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INFORMATION REPORT SECY-05-0215 November 22, 2005
Contact: L. Rakovan, OEDO Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) Wear Indications in Replacement Steam Generators at Oconee Unit 2 On November 1, 2005, Duke Power notified the NRR staff that abnormal levels of wear degradation were found in the steam generator tubing at Oconee Unit 2. Although no indications exceeded the technical specification tube repair limit of 40 percent through-wall wear, the licensee elected to plug each of three tubes with indications measuring 26 percent through-wall wear or greater. Additionally, Duke Power intends to remove two tubes for metallurgical examination, install pressure transducers at several elevations within the secondary side, and install accelerometers at various locations around the steam generator to gain a better understanding of potential causal factors for the observed wear. The staff plans to meet with Duke Power as additional information on the root cause of the wear problem becomes available. Staff Holds Public Scoping Meetings on Environmental Issues Pertaining to the License Renewal of Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) On November 1, 2005, the staff conducted two meetings to solicit comments from the public on the scope of the environmental review of the OCNGS license renewal application. Approximately 115 people attended the meetings, including members of the public and representatives of the NRC staff, Argonne National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, AmerGen Energy Company LLC (AmerGen, the applicant), Exelon Corporation, local citizen organizations, and local news media. Public comments and questions were mainly focused on spent fuel storage and disposal, emergency planning, the draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, and alternatives to license renewal. In addition to the public meetings, the staff and its contractors conducted an environmental site audit in the vicinity of OCNGS from October 10-14, 2005. The public scoping period ends on November 25, 2005. The draft supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) is scheduled to be published in June 2006 and the final SEIS is scheduled to be published in January 2007. UniStar Combined License Plans On November 2, 2005, the NRC staff met with representatives of Constellation Energy and Framatome to discuss plans for combined license applications. Constellation and Framatome recently formed a joint venture called UniStar, which is intended to support deployment of a fleet of new reactors standardized on the Framatome EPR design. An application for certification of the EPR is planned at the end of 2007, with a combined license (COL) application referencing EPR following about 6 months later. An additional COL application is planned about a year later. Constellation representatives at the meeting made it clear that recent trade press articles which described Constellation plans to submit an early site permit (ESP) application in 2007 are in error; and that an ESP application is not part of this plan. Constellation representatives stated that the most likely sites are Nine Mile Point and Calvert Cliffs. An announcement of the site for the first application is planned for early 2006. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) Meeting with EPA on Uranium in Drinking Water On November 3, 2005, staff from NMSS, the Office of the General Counsel, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met to discuss the status of activities regarding treatment of uranium in drinking water. In 2000, EPA issued a new radionuclides rule which, for the first time, set a maximum contaminant level for uranium. As a result, some water treatment facilities may come under NRC jurisdiction, depending on the extent they concentrate the uranium during removal. EPA staff indicated that they had begun a survey of certain water treatment facilities, to determine the effectiveness and potential radiological hazards resulting from various treatment technologies. The EPA staff indicated they will provide NRC with the results of the surveys, as they become available. Public Meeting on Rulemaking Expanding the Definition of Byproduct Material On November 9, 2005, the Division of Industrial and Medical Nuclear Safety hosted a roundtable discussion on the rulemaking expanding the definition of byproduct material to include naturally occurring and accelerator-produced radioactive material. This rulemaking is one of the actions that NRC was directed to undertake in the National Energy Policy Act of 2005. This noticed public meeting was held at NRC Headquarters. Roundtable participants were stakeholders affected by the rulemaking. They included: (a) State government representatives from the Organization of Agreement States and the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors; (b) NRC's Advisory Committee on the Medical Use of Isotopes; (c) the Nuclear Energy Institute; (d) the research community; (e) other Federal agencies (e.g., the Environmental Protection Agency); and (f) the medical community (e.g., Health Physics Society, Council on Radionuclides and Radiopharmaceuticals, American College of Radiology, Society of Nuclear Medicine). Among the topics discussed were: (1) current State regulations; (2) the definition of "discrete source;" and (3) the point at which accelerator-produced material should come under NRC jurisdiction. The NRC staff will use the information discussed at the meeting to help prepare a proposed final rule. DOE Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board Meeting From November 8-9, 2005, staff observed a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board meeting in Las Vegas, NV. The Board discussed a range of technical and scientific issues pertinent to DOE efforts to develop a repository for the permanent disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Topics discussed included: (1) corrosion of the repository waste package and drip shield; (2) investigations undertaken in the saturated zone below the proposed repository; and (3) models used to represent how waste will move through the proposed repository's surface facilities. A final meeting agenda is available and transcripts of the meeting will be available at www.nwtrb.gov Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) Semiannual Code Applications and Maintenance Program (CAMP) Meeting On October 27-28, 2005, staff hosted the subject international meeting for discussion of assessments and plant accident calculations performed using NRC-developed reactor systems simulation codes. Technical contributions from the CAMP program provide independent assessments of NRC codes. Meeting of the Multi-Agency Radiation Survey and Site Investigation Manual (MARSSIM) Workgroup From October 31 to November 4, 2005, staff participated in the subject meeting. The group evaluated the statistical aspects of measurement-based decisions, which will be used for radiological measurements of materials and equipment during decommissioning activities. Meeting with the German Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) On November 2, 2005, staff met with representatives of BAM in Berlin, Germany. The purpose of the meeting was to finalize the plan for exchanging data related to safety evaluation of spent nuclear fuel storage and transportation casks. During this meeting, both parties agreed to use this plan. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) - Nuclear Energy Agency 6th Annual Working Group on Risk Assessment (WGRisk) Meeting From November 2 to 4, 2005, staff attended the subject meeting in Paris, France. This meeting focused on ongoing work on the use and development of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) in OECD member countries. The major topics included work supported by WGRisk (including an international fire PRA workshop), human reliability analysis, use of risk information in the regulatory process, and OECD data bases for the quantification of risk and proposals for work in 2006. Publication of NUREG/CR-6885, “Screen Penetration Test Report” On November 3, 2005, staff published the subject NUREG, which documents the first in a series of tests being conducted to address the potential effects of debris on emergency core cooling system sump screens. This research supports the regulatory activities underway to resolve Generic Letter (GL) 2004-02, “Potential Impact of Debris Blockage on Emergency Recirculation during Design Basis Accidents at Pressurized-Water Reactors,” dated September 13, 2004. Public Meeting on NUREG-1829, “Estimating Loss-of-Coolant Accident Frequencies Through the Elicitation Process - Draft for Comment” On November 9, 2005, RES held the subject meeting at NRC Headquarters. This draft NUREG was published for public comment in June 2005, and is available in ADAMS (Accession No. ML051520574) and on the NRC website (http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1829/). The purpose of this meeting was to facilitate the public comment process. The staff provided a conceptual overview of the report and clarified issues and questions that have been identified by the public to date. The pipe break frequency information contained in the NUREG is being used as part of the basis for the proposed alternative design basis break size in the on-going rulemaking associated with risk-informed changes to LOCA requirements, and may be used in probabilistic risk assessment modeling. Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) Preliminary Notifications
Office of Administration (ADM) Implementation of a Dose Standard After 10,000 Years; Extension of Comment Period (AH68 - Part 63) On November 4, 2005, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (70 FR 67098) that extends the comment period on a proposed rule that would amend the regulations governing the disposal of high-level radioactive waste in a proposed geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The proposed rule would implement the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed standards for doses that could occur after 10,000 years, but within the period of geologic stability, and specify a value to be used to represent climate change after 10,000 years. The comment period for this action closes December 7, 2005. Design Basis Threat (AH60-Part 73) On November 7, 2005, the NRC published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (70 FR 67380) that would amend the regulations pertaining to design basis threat requirements. The proposed rule would make the security requirements imposed by the Commission’s April 29, 2003, design basis threat orders to existing licensees generically applicable. The proposed rule would redefine the level of security requirements necessary to adequately protect public health and safety and common defense and security. The proposed rule would revise design basis threat requirements for radiological sabotage and the theft or diversion of NRC-licensed strategic special nuclear material. The comment period for this action closes January 23, 2006. Risk-Informed Changes to Loss-of-Coolant Accident Technical Requirements (AH29-Part 50) On November 7, 2005, the NRC published a proposed rule in the Federal Register (70 FR 67598) that would amend the regulations applicable to nuclear power plant licensees. The proposed rule would permit licensees to voluntarily implement a risk-informed alternative to the current requirements for analyzing the performance of emergency core cooling systems during loss-of-coolant accidents. The proposed rule would also establish procedures and criteria for requesting changes in plant design. The comment period for this action closes February 6, 2006. Disposal of Radioactive Material by Release into Sanitary Sewer Systems; Withdrawal of Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (AE90-Part 20) On November 10, 2005, the NRC published a document in the Federal Register (70 FR 68350) that withdraws an advance notice of proposed rulemaking that presented possible changes to the regulations governing the release of radionuclides from licensed nuclear facilities into sanitary sewer systems. The advance notice of proposed rulemaking is withdrawn because the NRC has determined that there are no widespread public health and safety concerns due to radiation exposures associated with the handling, use and disposal of sewage sludge containing radioactive materials. Office of Information Services (OIS) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of November 4 through November 10, 2005:
Office of Human Resources (HR)
Office of the Secretary (SECY)
Commission Correspondence
Federal Register Notices Issued
Region I (RI) Management Review Board Places New York Agreement State Program on Heightened Oversight On November 3, 2005, the Management Review Board (MRB) was briefed by staff regarding the outcome of the periodic management meetings held in April 2005 with the four New York agencies (New York City Department of Health, State Department of Health, State Department of Labor and State Department of Environmental Conservation) that comprise the state’s Agreement State program. Staff noted that each of the four agencies have a significant number of amendments to NRC regulations that are overdue. The MRB decided that a period of heightened oversight will give the four agencies the extra level of program visibility to ensure that this compatibility issue is adequately addressed in a timely manner. Beaver Valley Contract Agreement Reached On November 7, 2005, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 29, announced it had signed a new three year agreement with Beaver Valley management. The agreement in principle was reached on October 31, 2005, and was ratified by the union rank and file membership of the approximately 440 plant employees on November 4, 2005. The previous labor contract expired on midnight, September 30, 2005. Both sides had extended the applicable terms of the previous contract during the extended negotiation process. Region III (RIII) Regulatory Conference with Dominion Generation Co. On Kewaunee Issues The Regional Administrator and members of the regional staff met November 8, 2005, with representatives of Dominion Generation Co. for a regulatory conference to discuss the safety significance of turbine building flooding issues at the Kewaunee Nuclear Power Plant. The regulatory conference was followed by discussion of the current status and performance of the plant. Region IV (RIV) River Bend Station Site Visit and Entergy Operations Incorporated Annual Meeting On November 9, 2005, the Executive Director of Operations (EDO) and the Regional Administrator visited the River Bend Station. The Senior Resident Inspector conducted a site tour and discussions were held with licensee management regarding plant performance. On November 10, 2005, the EDO and Regional Administrator attended the annual joint Region IV and Entergy Operations Inc. meeting held in Jackson, Mississippi. Meeting topics included plant performance at Arkansas Nuclear One, Waterford-3, River Bend, and Grand Gulf. Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)
Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)/
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