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INFORMATION REPORT SECY-05-0149 August 18, 2005
Contact: T. Kim, OEDO Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) Public Meeting to Discuss Revisions to NEI Guidance 04-02 On August 5, 2005, NRR staff participated in a Category 3 public meeting held via teleconference with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and other interested stakeholders to discuss revisions to NEI 04-02, "Guidance for Implementing a Risk-Informed, Performance-Based Fire Protection Program Under 10 Code of Federal Regulation 50.48(c))." Risk screening for plant changes and probabilistic risk assessment quality requirements were the major topics of discussion. NRC Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2005-17: Clarification of Requirements For Application Of The ASME Code Symbol Stamp On Safety-Related Components On August 8, 2005, NRC issued the subject RIS to clarify the requirements for applying the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Code symbol stamp to ASME Code, Class 2 and 3 components designed and constructed to the requirements of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, Sections 50.55a(d)(1) and 50.55a(e)(1), respectively. No specific action or written response is required for the RIS, however, it is expected that recipients will review the information for applicability to their facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. Issuance of the Draft Safety Evaluation Report (SER) with Open Items Concerning the License Renewal Application for Browns Ferry, Units 1, 2, and 3 On August 9, 2005, NRR staff issued the subject draft SER which contains two open items and three confirmatory items. Browns Ferry Unit 1 has been shutdown since 1985, and is currently undergoing plant refurbishment. The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) plans to tour Unit 1 on August 23, 2005, and meet with the staff and the applicant on October 5 and 6, 2005, concerning the draft SER. No final SER is scheduled to be issued in January 2006. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) Public Meeting on Fuel Cycle Inspection Procedure Revisions On August 4, 2005, staff from the Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of the General Counsel, Office of Enforcement, and Region II conducted a public meeting at the Region II office in Atlanta, GA, to discuss proposed fuel cycle inspection procedure revisions and the staff's preliminary view of enforcement policy in light of new 10 CFR Part 70, Subpart H, requirements. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute, fuel cycle licensees, a trade media, and members of the public. NRC staff presented proposed revisions to fuel cycle inspection procedures along with a brief review of public comments regarding the procedures. They also presented a discussion of a proposed approach to enforcement policy relative to failure to meet performance requirements due to failures of items relied on for safety. Industry representatives presented a high-level discussion of suggested concepts in revisions to the enforcement policy. Workshop on Earthquake Attenuation Models On August 2 and 3, 2005, staff from the Division of High-Level Waste Repository Safety, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, and Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation attended a workshop held by the U.S. Geological Survey in San Francisco, CA. The purpose of the workshop was to discuss recent developments in earthquake attenuation models for the Eastern United States. The workshop was also attended by representatives from industry, universities, and other federal agencies. At the workshop, NRC staff discussed the reliability of surface wave spectral analysis and its applicability to Yucca Mountain. Pre-licensing Evaluation of Aircraft Hazards at the Potential Yucca Mountain Repository On August 2, 2005, the Division of High-Level Waste Repository Safety issued a letter to the Department of Energy (DOE) that provided NRC staff feedback on DOE's current aircraft hazard analysis approach to support a potential License Application for the Yucca Mountain Repository. This letter closes a technical issue agreement. However, the letter notes that several issues regarding the basis for DOE's assumptions in identifying and estimating the aircraft hazards still need to be addressed, as well as the suitability of DOE's methodology for assessing the structural robustness of engineered barriers. NRC staff will continue to review DOE information related to aircraft crash hazards, including specific issues related to structural robustness and aircraft impacts. Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) Preliminary Notifications
Office of Administration (ADM) Export and Import of Radioactive Material: Security Policies, Correction (AH44 - Part 110) On August 9, 2005, NRC published the subject correction notice in the Federal Register (70 FR 46066) for a final rule published on July 1, 2005, amending regulations that pertain to the export and import of radioactive materials. This action was necessary to correct typographical errors in the codified text and errors in amendatory instructions. Office of Information Services (OIS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of August 5 through August 11, 2005:
Office of Public Affairs (OPA) The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) received significant media inquiries on the following: The new Energy Policy Act of 2005 and its ramifications for the NRC and the nuclear industry. Environmental Protection Agency's new draft radiation standard for the proposed Yucca Mountain waste repository. An alert declared at Oyster Creek after its cooling water intake screens became clogged. The security of spent fuel pools and reactors. NRC's inspection of a damaged gauge at an Indiana foundry that may have exposed some workers to radiation.
Office of the Secretary (SECY)
Commission Correspondence
Federal Register Notices Issued
Region I (RI) Calvert Cliffs - Site Visit by Commissioner Jaczko On August 11, 2005, Commissioner Jaczko, along with Regional management and staff, toured the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Lusby, Maryland. The tour focused on nuclear plant operations, with emphasis on security and emergency preparedness. Region II (RII) Oconee Nuclear Plant - Management Meeting with Duke Energy Corporation On August 8, 2005, Region II management met with representatives from the Duke Energy Corporation in the Regional Office to discuss plans for remediation of degraded reactor building coatings during the next Oconee Unit 2 refueling outage. Region III (RIII) Special Inspection at Daimler-Chrysler Foundry On August 11, 2005, a team of Region III inspectors began a special inspection to review the circumstances surrounding the recent damage to a nuclear gauge at the Daimler-Chrysler Foundry, located in Indianapolis, Indiana, which manufactures cast iron engine blocks. The gauge was damaged when overheated during foundry operations in late July. The permanently mounted gauge, which contains a sealed radiation source of radioactive cesium, is used to measure the level of metal in foundry equipment. The overheating affected the lead shielding in the gauge, but does not appear to have damaged the radioactive material which is contained in a double-walled steel capsule inside the shielded gauge. After the gauge was damaged, several workers may have received inadvertent radiation exposures while assessing the malfunction. No significant health consequences would be expected from these radiation exposures. The inspectors are reviewing the gauge damage, evaluating the possible radiation exposures received by workers, and assessing the plans for removal and replacement of the gauge. Standard Oversight Begins for Veterans Affairs Master Materials License On August 8, 2005, Region III notified the Department of Veterans Affairs National Health Physics Program that the NRC will implement the standard biennial oversight program for its Master Materials License. Since the Master Materials License was issued in 2003, Region III had performed semiannual assessments of activities under the license. End-of-cycle Meeting for Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant On August 10, 2005, the Deputy Regional Administrator and members of the regional staff met in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, with representatives of Nuclear Management Company to discuss the end-of-cycle performance assessment for the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant. The Deputy Regional Administrator also visited the Kewaunee and Point Beach nuclear power plants for plant tours and met with the NRC resident inspectors and licensee staff. Enforcement Action Against Allied Inspection Services On August 11, 2005, Region III issued a Severity Level III Notice of Violation to Allied Inspection Services, Inc., in St. Clair, Michigan, for violations associated with unintended radiation exposures to two employees during field radiography work on May 17, 2005. No civil penalty was proposed. An NRC inspection determined that two radiographers failed to ensure that the radiation source was fully retracted into the shielded exposure device and to conduct a full radiation survey of the exposure device and guide tube. The radiation doses received by the two workers did not exceed NRC limits. |
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