INFORMATION REPORT 

August 26, 2011 SECY-11-0121

For: The Commissioners 

From: Nader L. Mamish 

 Assistant for Operations 

 Office of the Executive Director for Operations 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING AUGUST 19, 2011 

Contents Enclosure

Nuclear Reactor Regulation A 

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B 

Administration C 

Information Services D 

Human Resources E 

Public Affairs F 

Secretary G 

 /RA/ 

Nader L. Mamish 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

R. Rihm, OEDO 
August 26, 2011 SECY-11-0121

For: The Commissioners 

From: Nader L. Mamish 

 Assistant for Operations 

 Office of the Executive Director for Operations 

Subject: WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT - WEEK ENDING AUGUST 19, 2011 

Contents Enclosure

Nuclear Reactor Regulation A 

Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards B 

Administration C 

Information Services D 

Human Resources E 

Public Affairs F 

Secretary G 

 /RA/ 

Nader L. Mamish 

Assistant for Operations, OEDO 

Contact: 

R. Rihm, OEDO 

DISTRIBUTION: 

EDO R/F 

AO R/F 

ML11238A170

OFFICE OEDO AO/OEDO 

NAME RRihm NMamish 

DATE 08/26/11 08/26/11 

 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE A 

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 19, 2011 

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code Meetings in Boston

During the week of August 8, 2011, staff attended the ASME Section III and Section XI 

meetings held in Boston, Massachusetts. The primary topic of interest during this meeting was 

Code Case (N-755) on the use of Polyethylene material for underground service water piping 

that ASME developed about three years ago. The staff didn’t endorse Revision 1 of this Code 

Case and indicated that it would not endorse Revision 2 either due to a variety of technical 

concerns that remained unresolved from Revision 1. 

Acceptance of License Renewal Application (LRA) for Limerick Generating Station

On August 12, 2011, staff completed the acceptance review of the LRA for Limerick Generating 

Station, Units 1 and 2 (Limerick). The staff determined that the application contains sufficient 

information for docketing. On June 22, 2011, the staff received the LRA from Exelon 

Generation Company, LLC, requesting the extension of the operating license for an additional 

20 years beyond the current 40-year term. Limerick, Units 1 and 2, are boiling-water reactors 

designed by General Electric with current operating licenses that expire at midnight on October 

26, 2024, for Unit 1, and June 22, 2029, for Unit 2. The staff plans to hold public information 

sessions at Limerick, Pennsylvania, on September 22, 2011, to describe the license renewal 

process and to accept scoping comments for the environmental review. Acceptance of the LRA, 

which is published in the Federal Register, begins a 60-day opportunity for members of the 

public to file a request for hearing and/or petition to intervene. 

Public Meeting with General Electric Hitachi (GEH)

On August 15, 2011, the staff participated in a public meeting where GEH discussed its plans to 

produce radioactive medical isotope Molybdenum-99 in operating commercial boiling-water 

reactors. GEH and its client licensee addressed NRC staff comments and concerns as GEH 

provided technical content, conceptual designs, and licensing schedules for this project. 

Meeting with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials 

Safety Administration (PHMSA)

On August 16, 2011, staff met with personnel from the DOT PHMSA to discuss DOT regulations 

and guidance associated with the use of guided wave ultrasonic testing techniques to monitor 

buried piping in gas and hazardous material applications. PHMSA provided a summary of their 

18-point guideline to guided wave inspection. Also reviewed were limitations of the guided 

wave techniques and the experience base that PHMSA has with its use. Guided wave 

inspection has recently been used in nondestructive examinations of buried piping at nuclear 

facilities, and licensees are considering further expansion of its use.
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE B 

 Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 19, 2011 

Public Meeting on Design Features

On August 17, 2011, NMSS staff met with representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute 

(NEI), fuel cycle licensees, and applicants to discuss their proposed approach on the use of 

bounding assumptions and design features for risk assessment in integrated safety analyses. 

During the meeting, NMSS staff discussed the proposed approach and asked questions to 

better understand the industry’s proposal. After much discussion, NMSS staff indicated that 

they will evaluate the information submitted by the industry and NEI, along with the meeting 

discussions, to establish the appropriate path forward. No regulatory commitments were made 

during the meeting. Meeting slides are available in the NRC’s Agency-wide Documents Access 

and Management System at Accession Number ML112280625.
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE C 

 Office of Administration (ADM) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 19, 2011 

Technical Assistance in Support of Licensing Activities

On August 15, 2011, as a result of a noncompetitive acquisition, a cost-plus-fixed-fee type 

contract (NRC-HQ-11-C-03-0058) was awarded to Southwest Research Institute of San 

Antonio, Texas, to provide technical assistance in support of probabilistic risk assessment, fire 

protection, and accident dose assessments licensing activities related to nuclear reactor 

regulation. The period of performance is August 15, 2011, through September 28, 2012, with 

three 1-year option periods. The total value of the contract is $983,228.00, inclusive of all 

options. 
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE D 

 Office of Information Services (OIS) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 19, 2011 

Nuclear Information and Records Management Conference

From August 15-17, 2011, the Deputy Executive Director for Corporate Support (DEDCM) from 

the Office of Executive Director for Operations, and staff from OIS and the Office of Nuclear 

Security and Incident Response (NSIR) participated in the 2011 Nuclear Information and 

Records Management Association Conference. The DEDCM made the keynote speech at the 

35th anniversary function. The speech covered current topics at NRC including new licensing, 

responding to Fukushima, and information management challenges. NSIR staff discussed the 

NRC incident response program and the NRC actions following the Fukushima event. OIS staff 

made presentations on NRC’s records modernization activities. Presentations attended by staff 

covered topics such as the use of SharePoint to manage records, capturing knowledge 

management in documents, document control fundamentals, e-discovery and document 

management, plus other records management topics. 

Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) Working Group Meeting

On August 18, 2011, staff from the Information and Records Services Division, the Office of 

General Counsel, and the Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication attended a CUI Working 

Group meeting at the Office of the CUI Executive Agent (EA). This was the second of weekly 

meetings to take place until early October 2011, during which agencies will work to standardize 

for common use across the Federal government the numerous proposed CUI categories and 

sub-categories that the EA received from agencies in May 2011. At this meeting, the EA briefly 

discussed the revisions to the two categories (“Patent” and “Copyright”) discussed at the 

meeting on August 11, 2011. Subsequent discussion centered on the authorities in law, 

regulation, and government-wide use for the many subcategories that fall under the “Legal” 

category. The EA will use the discussions and subsequent email input from agencies to further 

standardize and refine the “Legal” category and subcategories. The next meeting, on 

August 24, 2011, will address the “Privacy” category and subcategories. 

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

of August 12, 2011, through August 18, 2011: 

Records on named individual FOIA/PA-2011-0322 

Nuclear Fuel Services, Erwin, Tennessee, records regarding licensing 

and indemnification agreements executed between 1965 and 1990 

FOIA/PA-2011-0321 

Adam Hasher, former Florida State Representative, any correspondence 

to and from NRC, January 1, 2002, to December 31, 2010; 

correspondence on behalf of Majority Leader and Deputy Majority Leader 

for the Florida House of Representatives 

FOIA/PA-2011-0320 

 
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE D 

NRC Generic Fundamentals Examination Results for Vermont Yankee 

NPS, June 8, 2011, including final answer key, grading results for facility, 

copies of individual exam answer sheets for each employee, and NRC 

comments. 

FOIA/PA-2011-0319 

Office of the Inspector General closed investigations, C08018, C08014, 

C08041, C08012 

FOIA/PA-2011-0318 
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE E 

 Office of Human Resources (HR) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 19, 2011 

Arrivals 

Rodgers, Felecia Information Technology Specialist RII 

Retirements 

Hunter, James Budget/Financial Analyst Team Leader RII 

Departures 

Eastman, David Student Engineer RES 

Faucher, James Student Information Technology (IT) Specialist RIV 

Fitz, Jonah Student Management Analyst ACRS 

Garcia, Karla Student Contract Assistant (CO-OP) ACRS 

Hall, Katherine Student Clerk FSME 

Hansing, Nicholas Student Engineer RIII 

Hiser, Diana Student Engineer (CO-OP) NRR 

Izadjoo, Julia Management Analyst NRO 

Jackson, Blake Student Engineer (Summer) RII 

Lemay, Matthew General Engineer RIII 

Martin, Sierra Student Clerk OIP 

Pruett, Timothy IT Specialist (INET) OIS 
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE F 

 Office of Public Affairs (OPA) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 19, 2011 

OPA Received Significant Media Inquiries on the Following:

The Commission’s Staff Requirements Memorandum on the Japan Task Force 

recommendations, as well as the Task Force’s presentation to the Advisory Committee an 

Reactor Safeguards. 

Legal challenges filed by 25 public interest groups against the NRC claiming the agency is 

legally required to slow down reactor licensing and relicensing to address the recommendations 

of the Fukushima task force. 

Other Public Affairs Items:

OPA supported public meetings on South Texas Project and Nuclear Fuel Services, as well as 

the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards meeting at Headquarters on the Japan Task 

Force. 

Press Releases Issued

Headquarters:

11-147 NRC Announces Opportunity for Hearing on Application to Renew Operating Licenses 

for Limerick Nuclear Power Plant (8/15)

11-148 NRC Issues License for the Lost Creek in Situ Uranium Recovery Project in Wyoming 

(8/17)

11-149 NRC Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Revisions to Low-Level Radioactive Waste 

Reduction Policy Statement (8/17)

11-150 NRC Issues Final Safety Evaluation Report for Virgil C. Summer New Reactors 

Application (8/18)

11-151 Commission Seeks Prompt Action on Japan Task Force Recommendations (8/19)

Regions:

II-11-044 NRC Schedules Public Meeting for August 24 to Discuss Watts Bar Unit 2 

Construction Project (8/15)

III-11-029 NRC Begins Special Inspection at Palisades Nuclear Power Plant (8/15)

II-11-045 NRC Begins Special Inspection at Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant (8/16)

II-11-046 NRC Schedules Meeting in Hartsville to Discuss Robinson Nuclear Power Plant (8/17)

III-11-030 NRC Cites Prairie Island Unit 1 Nuclear Plant for an Issue Involving Battery Chargers 

(8/17)

 
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE F 

II-11-047 NRC Issues Confirmatory Order to USEC’S Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (8/18)

III-11-031 NRC Issues $15,000 Fine and Confirmatory Order to Professional Service Industries, 

Inc. (8/18)
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE G 

 Office of the Secretary (SECY) 

 Items of Interest 

 Week Ending August 19, 2011 

Document Released 

to Public 

Date Subject 

 Decision Documents

1. SRM on SECY-11-0019 08/15/2011 Senior Management Review of Overall 

Regulatory Approach to Groundwater Protection 

2. Commission Voting Record 

on SECY-11-0019 

08/15/2011 (Same) 

3. SRM on SECY-11-0093 08/19/2011 Near-Term Report and Recommendations for 

Agency Actions Following the Events in Japan 

4. Commission Voting Record 

on SECY-11-0093 

08/19/2011 (Same) 

5. SECY-11-0108 08/05/2011 Regulation of Chemical Security 

6. SECY-11-0106 08/04/2011 Final Rule: U.S. Advanced Boiling-Water 

Reactor Aircraft Impact Design Certification 

Amendment (RIN 3150-AI84) 

 Information Papers

1. SECY-11-0111 08/12/2011 Staff Progress in Resolving Issues Associated 

with Inspections, Tests, Analyses, and 

Acceptance Criteria 

Commission Correspondence

1. Letter to Senators James Inhofe and Barbara Boxer, dated August 12, 2011, responds 

to letter relating to the regulatory safety comparisons with that of Japan. 

2. Letter to Congressman Bobby Rush, dated August 11, 2011, responds to letter 

regarding events at Dresden Nuclear Power Station. 

3. Letter to Congressman Edward Markey, dated August 11, 2011, responds to letter 

regarding NRC actions being taken in response to the recent events in Japan. 

4. Letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein, dated August 10, 2011, responds to request that the 

NRC begin examining seismic and tsunami hazards, operational issues, plant security 

etc. within the scope of the relicensing process. 

5. Letter to Congressman Edward Markey, dated August 10, 2011, responds to letter 

relating to the May 10, 2011, event at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant. 

 
August 19, 2011 ENCLOSURE G 

Federal Register Notices

 

1. Exelon Generation Company, LLC; PSEG Nuclear, LLC; Peach Bottom Atomic Power 

Station, Unit 3; Notice of Consideration of Issuance of Amendment to Facility Operating 

License, Proposed No Significant Hazards Consideration Determination, and 

Opportunity for a Hearing and Order Imposing Procedures for Document Access to 

Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information. 

2. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS), notice of the 586th meeting 

(09/08-09/10/2011). 

3. Reed College, Facility License No. R-112; Notice of Acceptance for Docketing and 

Opportunity to Provide Comments and/or Request a Hearing and Order Imposing 

Procedures for Access to Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information. 

4. ACRS, Subcommittee Meeting on Regulatory Policies and Practices, notice of meeting 

(09/07/2011, p.m.). 

5. ACRS, Subcommittee Meeting on Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems, notice of 

meeting (09/07/2011, a.m.). 

6. ACRS, Subcommittee Meeting on Planning and Procedures, notice of meeting 

(09/07/2011, p.m.). 

7. NRC Application for a License to Export Heavy Water.