UNITED STATES 

 NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 REGION I 

 2100 RENAISSANCE BOULEVARD, SUITE 100 

 KING OF PRUSSIA, PENNSYLVANIA 19406-2713

February 19, 2014 

MEMORANDUM TO: Those on Attached List 

FROM: Eric J. Leeds, Director /RA by Jennifer Uhle for/

 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

 William M. Dean /RA/

Regional Administrator

 Region I 

SUBJECT: SEABROOK ALKALI-SILICA REACTION ISSUE TECHNICAL 

TEAM CHARTER REVISION 1 

The enclosed Revision 1 to the Seabrook Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) Issue Technical Team 

(SAITT) charter defines the purpose and objectives of the assigned staff. The SAITT charter is 

revised to remove completed objectives associated with NRC review of NextEra’s prompt 

operability determinations and supporting engineering evaluations, NextEra’s root cause 

evaluation and integrated corrective action plan to resolve the ASR issue at Seabrook, and NRC 

staff coordination and closure of CAL 1-2012-002. This revision also updates charter objectives 

to coordinate NRC staff review of NextEra’s ongoing structural monitoring and testing programs 

and the licensee’s assessment of new information and its operability determinations. Objectives 

related to NRC review of NextEra’s aging management program for ASR and agency 

communication activities remain unchanged. Functional responsibilities have been revised to 

delete reference to an action tracking system because normal regional and agency tracking 

processes are being used to track actions as necessary. Finally the attachment to the SAITT 

charter has been streamlined and revised to reflect personnel changes since initial charter 

development. 

Docket No. 50-443 

Enclosure: 

SAITT Charter and Attachment 

CONTACT: William Cook, Region I/DRS 

 610-337-5074 
MEMORANDUM TO: Those on Attached List 

FROM: Eric J. Leeds, Director /RA by Jennifer Uhle for/

 Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

 William M. Dean /RA/

Regional Administrator

 Region I 

SUBJECT: SEABROOK ALKALI-SILICA REACTION ISSUE TECHNICAL 

TEAM CHARTER REVISION 1 

The enclosed Revision 1 to the Seabrook Alkali-Silica Reaction (ASR) Issue Technical Team 

(SAITT) charter defines the purpose and objectives of the assigned staff. The SAITT charter is 

revised to remove completed objectives associated with NRC review of NextEra’s prompt 

operability determinations and supporting engineering evaluations, NextEra’s root cause 

evaluation and integrated corrective action plan to resolve the ASR issue at Seabrook, and NRC 

staff coordination and closure of CAL 1-2012-002. This revision also updates charter objectives 

to coordinate NRC staff review of NextEra’s ongoing structural monitoring and testing programs 

and the licensee’s assessment of new information and its operability determinations. Objectives 

related to NRC review of NextEra’s aging management program for ASR and agency 

communication activities remain unchanged. Functional responsibilities have been revised to 

delete reference to an action tracking system because normal regional and agency tracking 

processes are being used to track actions as necessary. Finally the attachment to the SAITT 

charter has been streamlined and revised to reflect personnel changes since initial charter 

development. 

Docket No. 50-443 

Enclosure: 

SAITT Charter and Attachment 

CONTACT: William Cook, Region I/DRS 

 610-337-5074 

DISTRIBUTION: 

Public 

RidsNrrPMSeabrook Resource 

RidsRgn1MailCenter Resource 

LPWB Reading File 

RidsNrrLAABaxter Resource 

RidsOgcRp Resource 

RidsNrrDorlLpl1-2 Resource 

RidsNrrAdes Resource 

RidsEdoMailCenter Resource 

RidsNrrOd Resource 

RidsNrrAdro Resource 

RidsAcrsAcnw_MailCTR Resource 

RidsNrrDorl Resource 

S. Burnell, OPA 

E. Dacus, OCA

DOCUMENT NAME: G:\DRS\Seabrook Concrete\Proj Manag\Working Group Charter\Working Group Charter Revision 1D - 2014 Edition.docx 

ADAMS ACCESSION NUMBER: ML14014A378 

 SUNSI Review 

 Non-Sensitive 

 Sensitive 

 Publicly Available 

 Non-Publicly Available 

OFFICE RI/DRS RI/DRS RI/DRS DORL/DD DE/DD 

NAME WCook/WC MGray/MG RLorson/RL MEvans/ME PHiland/KB for 

DATE 01/02/2014 01/02/2014 01/06/2014 01/22/2014 01/17/2014 

OFFICE DIRS/DD DLR/DD RI/RA NRR/D 

NAME HNieh/HN JLubinski/JL WDean/WD ELeeds/JU for 

DATE 01/28/2014 01/28/2014 02/04/2014 02/18/2014 

 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
2 

ADDRESSEES: 

Region I (RI)

David Lew, Deputy Regional Administrator 

Michael Scott, (Acting) Director, Division of Reactor Projects (DRP) 

Ray Lorson, Director, Division of Reactor Safety (DRS) 

James Trapp, Deputy Director, DRS 

Glenn Dentel, Chief, Reactor Projects Branch No. 3, DRP 

Paul Cataldo, Senior Resident Inspector, Seabrook, DRP 

Chris Newport, Resident Inspector, Seabrook, DRP 

William Cook, Senior Risk Analyst (SRA), DRS 

Mel Gray, Chief, Engineering Branch 1, DRS 

Suresh Chaudhary, Reactor Inspector, DRS 

Niklas, Floyd, Reactor Inspector, DRS 

Diane Screnci, Office of Public Affairs (OPA) 

Neil Sheehan, OPA 

Nancy McNamara, State Liaison Office (SLO) 

Doug Tifft, SLO 

 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)

Daniel Dorman, Deputy Director for Engineering and Corporate Support 

Timothy McGinty, Director, Division of Safety Systems (DSS) 

Michele Evans, Director, Division of Operating Reactor Licensing (DORL) 

Patrick Hiland, Director, Division of Engineering (DE) 

John Lubinski, Director, Division of License Renewal (DLR) 

Ho Nieh, Director, Division of Inspection and Regional Support, (DIRS) 

Lawrence Kokajko, Director, Division of Policy and Rulemaking (DPR) 

David Pelton, (Acting) Deputy Director, DSS 

Louise Lund, Deputy Director, DORL 

Brian Smith, (Acting) Deputy Director, DE 

Melanie Galloway, Deputy Director, DLR 

Allen Howe, Deputy Director, DIRS 

Sher Bahadur, Deputy Director, DPR 

Mirela Gavrilas, (Acting) Deputy Director, DPR 

Anthony McMurtray, Chief, Mechanical & Civil Engineering Branch (EMCB), DE 

Meena Khanna, Chief, Plant Licensing Branch No. 1-2 (LPL1-2), DORL 

John Lamb, Seabrook Project Manager, LPL 1-2, DORL 

Michael Marshall, Chief, Aging Management of Structures, Electrical and Systems Branch, DLR 

Dennis Morey, Chief, Aging Management of Reactor Systems Branch, DLR 

Chris Regan, Chief, Reactor Inspection Branch (IRIB), DIRS 

Bill Cartwright, Engineer, IRIB, DIRS 

Harold Chernoff, Chief Operating Experience Branch, DIRS 

Anthony Mendiola, Chief, Licensing Processes Branch (PLPB), DPR 

Holly Cruz, Project Manager, PLPB, DPR 
 

CHARTER FOR THE 

SEABROOK ALKALI-SILICA REACTION ISSUE TECHNICAL TEAM 

Background: 

Alkali-silica reaction (ASR) adversely impacts the physical properties of hardened concrete. 

ASR is a slow chemical process in which the alkalis in the cement react, in the presence of 

water, with the susceptible silica contained in the concrete aggregate. The chemical 

reaction results in an alkali-silica gel that expands within the concrete conglomerate causing 

micro cracks. As the gel absorbs water, the micro cracks expand and cause a weakening of 

the concrete (affecting the compressive strength, tensile and shear strength, and elasticity 

modulus) and potentially the structural integrity of the reinforced concrete structures that 

house and support safety-related systems. 

The NRC issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) Number 1-2012-002, dated May 16, 

2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12125A172), which confirmed commitments by NextEra in 

regards to actions taken and planned to address the non-conforming ASR issue at 

Seabrook Station. The results of the NRC inspections to verify that NextEra had 

satisfactorily completed each CAL commitment are documented in NRC Inspection Reports 

05000443/2012009, dated December 3, 2012 (ML12338A283), and 05000443/201210, 

dated August 9, 2013 (ML13221A172). The NRC closed the CAL in a letter to NextEra 

dated October 9, 2013 (ML13274A670). 

NextEra initiated a large specimen testing program to determine the impact of ASR on 

concrete structures that is currently in progress at the University of Texas’ Ferguson 

Structural Engineering Laboratory (FSEL). Additionally, a Structures Monitoring and 

Assessment Program is being conducted at Seabrook Station to track the progression of 

ASR in affected reinforced concrete structures. The testing program was developed, in part, 

to support resolution of the open ASR-affected structures’ final operability determinations. 

The NRC Seabrook ASR Issue Technical Team (SAITT) was established to provide 

coordinated agency oversight of NextEra’s activities to address this non-conforming 

condition. 

Purpose:

To provide oversight and coordination of the NRC onsite inspections, in-office technical 

reviews, and other associated evaluation and assessment activities involving NextEra’s 

actions to resolve the ASR issues at Seabrook Station. 

Objectives: 

a. To review and assess the results of the onsite ASR monitoring of ASR-affected 

reinforced concrete structures. 
2 

b. To monitor activities involving anchor, shear and lap splice test specimens at the FSEL 

and assess the results of remediation testing, if required. 

c. To ensure NextEra maintains compliance with its license as new information is gathered 

from the Structures Monitoring and Assessment Program or FSEL testing program. 

d. To ensure a coordinated review of any associated reports or licensing submittals made 

by NextEra regarding ASR-affected safety-related or important to safety structures. 

e. To ensure a coordinated review and assessment of the final operability determination 

and supporting engineering evaluation, including review of any associated corrective 

actions. 

f. To support agency review of the structures aging management program related to ASR. 

g. To support a coordinated review for all public and congressional inquiries related to ASR 

at Seabrook. 

Functional Responsibilities:

a. Provide updates to the Region I Administrator and NRR Office Director after key 

milestones are completed, and as requested. 

b. Convene team meetings, as necessary, to review licensee progress, assess key test 

results and structural monitoring program observations. 

c. Ensure documentation of significant SAITT findings, observations, and decisions in NRC 

Inspection Reports, as appropriate. 

d. Prepare for and conduct public outreach activities, as appropriate. Maintain the 

Seabrook Concrete ASR Degradation public webpage up-to-date: 

http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/seabrook/concrete-degradation.html.

e. Make recommendation to the Regional Administrator (RI) and Director (NRR) to dissolve 

the SAITT upon satisfactory completion of the above stated objectives. 

THIS CHARTER IS APPROVED FOR IMPLEMENTATION ON February 18, 2014

 /RA/ /RA by Jennife Uhle for/ 

 William M. Dean Eric J. Leeds 

 Regional Administrator Director 

 Region I Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 
A-1 

ATTACHMENT 

SAITT Membership

Chairman: Mel Gray, Branch Chief, DRS, RI 

Vice Chairman: William Cook, SRA, DRS, RI 

Members: Anthony McMurtray, Branch Chief, DE, NRR 

Meena Khanna, Branch Chief, DORL, NRR 

Michael Marshall, Branch Chief, DLR, NRR 

Chris Regan, Branch Chief, DIRS, NRR 

Glenn Dentel, Chief, Projects Branch 3, DRP, RI 

 

Additional Guidance

A quorum for acceptance of recommendations or actions developed by lead offices or 

branches in primary support for the project will consist of the Chairman or Vice Chairman 

and all other members or their designated alternates from the applicable Division. Other 

participants may include staff from NRO, RES, and other offices, as necessary. 

Region I Division of Reactor Safety has the responsibility for the team leadership, as 

assigned by the Regional Administrator. A meeting summary email will capture significant 

team activities, discussions, and accomplishments. Informational management briefings 

should be conducted, as needed, or upon request. 

The SAITT shall communicate licensing and technical issues to external stakeholders via 

public outreach activities, the NRC external website, or through the use of direct 

communication plans for documents being issued and for significant inquiries made through 

the use of other established correspondence avenues (e.g., email, facsimile, telecon, etc). 

When an office is in a support role, the SAITT will ensure coordination of activities in order to 

provide the timely completion of due dates for the lead office. 

The SAITT will review the results of activities of the lead office so as to not impact the timely 

processing of the associated documentation by the lead office, including the review of any 

associated communication plans for that documentation.