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INFORMATION REPORT SECY-05-0204 November 4, 2005
Contact: A. Huffert, OEDO Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) New Plant Seismic Initiatives Meeting On October 19-20, 2005, the staff met with NEI and EPRI to discuss new ground motion models, more accurate representations of structural response to dynamic loads, and a new risk-based approach for determining the safe shutdown earthquake ground motion. Industry has committed to submit topical reports for each new approach by February 2006 and has asked for NRC approval by June 2006 to stimulate early site permit (ESP) and combine license (COL) submittals. The staff will consider updating the appropriate Regulatory Guides and Standard Review Plans, to include these new approaches. Draft Generic Letter "Post-Fire Safe-Shutdown Circuit Analysis Spurious Actuations" Issued for Public Comment On October 19, 2005, the NRC published a draft generic letter "Post-Fire Safe-Shutdown Circuit Analysis Spurious Actuations in the Federal Register. The public comment period closes on December 18, 2005. Meeting with French Delegation On October 26, 2005, the staff met with four inspectors from the Autorite De Surete Nucleaire, France, to discuss how their respective countries regulate radiation protection. Topics discussed included methods for licensee performance assessment in the occupational radiation area, including identified performance indicators, scope and depth of the inspection program, ALARA (as low as is reasonably achievable) implementation, and agency response to technical issues. Nuclear Power Plant License Renewal Safety Review Guidance Documents Updated On October 18, 2005, the staff published NUREG-1833, the Technical Bases for Revision to the License Renewal Guidance (LRG) Documents. This NUREG provides the staff's documentation and justification for the technical changes to the Generic Aging Lessons Learned Report and Standard Review Plan for License Renewal since the original 2001 publication. A total of five documents were revised or created during this project. The other four documents which were issued at the end of September, include: (1) NUREG-1800, Rev. 1, Standard Review Plan for Review of License Renewal Applications for Nuclear Power Plants, (2) NUREG-1801, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, Rev. 1, Generic Aging Lessons Learned Report, (3) Regulatory Guide 1.188, Rev. 1, Standard Format and Content for Applications to Renew Nuclear Power Plant Operating Licenses, and (4) NUREG-1832, Analysis of Public Comments on the Revised License Renewal Guidance Documents. These five documents contain interrelated technical and programmatic information. The documents will provide the NRC and the nuclear industry with current guidance that can be used by the remaining plants that apply for license renewal. All documents are publicly available on NRC's website. Staff Holds Public Meetings on the Draft Brunswick Environmental Impact Statement in Support of License Renewal On October 18, 2005, the staff conducted two public meetings at the City Hall in Southport, North Carolina, to solicit comments from the public on the draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for the Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2 (BSEP), which was issued on August 30, 2005. The draft SEIS is a plant-specific supplement to the "Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Power Plants" (NUREG-1437) and supports the BSEP license renewal application. The staff held an open house for one hour prior to each meeting to provide members of the public with an opportunity to talk informally with NRC staff and view informational displays and brochures. Approximately 30 people attended the two meetings, including members of the public and representatives of the NRC staff, Earth Tech (a new NRC environmental contractor), and Carolina Power and Light Company. No comments were received from the public during these meetings. The public comment period for the draft SEIS expires on December 2, 2005. At the conclusion of the comment period, the staff will evaluate the comments received and revise the SEIS as appropriate. The staff’s final SEIS is currently scheduled to be issued in April 2006. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) Participation in Nuclear Energy Agency Sorption Workshop On October 10–11, 2005, staff from NRC and the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) participated in a Sorption Workshop sponsored by the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the Organization for Economic Co-Operation (OECD) and Development in Paris, France. This workshop is part of a series of cooperative international exchanges that began in 1991 to support the development and application of thermodynamic sorption models in performance assessment. The purpose of the workshop was to summarize the most recent modeling exercises completed by teams of scientists from 13 countries who bench-marked thermodynamic sorption models against seven separate test cases. Strengths and weaknesses of the different modeling approaches chosen by the teams were discussed, and future modeling needs were identified. Approximately 45 scientists and engineers from eight different European countries, Australia, Japan, and the United States attended the meeting. Participation in the 7th Meeting of Integration Group for the Safety Case On October 12–14, 2005, staff from CNWRA participated in the subject NEA meeting in Paris, France. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss methods for integrating geologic information in the safety case and methods for handling different time scales in assessments of repository performance. Representatives of the participating countries summarized the status of their respective waste management programs. Staff Initiates Level 2 Consultation under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) On October 18, 2005, NMSS issued a letter to EPA initiating a Level 2 Consultation per the MOU, Consultation and Finality on Decommissioning and Decontamination of Contaminated Sites, between NRC and EPA for the Kerr-McGee Cushing Refinery Decommissioning Site in Oklahoma. The consultation is necessary because groundwater contamination in a small area of the site exceeds the Maximum Contamination Levels for Uranium promulgated by EPA under the Safe Drinking Water Act. NRC Meeting with the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) On October 25-26, 2005, ACMUI held its fall meeting at NRC headquarters. ACMUI members, NRC staff, and medical stakeholders presented topics of interest including: (1) the unauthorized injections of radiopharmaceuticals; (2) revision of Form 313A; (3) NRC regulation of accelerator-produced isotopes as a result of FY05 Energy Policy Act; (4) review of the medical events definition Commission paper; (5) guidance on I-125 seeds as markers for breast cancer tumors; (6) electronic signatures in written directives; and (7) recognition of foreign-trained physicians and physicists. The next meeting will be held in April 2006. Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) for National Source Tracking System (NSTS) Meeting On October 27, 2005, NRC staff participated in the subject meeting. The NRC staff provided information on the NSTS Proposed Rule, the NSTS Contract and System Development, the Import-Export Rule, and the possible inclusion of Category 3 sources in the NSTS. U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) staff presented information on DOE Sealed Source Terminology and the Transhipment Transit Security Working Group. The group also discussed several related issues, particularly the impact of the FY05 Energy Policy Act. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) Chemical Effects Peer Review Group Initial Meeting On October 18-19, 2005, the staff held the initial meeting of a chemical effects peer review group at Argonne National Laboratory. The chemical effects peer review group was established to evaluate the technical adequacy of NRC sponsored activities related to chemical effects in pressurized-water reactor (PWR) sump pool environments including the Integrated Chemical Effects Testing (ICET) program. The group consists of five reviewers representing academia, industry, and government laboratories, and varied technical specialties including gel product formation, corrosion processes, speciation prediction, filtration processes, and fluid treatment processes. Enlarged Halden Program Group Meeting On October 17-20, 2005, the staff participated in the subject meeting in Lillehammer, Norway. Representatives from the Organization for Economic Corporation and Development (OECD) Halden Reactor Project (HRP) member organizations also attended the meeting. The objectives of the meeting was to review the HRP activities, obtain updates on work performed at HRP and in member organizations, and to review and discuss HRP program plans. Commissioner Lyons gave a keynote speech on the “U.S. NRC Perspectives on the Halden Reactor Program.” The NRC members also visited the Halden Reactor Facility and the Man-Technology-Organization Laboratories in Halden, Norway. Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) MAterial SCaling (MASCA-2) Meeting On October 19-21, 2005, the staff participated in the subject meeting in Belgium. The objective of the project is to define the uncertainties in the calculation of the heat load to the reactor vessel under postulated severe accident conditions. The results will be used to assess the capability of severe accident codes to predict in-vessel molten corium behavior under postulated severe accident conditions. Representatives from 16 countries attended the meeting. Phebus Fission Product (FP) Meeting On October 17-21, 2005, the staff participated in the subject meeting in France. The staff also met with the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) of France at the Cadarache Nuclear Center to discuss the IRSN-NRC collaboration on severe accident modeling. Experimental results from the Phebus-FP tests have provided data to confirm the source term specified in NUREG-1465 and to validate the NRC MELCOR severe accident code. The MELCOR code and NUREG-1465 are used in the risk assessment calculations of domestic operating nuclear power plants and the new reactor designs certifications. Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) Preliminary Notifications
Office of Administration (ADM) Price-Anderson Act Financial Protection Regulations and Elimination of Antitrust Reviews (Parts 2, 50, 52, and 140) On October 27, 2005, the NRC published a final rule in the Federal Register (70 FR 61885) that amended its regulations to conform with the requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (AH78-Parts 2, 50, 52, and 140). The amended regulations include the prescribed increase in the amount of required financial contributions from nuclear power reactors in the event of a nuclear accident and the permission to define a combination of modular reactors as a single reactor for the determination of financial obligations under the Price-Anderson Act. The amendments also reflect the termination of NRC’s authority and responsibility to conduct antitrust reviews of future applications to construct or operate a nuclear reactor. The final rule becomes effective November 28, 2005. Office of Information Services (OIS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of October 21 through October 27, 2005
Office of Human Resources (HR)
Office of Public Affairs (OPA) The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) received significant media inquiries on the following: The Department of Energy’s proposal to use a “standardized” canister design at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository. NRC’s “lessons learned” review from the Davis-Besse reactor head corrosion incident. The Commission’s reaffirmation of its previous ruling that emergency preparedness plans are not to be considered in license renewal proceedings. Atomic Safety and Licensing Board hearings on a proposed uranium enrichment plant in New Mexico. Other Public Affairs Items: OPA staff assisted at a public outreach meeting in Inyo County, California regarding Yucca Mountain.
Office of the Secretary (SECY)
Commission Correspondence Letter to Samuel Bodman, Secretary of Energy, dated October 19, 2005, responds to the President’s request to report to DOE on actions taken to conserve energy and fuel. Federal Register Notices Issued
Region II (RII) Watts Bar Regulatory Conference On October 25, 2005, the staff conducted a regulatory conference with Tennessee Valley Authority staff to discuss the risk significance of an inspection finding on a low temperature over pressure (LTOP) system challenge performance deficiency at Watts Bar. During the conference, the licensee identified additional information that is relevant to the significance determination. The staff is evaluating information the licensee provided at the conference and expects to receive additional information. Hurricane Wilma On October 23-24, 2005, the staff responded to Hurricane Wilma. On October 23, 2005, Region II activated its Incident Response Center and dispatched inspectors to St. Lucie and Turkey Point. Region II staff also supported the Florida Power and Light Emergency Operations Facility in Miami and the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee, Florida. Region IV (RIV) Pre-decisional Enforcement Conference (PEC) with Bayou Inspection Services, Inc. On October 25, 2005, the staff conducted a closed PEC with Bayou Inspection Services, Inc., to discuss three apparent violations of NRC requirements. The apparent violations involved failures to: (1) properly secure radiographic devices; (2) wear an alarming rate meter during radiographic operations; and (3) have at least two qualified individuals present at all times during radiographic operations. Executive Director for Operations (EDO) Visits Columbia Generating Station On October 24, 2005, the EDO and the Region IV Regional Administrator (RA) visited the Columbia Generating Station. The EDO and RA met with the NRC resident inspectors and licensee management personnel and toured the facility. Topics discussed included equipment reliability, human performance, and knowledge transfer. Public Meeting with Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) On October 24, 2005, staff conducted a public meeting in Brownville, Nebraska, with NPPD representatives to discuss ongoing licensee efforts to improve performance at Cooper Nuclear Station. Topics discussed included the results of a recent engineering team inspection, a corrective action team inspection, and equipment reliability and human performance initiatives. Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)
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