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INFORMATION REPORT

SECY-05-0007

January 10, 2005

Contact: T. Kim, OEDO

Enclosure A

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Items of Interest
Week Ending December 31, 2004

Duane Arnold Energy Center - Announcement Regarding Future Ownership

On December 22, 2004, Interstate Power and Light Company (IP&L), a subsidiary of Alliant Energy Corporation, announced its intent to sell the company's 70 percent ownership interest in the 583-megawatt Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC), a nuclear generating facility located near Palo, Iowa. IP&L plans to enter into a definitive agreement with a prospective owner within six months and will then seek to obtain all appropriate State and federal regulatory approvals. Central Iowa Power Cooperative and Corn Belt Power Cooperative own the remaining 30 percent interest in DAEC. Nuclear Management Company, which assumed operating authority from the owners in August 2000, will continue to manage DAEC's operations.

Enclosure B

Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards
Items of Interest
Week Ending December 31, 2004

Issuance of Multi-Agency Radiological Laboratory Analytical Protocols Manual

On December 27, 2004, federal agencies that participated in developing the Multi-Agency Radiological Laboratory Analytical Protocols (MARLAP) manual announced the availability of the MARLAP manual in the Federal Register (69 FR 77228). The MARLAP manual provides guidance for planning, implementation, and assessment phases of projects that require laboratory analysis of radionuclides. Staff members of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards and the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research represented the NRC in this multi-agency effort. The other participating agencies included: (1) the Department of Defense; (2) the Department of Energy; (3) the Department of Homeland Security; (4) the Environmental Protection Agency; (5) the Department of Commerce (National Institute of Standards and Technology); (6) the Department of Interior (U.S. Geological Survey); and (7) the Department of Health and Human Services (Food and Drug Administration). The MARLAP manual offers a framework for a performance-based approach to achieving data requirements and needs. This framework should promote national consistency in the generation of radioanalytical data of known quality appropriate for the intended use. The MARLAP manual supports activities such as: (1) site characterization; (2) decommissioning; (3) cleanup and compliance demonstration; (4) emergency response; (5) effluent and environmental monitoring; and (6) radioactive waste management. The MARLAP manual (NRC document number NUREG-1576) is issued in three volumes (printed and CD-ROM versions) and is available through the Internet at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1576/.

Notice of Denial of Petition for Rulemaking Signed by the Executive Director for Operations

On December 23, 2004, the NRC’s Executive Director for Operations (EDO) denied a petition for rulemaking submitted by Sander C. Perle, ICN Worldwide Dosimetry (now Global Dosimetry Solutions, Inc.), dated March 19, 2003. The petitioner had requested that the NRC amend its regulations to require that:

1. Any dosimeter, without exception, that is used to report dose of record and demonstrate compliance with the dose limits specified in the Commission's regulations, be processed and evaluated by a dosimetry processor holding accreditation from the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The petitioner specifically referenced electronic dosimeters.

2. The definition of "Individual monitoring devices" in 10 CFR 20.1003 be revised to mean any device used by licensees to show compliance with 10 CFR 20.1201.

3. "Electronic dosimeters and optically stimulated dosimeters'' be added as additional examples of individual monitoring devices.

The petition was docketed as PRM-20-25. The petition was published in the Federal Register (68 FR 23618) on May 5, 2003, for a 75-day comment period. Twelve comment letters were received. Six commenters recommended that NRC deny the petition, three commenters supported the petition but with substantial changes, and three comments were received from the petitioner responding to comments that the NRC received on the petition.

The NRC denied the petition because there is insufficient evidence that it solves a regulatory problem or improves health and safety of the public. The proposed revision would apply to essentially all dosimeters and result in unintended requirements. Accreditation by NVLAP would be required of processors for essentially all types of dosimetry, beyond the electronic dosimetry that was referenced in the petition. The suggested amendments would result in an increase in burden for licensees, without any added health and safety benefit.

Enclosure C

Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Items of Interest
Week Ending December 31, 2004

Agreement on the OECD-NEA Studsvik Cladding Integrity Project

On December 16, 2004, the Executive Director for Operations signed the multilateral international Agreement regarding NRC’s participation in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency’s (NEA’s) new Studsvik Cladding Integrity Project. Sixteen additional organizations in ten countries will participate in this research program.

This project will provide experimental data that are needed for improving the understanding of the dominant cladding failure mechanisms under normal operation and transient conditions in light water reactor fuels. Four basic phenomena will be addressed: (1) pellet-cladding mechanical interaction, (2) iodine stress-corrosion cracking, (3) hydrogen embrittlement, and (4) delayed hydride cracking. The research conducted and the fuel rod specimen test data obtained under this Agreement will help NRC develop fuel damage limits that are used in licensing reviews.

NUREG/CR-6861, Barrier Integrity Research Program - Final Report

In December 2004, the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) published NUREG/CR-6861 entitled, “Barrier Integrity Research Program - Final Report.” Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) conducted a comprehensive review of leakage operating experience by developing a database of leakage events, an evaluation of the capabilities of the current leakage monitoring systems, and an identification of new systems that are potentially more capable than current systems. RES initiated the ANL program as a result of Davis-Besse lessons-learned task force recommendations. This NUREG/CR will be used by an RES and Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation working group which is deliberating on improvements to reactor coolant system unidentified leakage requirements.

Enclosure F

Office of Administration
Items of Interest
Week Ending December 31, 2004

Contract Award

On December 23, 2004, a competitive small business set-aside procurement No. ADM-05-425 was awarded to OBSI1, Inc. The contractor will provide custodial management services for the NRC's headquarter offices. The period of performance is one year with 4 one-year options, with a total firm fixed price of $6,139,563.43.

Enclosure G

Chief Information Officer
Items of Interest
Week Ending December 31, 2004

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of December 24 through December 29, 2004:

Enclosure I

Office of Human Resources
Items of Interest
Week Ending December 31, 2004

Enclosure M

Office of Public Affairs
Items of Interest
Week Ending December 31, 2004

Media Interest

The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) received significant media inquiries on the following:

A New Jersey official’s request that Hope Creek be required to replace recirculation pump shaft before re-starting.

The ability of nuclear plants on the West Coast to withstand a tsunami.

Federal Register Notices Issued

1. Proposed Rule: Withdrawal: 10 CFR Part 71, RIN: 3150-AG71, Packaging and Transportation of Radioactive Material; Withdrawal of Subpart I.

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