Congress (REPs Hall, Sensenbrenner, Broun, Harris), dated April 28, 2011, 

responds to letter requesting the draft Volume III of the Safety Evaluation Report for the 

Yucca Mountain. 

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Proposed rule, 10 CFR Parts 2 and 52, Requirements for Maintenance of Inspections, 

Tests, Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria. 

2. Draft Regulatory Guide; request for comment - 10 CFR Parts 2 and 52, Draft Regulatory 

Guide, Guidance for Inspections, Tests, Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria Closure 

under 10 CFR Part 52. 

3. Proposed rule – 10 CFR Parts 40 and 150, Domestic Licensing of Source Material – 

Amendments/Integrated Safety Analysis.