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WEEKLY INFORMATION REPORT SECY-03-0121 July 17, 2003
Contact: R. Torres, OEDO
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Final Rule Incorporates Regulatory Guides by Reference Into 10 CFR 50.55a On July 8, 2003, the Commission published the final rule on Incorporation by Reference of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel and Operations and Maintenance Code Cases (68 FR 40469). This final rule incorporates by reference three regulatory guides which list ASME Code Cases that have been reviewed by the NRC and approved as alternatives to ASME Code provisions required in 10 CFR 50.55a, Codes and Standards. This action permits licensees to apply the listed code cases to the construction, inservice inspection, and inservice testing of nuclear power plants without obtaining prior NRC approval. The effective date of this final rule is August 7, 2003. Technical Meeting Held in Vienna, Austria From June 30 through July 2, 2003, Division of Engineering staff met with other industry and regulatory representatives from many countries under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria. The purpose of the technical meeting was to: (1) review and comment on two IAEA-sponsored reports on the management of aging degradation mechanisms of boiling water reactor (BWR) vessels and vessel internals important to safety and, (2) exchange information on the related experiences, lessons learned, and research results relating to aging degradation mechanisms of BWR vessels and internals. The presentations were informative and the reports, when finalized, will serve as excellent resource material.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Trousdale County Commissioners Approve Restrictions on Proposed Louisiana Energy Services Enrichment Plant On July 3, 2003, Trousdale County Commissioners voted to approve restrictions on the zoning of the Louisiana Energy Services (LES) uranium enrichment plant proposed for Hartsville, Tennessee. The restrictions would require no air nor water effluents and a 90-day limit on depleted uranium tails storage. LES had earlier stated that operation of the plant would be impractical under these conditions. Staff Visit to United Kingdom (U.K.) and Japan to Consult on the Alternative Corrosion Models in the Yucca Mountain Project From June 25 to July 4, 2003, NRC staff visited Professor R. Newman of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology, Manchester, U.K.; Dr. T. Shinohara of National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba City, Japan; and Professor S. Fujimoto of Osaka University, Osaka, Japan. The staff consulted with them on the alternative corrosion models to assess the performance of the Alloy 22 waste package lifetime in the disposal of high-level waste. For the Alloy 22 in the proposed Yucca Mountain repository, the waste package failure by localized corrosion is considered more risk-significant compared to uniform corrosion and stress corrosion cracking failure. The consulted groups had originally developed the criteria for localized corrosion for their industrial partners. There were discussions about the Department of Energy's (DOE's) and NRC's current efforts to develop appropriate criteria, and about U.S. approaches to assessing long-term uniform corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. The outcomes of the discussion will be incorporated in future NRC/DOE technical exchanges meetings. Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards Holds Annual Public Meeting On July 8, 2003, the Interagency Steering Committee on Radiation Standards (ISCORS) held its annual public meeting in the NRC Auditorium. ISCORS meets quarterly to discuss and address a wide variety of radiation protection issues of interest to Federal agencies. ISCORS members heard presentations by the National Research Council's Board on Radioactive Waste Management about its ongoing studies and from the Department of Energy about the new Office of Legacy Management. ISCORS also received reports from its various subcommittees. The Cleanup Subcommitee provided a demonstration of its web-based catalog of information on parameters and other data used in pathway modeling for cleanup of sites with radioactive contamination. The Sewage Sludge Subcommitee is nearing completion of its study of radioactively contaminated sludge and ash at publicly owned treatment works. The Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) Subcommittee reported that the Environmental Protection Agency had recently issued guidance to its regions on the potential for Technologically Enhanced NORM contamination associated with Mineral and Resource Extraction Industries. Several members of the public attended and participated extensively in the public comment portions of the meeting.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003
Response Technical Manual Training On July 8, 2003, the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response conducted training on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Response Technical Manual in Region III (RIII). A second training session will be conducted for RIII staff members in August 2003. Preliminary Notifications
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Final Rule Issued Regarding Facility Security Clearances and Safeguarding of National Security Information and Restricted Data - (Part 95) A final rule amending the regulations applicable to facility security clearances and the safeguarding of National Security Information and Restricted Data was published in the Federal Register on July 11, 2003. The final rule reflects organizational changes resulting from the creation of the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, corrects a minor error, and changes the example of the derivative classification stamp. The final rule became effective July 11, 2003. Contract Awards A firm fixed-price type contract no. NRC-10-03-173 was awarded on a competitive basis to Techniarts Engineering, Inc. of Silver Spring, MD on July 3, 2003 for the upgrade of the public address systems at NRC headquarters. The contract calls for completion of the upgrade within 45 days of award and includes options for 4 years of follow-on maintenance and system enhancements, if needed. The total value of the contract including all options is $94,400. The contract was awarded using streamlining techniques of only two members on the Source Evaluation Panel and simplified evaluation criterion (past performance). A cost-plus-fixed-fee task ordering contract no. NRC-03-03-038 was awarded on a competitive basis to Information Systems Laboratories Inc. on July 9, 2003 for work involving technical assistance in support of the Nuclear Reactor Regulation's (NRR) programs and activities pertaining to systems safety and analysis. The period of performance is three years with two one-year option periods. The total estimated cost of the contract, inclusive of option years, is $3,541,565.00. Simplified techniques used included a deadline for proposer questions, simplified evaluation criteria (experience and past performance), and award without discussions.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests received during the period of July 4 through July 10, 2003:
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003
* Effective 6/30/03
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Media Interest Senior management appointments at NRC headquarters and Region III. New problems with Davis-Besse's sump pumps raise concerns of further delays in restarting the troubled reactor. House of Representatives approval for increased funds for the Yucca Mountain Project. Increased security measures at nuclear power plants, with special focus on planned force-on-force exercise at Indian Point.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Meeting with Electricite de France (EdF) On July 9, 2003, the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) management and staff met with Michel Francony, Vice President for Operations, Bernard Roche, Head, Nuclear Affairs, and other EdF staff to brief them on the NRC approach to risk informed regulation for nuclear power plants.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003
Federal Register Notices Issued
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Indian Point - Organization Change Effective July 2, 2003, Paul Rubin, previously Manager of Site Operations at Indian Point, has been appointed the Manager of Work Control and Outage Planning at the site, replacing Rodney Cavalieri, who is retiring. Until a new Manager of Site Operations is identified, Tony Williams and Eugene O'Donnell (Indian Point Unit 2 and Unit 3 Operations Managers, respectively) will report directly to Chris Schwarz, General Manager Plant Operations. Cultural Diversity Day Activities Region I celebrated Cultural Diversity Day on July 9, 2003. Uncle Sam's Singers, an interagency chorus from the Philadelphia area, opened the activities, followed by remarks by the Regional Administrator outlining the reasons for the celebration. With the theme, "Diversity in Sports," speakers included Rebecca Dengler, a leading Ladies Professional Golf Association teaching professional; a Region I staff member with a first degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, accompanied by demonstrations of the martial arts by several students; and Bill "Ready" Cash, a catcher for the National Negro Baseball League from 1939 - 1955. The formal presentations were followed by a "barbeque on the green" prepared by Region I staff. The event was very well attended and received by Region I staff. The Director, Office of Small Business and Civil Rights attended the ceremonies, and met with Region I managers on July 8 to review Regional successes and challenges related to maintaining a diverse workforce.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Statewide Radiological Emergency Preparedness Conference and Workshop On July 8-9, 2003, the State Liaison Officer participated in the Statewide Radiological Emergency Preparedness Conference and Workshop conducted in Marathon, Florida. Tennessee Valley Authority - Sequoyah Plant Performance Meeting On July 9, 2003, representatives from Tennessee Valley Authority were in the Regional Office to attend a management meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss Sequoyah plant performance, initiatives in response to recent performance concerns, and planned major projects.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Predecisional enforcement conference On July 16, 2003, the Region III staff met with Nuclear Management Co. for a predecisional enforcement conference to discuss apparent violations involving the licensee's Fitness-For-Duty program at the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Station. The conference was closed to public observation because it involves the findings of an NRC Office of Investigations report that has not been publicly disclosed. NRC Davis-Besse Oversight Panel Public Meetings On July 9, 2003, the NRC Davis-Besse Oversight Panel held two meetings at the Oak Harbor High School in Oak Harbor, Ohio. The first meeting was between the panel and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. officials to discuss the status of activities at the Davis-Besse plant in response to the reactor vessel head degradation. The second meeting was an evening public session to review NRC activities involving Davis-Besse and to respond to questions and concerns from the public.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003 Grand Gulf Management Change On July 8, 2003, Entergy Operations, Inc. announced that Mr. Jeff Forbes will be the Site Vice President at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Station effective August 4, 2003. He was formerly a Vice President with Nuclear Management Corporation (NMC). Mr. Forbes replaces Mr. George Williams who will return to his position as Regional Vice President of Operations Support at Entergy Operations, Inc. Headquarters in Jackson, MS. NRC, Region IV, and Entergy Operations, Inc., Personnel Conducted a Regulatory Conference to Discuss Risk Related to 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix R, Non-compliance at Arkansas Nuclear One On July 10, 2003, NRC and Entergy Operations, Inc., personnel participated in a regulatory conference held in the Region IV office. The conference was held to better understand the licensee's position on the risk associated with crediting manual actions in lieu of complying with Appendix R. Key risk analysis assumptions and fire modeling assumptions were presented by NRC and the licensee.
Items of Interest Week Ending July 11, 2003
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