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INFORMATION REPORT SECY-05-0196 October 27, 2005
Contact: A. Huffert, OEDO Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) Meeting on Containment Integrated Leak Rate Testing (ILRT) Interval Extension On October 6, 2005, the staff met with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), industry representatives, and members of the public to discuss industry's proposed generic guideline to permanently extend the ILRT interval from 10 years to 15 years. The proposed guideline is provided in NEI report 94-01, Revision 1 (Draft) with supporting technical information in EPRI report 1009325, Revision 1. Preliminary comments on the reports, implementation process for licensee submittal, and review time line were discussed during the meeting. The guideline documents will be formally submitted for NRC staff review by November 30, 2005. Combined Mitigating Systems Performance Index (MSPI)/Reactor Oversight Program (ROP) Public Meeting On October 19, 2005, the staff hosted the monthly MSPI and ROP public meeting in Headquarters. Meeting attendees discussed staff progress on the MSPI basis document reviews, and remaining industry milestones before scheduled MSPI implementation. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA) Standards Committee Meeting The staff participated in a meeting of the ASME committee on NQA in San Francisco, California on October 11-12, 2005. The staff is working with the NQA subcommittees to address issues with the current 2004 edition. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) Participate in Workshop on Design and Assessment of Radioactive Waste Packages, European Commission Institute for Energy From October 5-7, 2005, the staff participated in the Workshop on Design and Assessment of Radioactive Waste Packages. The workshop was hosted by the European Commission Institute for Energy, and held in The Netherlands. Experts from the U.S., Japan, and fifteen European Union countries participated. At the workshop, staff presented a paper on long-term materials behavior at the potential Yucca Mountain repository; reviewed papers presented; participated in panel discussions; and interacted individually on the subject matter. The workshop provided a forum for staff to discuss waste package and waste form issues, including mechanical performance of containers during impacts and drops, welding/fabrication, codes/standards, corrosion, cladding performance, radionuclide release, and waste form conditioning with international experts. Participation in the Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America From October 15-19, 2005, the staff participated in the annual Geological Society of America meeting in Salt Lake City, UT. Department of Energy consultants working on the Yucca Mountain project discussed recent observations of groundwater seepage at Yucca Mountain, and presented several papers on the Pena Blanca, Mexico, site -- a natural geochemical analog of Yucca Mountain. Staff discussed their studies of the Pena Blanca site in a session on that topic. Staff Issues Amendment to Certificate of Compliance for NAC International On October 11, 2005, Amendment No. 4 was issued to the NAC International, Inc., NAC-UMS Universal Storage System, Certificate of Compliance No. 1015. The final rule became effective on October 11, 2005. The amendment revised various technical specifications, such as: definitions; vacuum drying pressure and time limits; short term temperature limits; surface dose rate surveillances; boron concentration controls; and some editorial changes. Duke Power Company (McGuire Nuclear Station) and Arizona Public Service Company (Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station) plan to implement this amendment during their respective dry spent fuel storage campaigns. Meeting with Western Interstate Energy Board On October 12-13, 2005, the staff participated in a meeting of the Western Interstate Energy Board's High-Level Radioactive Waste Committee on issues dealing with the transportation of spent nuclear fuel. The High-Level Radioactive Waste Committee is composed of nuclear waste transportation experts appointed by the governors of eleven western states. Among the issues discussed were the shipment of truck casks by rail, routing, use of dedicated trains, package testing, status of ongoing studies (e.g., NAS study, Baltimore Tunnel Fire Study, security assessments), and funding for emergency response training. The meetings are particularly effective in allowing a thorough and balanced discussion of ongoing issues, as well as giving NRC an opportunity to present insights and address misconceptions about the design of spent fuel casks and the safety of spent fuel shipments. Meeting with the Western Governors Association On October 4-5, 2005, the staff participated in a meeting of the Western Governors Association Task Group (WGA) on the transportation of transuranic wastes. Staff made presentations on the status of NRC's review of two transportation packages for transuranic waste shipments to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - TRUPACT-III and ARROWPAK. The presentations were requested by WGA, so that WGA members could get a better understanding of these transportation packages. The task group has also served as forum to discuss the merits and disadvantages of full-scale testing. The approval of TRUPACT-II, TRUPACT-III and ARROWPAK are all based on full-scale testing, whereas the approval of spent fuel casks is based on scale model and computer analysis. The next WGA meeting has been tentatively scheduled so that committee members will be able to observe the full-scale testing of TRUPACT-III. Meeting with NAC International On October 19, 2005, the staff met with representatives from NAC International, Inc. The meeting was held to discuss NAC International's request for additional information (RAI) responses on the NAC International MAGNASTOR application. The staff issued the RAI on May 23, 2005, and NAC International submitted its response on September 29, 2005. Because the MAGNASTOR is a new, complex application, the voluminous RAI response addressed each major technical review discipline. NAC International provided an overview of the RAI response and a summary of the Safety Analysis Report revisions. NAC International discussed in detail the most challenging RAI responses in the structural and thermal disciplines. Pre-application Meeting for the Design of the Transportation Package for the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor Pressure Vessel On October 18, 2005, representatives from Duratek, Inc. and Dairyland Power Cooperative met with NRC staff to discuss a proposed design for the transport package for the La Crosse Reactor Pressure Vessel. Duratek plans to submit an application for a new Certificate of Compliance in December 2005. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Primärkreislauf-Versuchsanlage (PKL) Project From October 10-12, 2005, staff attended the subject meetings at the University of Pisa in Italy. PKL is an integral thermal hydraulic test facility in Germany. Results from studies on boron mixing and decay heat removal under accident conditions will be used in code assessment and issue resolution. Nuclear Energy Agency/Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations (NEA/CSNI) Safety Margins Action Plan (SMAP) Working Group Meeting From October 13-14, 2005, staff attended the subject working group meeting in France. The working group is developing metrics that can be used to quantify changes in safety margins following a broad range of plant modifications. Office of Information Services (OIS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of October 14 through October 20, 2005:
Office of Human Resources (HR)
Office of Public Affairs (OPA) OPA received significant media inquiries on the following: The American Broadcast Corporation report on security at research reactors. The ongoing efforts to quantify and analyze the spent fuel pool leak at Indian Point.
Office of the Secretary (SECY)
Federal Register Notices Issued
Region I (RI) Management Review Board On October 19, 2005, the Management Review Board (MRB) met to consider the staff's findings following a periodic meeting on July 14, 2005, with the Kentucky Agreement State program. The staff recommended that the program be put on monitoring until the next periodic meeting, planned for July 2006. The primary review areas in need of attention were technical staffing and training, and status of inspections. The MRB concurred with the staff's finding; therefore, the Kentucky program will be put on monitoring for the next nine months. Region II (RII) Decision on Differing Professional Opinion (DPO) on Oconee Pipe Whip Restraints On September 6, 2005, the Regional Administrator issued the subject DPO (DPO-2005-003). On February 16, 2005, an NRC employee submitted a DPO that focused on the adequacy of the licensee's fatigue analysis, the adequacy of the staff's review of the licensee's calculation, and whether the staff's application of the Reactor Oversight Process was appropriate. On July 19, 2005, an Ad Hoc Review Panel provided the results of its independent review to the Regional Administrator, Region II. The panel concluded that pipe failure was unlikely, the issue was appropriately dispositioned in an inspection report, and that the staff's review of the issue was appropriate. The panel also recommended that improvements in the significance determination process and inspection documentation guidance be considered, and that the corrective actions for the pipe whip restraint issue be included as a sample in a future Problem Identification and Resolution inspection. Based on a review of the panel's report and additional comments from the DPO submitted, the Regional Administrator agreed with the panel's conclusions and recommendations. Watts Bar Management Meeting On October 18, 2005, representatives from Tennessee Valley Authority attended a management meeting at the Regional Office to discuss Watts Bar's actions with respect to human performance cross-cutting issues. V. C. Summer Management Meeting On October 18, 2005, representatives from South Carolina Electric and Gas Company attended a management meeting at the Regional Office to discuss the Spring 2005 refueling outage at the V. C. Summer Nuclear Station. Region III (RIII) Visits to Braidwood and Clinton facilities The Deputy Regional Administrator conducted routine site visits to the Braidwood Nuclear Power Plant on October 17, 2005, and the Clinton Nuclear Power Plant on October 18, 2005. These management visits included plant tours for first-hand observation of plant conditions and security and meetings with resident inspectors and licensee management to discuss plant status and recent performance. Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)
Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)/
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