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INFORMATION REPORT SECY-07-0092 June 13, 2007
Contact: L. Rakovan, OEDO Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code Meetings During the week of May 14, 2007, the staff participated in the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code meetings for Sections III and XI in Grapevine, Texas. Key activities at this meeting involved the development of inspection requirements for dissimilar metal welds and the development of Code rules for the repair of dissimilar metal welds by weld inlays. The proposed methodology for the repair and mitigation of nickel alloy welds through application of a repair weld inlay from the inside surface could be used to mitigate flaws in the reactor vessel hot-leg and cold-leg nozzle welds. It is anticipated that formal ASME Code approval for the proposed inspection requirements will be initiated in August 2007, with complete ASME approval to be achieved in February 2008. Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station - 10 CFR 2.206 Petition Acknowledgment Letter to the Union of Concerned Scientists By letter dated May 18, 2007, the NRC informed the Union of Concerned Scientists that its April 30, 2007, petition request for immediate action (to Order the immediate shut down of Davis-Besse) had been denied. The petition request concerned a recently-docketed technical report, prepared by the licensee's consultants in support of an insurance claim related to Davis-Besse's 2002 reactor vessel head corrosion. The denial of this item of the petition request was based upon the NRC staff's assessment that the current reactor pressure vessel (RPV) head inspection requirements are adequate to detect RPV head degradation issues before they result in significant corrosion. Quad Cities, Unit 1 - Relief Request During an NRC inspection at Quad Cities, Unit 1, a Region III inspector identified that the procedure used to perform the Ultrasonic Examination (UT) examinations on 20 reactor vessel pressure welds was not ASME qualified and was performed with alternate cable configurations. On May 11, 2007, Exelon Generation Company, LLC requested relief from the requirements of the ASME Code for Quad Cities, Unit 1, to extend the first period of the fourth 10-year Inservice Inspection interval until May 2009, at which time equipment and procedures meeting the ASME Code would be used or the equipment and procedures that were used during the previous examination could be qualified. On May 18, 2007, the NRC staff verbally authorized the relief request for Quad Cities Unit 1. Staff Completes Proposed Draft Changes to Operator Licensing NUREGs On May 22, 2007, the staff submitted for public comment proposed changes to three operator licensing NUREGs: NUREG-1021, "Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors," NUREG-1122, "Knowledge and Abilities Catalog for Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Pressurized Water Reactors," and NUREG-1123, "Knowledge and Abilities Catalog for Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Boiling Water Reactors." Significant proposed changes include: (1) clarifying licensed operator medical requirements, including use of prescription medications; (2) clarifying the wording and selection process of examination topics; (3) adding a specific examination topic for generator voltage and electric grid disturbances; and (4) providing additional guidance for maintaining an active license (watchstander proficiency). Office of New Reactors (NRO) Meeting with New Plant Working Group On May 10, 2007, the staff participated in a meeting with the New Plant Working Group (NPWG) to discuss the status of on-going issues including: the environmental pre-application, acceptance review, and design acceptance criteria (DAC) processes; status of Part 52 and limited work authorization rulemakings; and the new licensing project plan (implications for new reactor applicants review schedule). The NPWG discussed regulatory guidance, qualification programs, AP1000 topical report, and seismic issues that were of concern. Staff Performed Audits Associated with ESBWR Design Certification Review On May 14-15, 2007, and May 16-17, 2007, the staff performed two audits at the General Electric (GE) facility in Wilmington, NC. The topics included radiological consequence dose calculations and associated proprietary reports, and structural issues. The staff also discussed the status and path forward for resolution of each outstanding request for additional information. GE and Hitachi Sign Agreement On May 16, 2007, a press release was issued announcing that GE and Hitachi signed a formation agreement to proceed with previously announced plans to create a global nuclear energy alliance. Cross-shareholding companies would be created in U.S., Canada and Japan, subject to government approvals. The transaction is expected to close by the end of June 2007. Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) Annual Public Meeting On May 17, 2007, the management and staff met with the Vice President, Training and Accreditation, Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, for the annual public meeting on training and qualification. The purpose of the coordination meeting was to discuss INPO and NRC initiatives and issues related to the training and qualification of nuclear power plant personnel. Topics discussed included new reactor accreditation, the National Academy for Nuclear Training electronic learning system, revisions to Academy and INPO documents, an update of accreditation activities, and leadership development initiatives. No new policy issues were identified during the meeting. Public Meeting to Discuss Limited Work Authorization Rule On May 22, 2007, staff members from NRO and Office of General Counsel held a public meeting with external stakeholders to discuss the recent changes to the Limited Work Authorization Rule and solicit comments, as directed by the Commission in SECY-07-0030, "Final Rulemaking on Limited Work Authorizations." Public Availability of Part 52 Draft Final Rule On May 22, 2007, the staff announced the public availability of the draft final rule for 10 CFR Part 52, "Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants." The staff released the draft final rule on Part 52, via the NRC's rulemaking website, to make it available for stakeholder information while review by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is pending. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) Workshop on Long-Term Prediction of Corrosion Damage in Nuclear Waste Systems On May 14-18, 2007, staff and contractors participated in the "Third International Workshop on Long-Term Prediction of Corrosion Damage in Nuclear Waste Systems," held in State College, Pennsylvania. Three papers on waste package corrosion in the sub-surface environment of a potential repository at Yucca Mountain were presented. Discussions included long-term prediction methods, based on laboratory test results. MIDUS Package Certified for Transport of Molybdenum-99 On May 15, 2007, the staff issued Certificate of Compliance No. 9320, for the Model No. MIDUS package, to Energy Solutions Spent Fuel Division. The MIDUS package was designed to transport up to 4,400 curies of molybdenum-99, in liquid form. Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Dry-Storage Information Forum From May 15-17, 2007, management and staff attended the NEI's Dry Storage Information Forum, in Clearwater, Florida. The forum is an annual conference, held to discuss emerging and ongoing spent fuel storage and transportation issues. Management and staff participated in the forum as speakers, session chairs, and panelists/presenters. Nevada Transportation Workshop On May 22, 2007, a staff member attended a Las Vegas public workshop of the U.S. Transportation Council, entitled: "Nevada Transportation: Take Two." The workshop was attended by representatives from the U.S. Department of Energy High-Level Waste program, and from Nevada counties Lincoln and Nye. It included an update and discussions on Nevada and national transportation programs. Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects Public Meeting on Yucca Mountain On May 23, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada, a staff member observed a public meeting of the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects. The meeting included: (1) reports on Yucca Mountain from the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects; (2) a review of agency pending legal actions; (3) a presentation on rail transportation of nuclear waste to Yucca Mountain, along the Caliente rail route; and (4) reports from local governments and tribal organizations. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) 11th Semiannual Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development Piping Failure Data Exchange (OPDE) Meeting On May 14, 2007, staff met with representatives from other OPDE member countries to present recent U.S. efforts regarding the second term of the OPDE project and to discuss the features and the potential uses and applications of the OPDE database. The project's purpose is to assemble and maintain a database of the relatively rare light water reactor (LWR) piping failures and precursor events. This operating experience data is used to develop meaningful pipe failure estimates, which can be utilized by the OPDE members to improve the safety of their LWRs. The group also discussed technical issues, the objectives for the program, and potential continuation of the program, which is scheduled to conclude in 2008. Meeting of the Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering of the National Academies of Science On May 17-18, 2007, staff participated in the subject meeting that included a presentation on a recently completed report "Assessment of the Performance of Engineered Waste Containment Barriers." The report discusses case histories of several field applications of engineered barrier systems and evaluates degradation mechanisms of engineered materials and components of containment systems. It also identifies methods for monitoring engineered barrier performance and points out significant limitations regarding the available data to confirm the long-term performance of any barrier system and the short-term performance for many components. Potential weaknesses (degradation mechanisms) were listed for many barrier system components currently in use. Fire Modeling Phenomena Identification Ranking Table (PIRT) Meetings During the week of May 21, 2007, staff held the first of three Fire Modeling PIRT meetings. This is the first time the PIRT process is being formally applied to fire modeling. Sandia National Laboratories is moderating the PIRT for the NRC and is preparing a summary report for issuance at calendar year's end. RES expects to use the completed PIRT to assist in the development of the Fire Modeling Users Guide and future experiments. Meeting with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) on the Equipment Performance and Information Exchange (EPIX) System On May 22, 2007, staff from RES and the Idaho National Laboratory met with INPO staff at INPO headquarters to obtain information on recent changes in the data definitions and database structure of EPIX. EPIX data are used by NRC to estimate probabilistic risk assessment parameters for NRC Standardized Plant Analysis Risk models, to estimate system and component performance found on the NRC public web site, and to help analyze licensee applications and operating experience. At the meeting, a plan was developed to facilitate the sharing of information on how NRC and INPO interpret and use EPIX data in reliability calculations. Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Licensing Strategy Development On May 23, 2007, Department of Energy and NRC members of the NGNP licensing strategy working group met to discuss progress made in developing the licensing strategy for the NGNP project and related draft report documentation. In particular, the group discussed the evaluation of four potential licensing approaches and confirmed that only two of these four options are viable, taking into account various evaluation factors. Both options are based on Part 50 technical requirements and are in compliance with the language of the 2005 Energy Policy Act. The next working group meeting is scheduled on June 11, 2007. Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) Preliminary Notifications
Office of Administration (ADM) Emergency Preparedness Policies Developed for Nuclear Materials Facilities (AI17 - Part 1) On May 21, 2007, the NRC published a direct final rule in the Federal Register (72 FR 28449) that amends the regulations governing the organization and functions of NRC offices. This action clarifies the emergency preparedness responsibilities of the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. The current limiting reference of "nuclear reactors" is replaced with the phrase "nuclear facilities." The direct final rule becomes effective August 6, 2007. On May 21, 2007, the NRC published the companion proposed rule to this direct final rule in the Federal Register (72 FR 28455). The comment period closes June 30, 2007. Mark Edward Leyse; Receipt of Petition for Rulemaking (PRM-50-84) On May 23, 2007, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (72 FR 28902) that requests comments on a petition for rulemaking submitted by Mark Edward Leyse (PRM-50 - 84). The petitioner requests that the NRC amend its regulations to require that nuclear power facilities be operated to limit the thickness of crud (corrosion products) layers or the thickness of oxide layers on fuel rod cladding surfaces. The petitioner also requests that the requirements pertaining to Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) evaluation models be amended to require that the steady-state temperature distribution and stored energy in reactor fuel at the onset of a postulated loss-of coolant accident (LOCA) be calculated by factoring in the role that the thermal resistance of crud and/or oxide layers on cladding plays in increasing the stored energy in the fuel. Lastly, the petitioner requests that the acceptance criteria for emergency core cooling systems for light-water nuclear power reactors be amended to stipulate a maximum allowable percentage of hydrogen content in cladding of fuel rods. The comment period closes August 6, 2007. Office of Information Services (OIS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act (PA) Requests Received During the Period of May 18 through May 24, 2007:
Chief Financial Officer (CFO) The Final Fee Rule The final fee rule was sent to the Federal Register on May 25, 2007. It is estimated that the final fee rule will be published the week of June 4, 2007. The fee rule will be effective 60 days after it is published, in early August 2007. Office of Human Resources (HR)
Office of Public Affairs (OPA) OPA received significant media inquiries on the following: Browns Ferry I's efforts to restart. Esquire magazine's article on the former chief of security at Palisades. NRC's Memorandum of Cooperation with China regarding the AP1000 reactor design. Other Public Affairs Items: OPA assisted staff at a public meeting in Piketon, Ohio, regarding the American Centrifuge Plant project and the annual assessment meeting for Oyster Creek. OPA assisted the Chairman in his speech in Miami on new reactor applications.
Office of the Secretary (SECY)
Commission Correspondence
Federal Register Notices Issued
Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)
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