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INFORMATION REPORT SECY-05-0044 March 15, 2005
Contact: T. Kim, OEDO Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) Beaver Valley Power Station - Application for Improved Technical Specifications By letter dated February 25, 2005, FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company submitted a license amendment application for conversion of the current Beaver Valley Power Station technical specifications to the “Improved Technical Specifications” as described in NUREG-1431, "Standard Technical Specifications for Westinghouse Plants." The current technical specifications for Unit 1 and Unit 2 will be consolidated into a single set of technical specifications applicable to both units. The staff is currently performing the required acceptance review of the application and, if found acceptable, will issue the review schedule. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant - Proposed Application for Partial Site Release On March 2, 2005, NRR staff met with representatives from Constellation Energy and the State of New York to discuss a proposed application by Constellation Energy for the release of a portion of the Ginna site for unrestricted use. This would be the first application for a partial site release from an operating power reactor licensee. Constellation Energy indicated that the application would be made pursuant to the provisions of 10 CFR 50.83, “Release of Part of a Power Reactor Facility or Site for Unrestricted Use,” which was published in 2003 to address the release of portions of a site or facility before the approval of a license termination plan. The land in question is a strip of land along the western boundary of the site. As part of its review of the presumed application, NRC staff will verify that there is no residual radioactivity from plant operations on the property and that the plant's security and emergency plans would not be adversely impacted. Nuclear Procurement Issues Committee (NUPIC) Meeting On February 22-25, 2005, NRR staff participated in the subject meeting held in Fort Worth, Texas. Formed in 1989 and represented by nuclear utilities, NUPIC provides a program for the evaluation of suppliers furnishing safety related items and services to the nuclear industry. The staff monitors the NUPIC audits and surveys of equipment suppliers to the nuclear industry. During the meeting, the staff discussed NRC participation in NUPIC audits of a commercial grade supplier in March 2005, and an Appendix B supplier in April 2005. The staff also presented the status and plans for reviewing an industry proposal to take credit for third party audits of measurement and test equipment suppliers under the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program. Meeting with Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Operability Determination Task Force On February 17, 2005, NRR staff met with members of NEI's Operability Determination Process Task Force (ODPTF) to discuss industry comments on draft Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2004-XXX, "Revision to Guidance Formerly Contained in NRC Generic Letter 91-18." The draft RIS was issued in August 2004 for a 60-day public comment period. During the meeting, the staff made available the staff's draft responses to public comments received during the comment period. The NEI ODPTF members provided the staff with a prioritized listing of industry comments. The participants agreed to a follow-on meeting tentatively scheduled for April 19, 2005. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (ASLB) Established for Millstone License Renewal Late Filed Contentions On February 23, 2005, the Commission's Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel issued a notice for establishing a new ASLB. This Board will to preside over a proceeding on the February 1, 2005, petition for late intervention of Suffolk County, New York, regarding the January 20, 2004, Dominion Nuclear Connecticut applications for renewal of the Millstone Units 2 and 3 operating licenses. Suffolk County is petitioning to intervene with 3 contentions related to emergency planning. NRC Staff Observation of Replacement Steam Dryer Fabrication for Quad Cities On February 24, 2005, NRC staff members from NRR and Region III met with representatives from Exelon Nuclear and General Electric (GE) at U.S. Tool & Die, Inc., near Pittsburgh, PA. The purpose of the meeting was to observe the ongoing fabrication of the replacement steam dryers for Quad Cities Units 1 and 2. The dryers are approximately 60 percent and 8 percent complete, respectively. Enhanced features of the replacement steam dryers include (1) increased thicknesses of the outer hood, cover plate, and skirt and solid gussets installed between the dryer banks; (2) curved edges to reduce flow-induced vibrations; (3) minimized number of welds and using full-penetration weld in lieu of fillet welds at most locations; (4) avoidance of welds in high stress and fatigue areas; and (5) a slanted outer-hood plate that is further away from the main steam line nozzle outlets. The fabrication is being performed by certified welders with extensive visual and penetrant inspection following initial welds and any repair activity. GE is providing 24-hour quality assurance engineer coverage and has stationed design engineers at U.S. Tool & Die to address any necessary field changes. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) Quarterly Management Meeting with US Enrichment Corporation Inc. (USEC) On March 1, 2005, staff members from NMSS, Office of the General Counsel, and the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response met with representatives of USEC in a second quarterly senior management meeting between NRC and USEC. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the status and schedule of NRC’s ongoing review of the USEC’s license application, dated August 23, 2004, for the proposed American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. USEC management indicated that it is pleased with the level of communication and the clarity of the staff’s requests for additional information. USEC committed to providing timely and clear responses to the staff’s requests for additional information. Issuance of the Surry Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation License Renewal On February 28, 2005, the Spent Fuel Project Office renewed the license for the dry-cask Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) at the Surry nuclear power plant in Surry, Virginia, for an additional 40 years. The 40-year term for Surry’s renewed license represents an exemption from NRC regulations that specify a 20-year license term for spent fuel storage facilities. Surry was the first commercial nuclear plant to be licensed to store spent fuel in dry casks at an ISFSI, and the renewed license allows operation of that ISFSI until 2046. Issuance of the renewed Surry ISFSI license represents the first renewal of an ISFSI using a dry cask storage system. International Standardization Organization Working Group Session on Sealed Radioactive Sources On February 23-24, 2005, staff from the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety participated in the meeting of the International Standardization Organization (ISO) Working Group on Sealed Radioactive Sources. The meeting was held at the French national standardization institute, AFNOR, in St. Denis, France. The following two international standards were the subject of the meeting:
Evidentiary Hearing on Louisiana Energy Services’ Proposed National Enrichment Facility On February 7-12, 2005, staff members from the Division of Waste Management and Environmental Protection and the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards supported the Office of the General Counsel during evidentiary hearings held by the Atomic Safety Licensing Board (ASLB) in Hobbs, New Mexico, on Louisiana Energy Services’ proposed National Enrichment Facility (NEF). The hearings focused on four environmental contentions admitted by the ASLB relative to the proposed NEF: (1) impacts on groundwater and surface waters; (2) impacts on groundwater supplies; (3) deconversion of depleted uranium hexafluoride; and (4) the need for the NEF. The staff also attended two sessions of ASLB-sponsored limited appearances, held in Eunice, New Mexico (approximately 5 miles west of the proposed NEF site). The purpose of these limited appearance sessions was to provide members of the public the opportunity to address the ASLB directly on the proposed NEF. The ASLB’s partial initial decision on the four environmental contentions is scheduled to be issued on June 3, 2005. The ASLB will conduct an additional evidentiary hearing on the remaining six admitted technical/safety contentions in October 2005 with an ASLB partial initial decision on those six contentions scheduled for February 2006. Office of Administration (ADM) List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NUHOMS®-24PT4, Amendment 1, Revision (AH63 - Part 72) On February 28, 2005, the NRC published a direct final rule in the Federal Register (70 FR 9501) that revises the NUTECH Horizontal Modular Storage Cask, NUHOMS®-24PT4, cask system listing in the list of approved spent fuel storage casks. This action adds another dry shielded canister to the authorized contents of the Standardized Advanced NUHOMS® System. The direct final rule becomes effective May 16, 2005. On February 28, 2005, the NRC published the companion proposed rule to this direct final rule in the Federal Register (70 FR 9548). The comment period closes March 30, 2005. List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: HI-STORM 100, Amendment 2, Revision (AH64 - Part 72) On February 28, 2005, the NRC published a direct final rule in the Federal Register (70 FR 9504) that revises the Holtec International Storage and Transfer Operation Reinforced Module System, HI-STORM 100, cask system listing in the list of approved spent fuel storage casks. This action modifies cask design. The direct final rule becomes effective May 16, 2005. On February 28, 2005, the NRC published the companion proposed rule to this direct final rule in the Federal Register (70 FR 9550). The comment period closes March 30, 2005. Office of Information Services (OIS) Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of February 25 through March 3, 2005:
Office of Human Resources (HR)
Office of Public Affairs (OPA) Media Interest The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) received significant media inquiries on the following: The NRC’s annual assessments of various nuclear plants. The renewal of the license for Surry’s dry-cask storage installation. NRC’s decision to grant a license to Duke Power to use mixed-oxide fuel assemblies at Catawba. Other Public Affairs Items: OPA staff supported public meetings at Point Beach on license renewal.
Region I (RI) Presentation to Maine Yankee Community Advisory Panel Meeting On February 24, 2005, a Region I inspector made a presentation to the Community Advisory Panel (CAP) for decommissioning the Maine Yankee plant. CAP presentations have been conducted semi-annually to provide a summary of NRC’s inspection activities at the plant as well as the status of licensing and NRC contractor’s confirmatory survey activities. Because the Maine Yankee decommissioning project is over 98 percent complete, this was the final meeting of the Maine Yankee CAP. Approximately twenty CAP members, Maine Yankee staff, media representatives, and members of the public were in attendance. Spanish Regulators Tour of Haddam Neck (Connecticut) Region I staff accompanied the Director, Office of the Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, on a tour of the Haddam Neck decommissioning plant with officials from Spain’s Consejo De Securidad Nuclear (CSN). Juan Carlos Lentijo, Technical Director of Radiation Protection, and Lucila Ramos Salvador, Deputy Director General for Environmental Radiation Protection, of CSN observed the status of decommissioning activities and fuel movement into the onsite Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation. Discussions were held concerning the licensee's plans for final status surveys and NRC confirmatory surveys in preparation for release of the site for unrestricted use in accordance with the approved License Termination. Region II (RII) Commissioners Jaczko and Lyons Visit to Sequoyah and Browns Ferry On February 28, 2005, Commissioners Jaczko and Lyons, accompanied by the Regional Administrator and Director, Division of Reactor Projects, visited the Sequoyah Nuclear Plant for a site tour and met with licensee management. On March 3, 2005, Commissioners Jaczko and Lyons, accompanied by the Deputy Regional Administrator and Deputy Director, Division of Reactor Projects, visited the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant for a site tour and met with licensee management. On March 4, 2005, Commissioner Jaczko visited the Region II offices and met with Regional staff. Support to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) On February 21 - March 2, 2005, the Director, Division of Reactor Safety, was in Budapest, Hungary, to support an IAEA mission in Paks, Hungary. The visit was to follow up on corrective actions from a mission last year that reviewed a fuel accident. Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)
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