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INFORMATION REPORT SECY-05-0209 November 10, 2005
Contact: L. Rakovan, OEDO Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) NRC Information Notice 2005-29: Steam Generator Tube and Support Configuration On October 27, 2005, the subject information notice was issued. It provided recent experiences in which the configuration of steam generator tube supports or expansions was different than expected. Draft Generic Letter "Post-Fire Safe-Shutdown Circuit Analysis Spurious Actuations" Issued for Public Comment On October 19, 2005, the subject draft generic letter was published in the Federal Register for public comment (70 FR 60859). The public comment period will end on December 18, 2005. Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) Meeting on the Food and Drug Administration's Radiological Health Program On October 31-November 1, 2005, staff from the Medical Radiation Safety Team in NMSS attended a Stakeholder Meeting sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Gaithersburg, MD. This meeting provided an opportunity for stakeholder organizations to discuss how they can assist FDA in implementing FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health program and in addressing important public health problems. The topics of discussion included standards, monitoring the use of radiation, monitoring the industry, and education and training. Meetings with Stakeholders in Inyo County, CA, on NRC High-level Waste Program In response to a request from Inyo County, CA, officials, NRC staff briefed the Inyo County Board of Supervisors on the NRC high-level waste program. The briefing was held at a regularly scheduled, public board meeting on October 25, 2005, in Independence, CA. The next day, NRC staff met with the Park Superintendent and other National Park Service staff of Death Valley National Park, in Death Valley, CA. Later that afternoon, NRC staff held a public meeting with residents of Inyo County in Tecopa, CA. At each meeting, NRC staff members provided an overview of NRC's role in the potential licensing of the geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, and its role in the safe transportation of spent fuel to the potential repository. Inyo County, CA, along with nine other counties in Nevada, are designated as "Affected Units of Local Government," by the Department of Energy, as provided under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. NRC speakers and support were provided by staff from NMSS, NRC's On-site Representative's Office in Las Vegas, NV, the Office of the General Counsel, and the Office of Public Affairs. Staff Attends Yucca Mountain Site Visit and Field Orientation From October 25-27, 2005, the Center for Nuclear Waste Regulatory Analyses (CNWRA) conducted a site visit and field orientation to Yucca Mountain and vicinity for CNWRA and NRC staff new to the NRC high-level waste program. The site visit introduced new staff to the scale of the underground operations; geology; hydrology; geophysics; volcanic history; erosion processes; deposition processes; local environment; land uses; and the cultural setting. Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) Summary of 8th Semiannual Organization for Economic Cooperation and Developments (OECD) Piping Failure Data Exchange (OPDE) Meeting On October 25 and 26, 2005, staff attended the subject meeting to present the status of recent U.S. efforts, which were developed jointly by the NRC and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Representatives from Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland also participated, and presented examples of piping failure events in their respective countries. The purpose of the project is to assemble a database of the relatively rare light water reactor (LWR) piping failures and precursor events, which are provided by the OPDE member countries. This operating experience data is used develop pipe failure estimates, which can be utilized by the OPDE members to improve the safety of their LWRs. National Academy of Science Study on Engineered Barriers On October 27, 2005, staff made a presentation, "Assessing the Performance of Engineered Barriers," at the inaugural meeting conducted by the National Academy of Science's Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering. This committee will evaluate engineered barrier systems used for surface and subsurface waste containment; describe how performance is defined, predicted, measured and monitored; evaluate field performance of barriers; and identify information gaps and research needs. This information will be used by NRC in developing regulatory guidance documents for low-level waste licensees, decommissioned sites, uranium tailing management sites, and proposed assured isolation facilities. OECD-MCCI Program Review Group and Management Board Meetings On October 27 and 28, 2005, staff conducted the 8th OECD Melt Coolability and Concrete Interaction (MCCI) meeting at the Argonne National Laboratory. This meeting, which had participation of 13 OECD countries, focused on core-concrete interaction tests for analysis in severe accident codes. The expected outcome of the program is to determine the effectiveness of the severe accident management strategy of flooding the reactor cavity in the event of a postulated severe core damage accident leading to vessel failure. Publication of NUREG-1837, "Regulatory Effectiveness Assessment of Generic Issue 43 and Generic Letter 88-14" On October 31, 2005, the subject report, regarding contamination of instrument air systems and the effect on safety-related equipment, was issued and posted to the RES website (http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1837/). On the basis of its assessment, the staff concluded that licensee and agency activities, such as the Maintenance Rule, Generic Letter 88-14, design-basis reconstitution, and others, have significantly improved air system and component performance and resulted in improved reactor safety. As a result of these activities, major losses of instrument air are now infrequent, and prompt recovery from such losses is common. Publication of "Integrated Chemical Effects Test # 3 Data Report" On October 31, 2005, the subject report was made publicly available through ADAMS (ML053040533). This test supports the NRC's efforts to resolve Generic Safety Issue 191 on the potential loss of emergency-core-cooling system (ECCS) pumping capability due to clogging of sump screens during a postulated loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) in a pressurized water reactor. The test monitored the system for an extended time to identify the presence, composition, and physical characteristics of chemical products that formed. This report describes the experimental investigation of chemical effects that may exacerbate sump-screen clogging by simulating the environment present inside a containment water pool after a LOCA. Transmittal of TRACE Code to NRR On October 31, 2005, RES transmitted to NRR a revised version of the TRACE thermal-hydraulic code for analyzing General Electric's Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) design. The code will be used to predict reactor system response during postulated loss-of-coolant accidents and anticipated transients. National Academy of Science's Workshop on Geoengineering On November 1, 2005, the staff, by invitation, participated in a workshop organized by the National Academy of Science's Board on Earth Sciences and Resources. The goals of the workshop were to provide technical input for determining the future technical agenda and to recommend new study topics for the Committee on Geological and Geotechnical Engineering. The workshop included participants from the committee, professional societies, academia, industry, and State and Federal agencies. Participants made suggestions on specific topical workshops relevant to hazard assessment and mitigation. These results signal an evolution towards consideration of risk assessment, uncertainty analysis, and performance-based goals and methods for geoengineering problems. These NAS activities will influence the way NRC assesses long-term performance of geoengineering structures for any licensing actions. Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) Preliminary Notifications
Office of Administration (ADM) Acquisition Training for Project Managers The five mandatory acquisition courses for Project Managers were completed on November 3, 2005. The Division of Contracts conducted the introductory "Overview" acquisition course. Guest presenters included staff from the Office of Administration, Office of Small Business and Civil Rights, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, and the Office of the Inspector General. The Office of the General Counsel conducted the Organizational Conflict of Interest course. The remaining three courses held were Preparing Statements of Work, Contract Administration, and Developing an Independent Government Cost Estimate. As a result of this week long training session, 22 Project Managers obtained their certification. Office of Information Services (OIS) High-Level Waste (HLW) Document Submission Training On November 2, 2005, staff posted the meeting notice and agenda on the NRC public web site announcing two additional training sessions for prospective parties who plan to submit documents to the HLW Licensing Proceeding. Prospective HLW Proceeding participants include lawyers, para-legals, clerks, secretaries, and information technology specialists who are expected to prepare documents for submission. The training will be held on November 16 and 17, 2005 in the Professional Development Center at Two White Flint North, Rockville, MD. Staff will present material related to document submittal requirements and the guidance attached to the last revision of 10 CFR, Part 2, Subpart J, the desk reference guidance on converting files to Portable Document Format (PDF), the types of user support NRC will provide, and any problems encountered to date. File Center Support of the E-Library Project As of November 1, 2005, 69 of the 104 Technical Specifications (Tech Specs) for power plants have been processed into ADAMS for operating nuclear power facilities. The software that will allow electronic updating of the Tech Specs has been installed, and the staff is awaiting training. Forms Conversion Kickoff Meeting On October 24, 2005, Adobe representatives met with staff to kick off the project to convert NRC InForms to Adobe PDF forms. The project contract calls for Adobe to convert current InForms to PDF fillable forms, set up an agency web page, develop an on-line agency training module, and train agency staff to maintain the forms. The effort is expected to be completed by late January of 2006. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act Requests Received During the Period of October 28 through November 3, 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 safety evaluation of the proposed Vermont Yankee power increase. The discovery of leaks from the spent fuel pool at Connecticut Yankee (Haddam Neck). Sen. Hatch's letter to the Chairman regarding Private Fuel Storage. Progress Energy's announcement that it plans to apply for licenses for two new nuclear plants. Other Public Affairs Items: OPA in Region II facilitated the Chairman's interview with CNN Spanish.
Office of International Programs (OIP) Canadian/NSIR Meeting on Emergency Preparedness On November 1-2, 2005, two staff representatives from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) – Bernie Beaudin and Andre Regimbald – met with staff from the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR). The meeting, which was held at the NRC's Operations Center, was a follow-up to the larger emergency preparedness meeting that took place earlier this fall, in which the CNSC was unable to participate. Topics discussed included U.S. response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; Canadian response to the Pickering event; updates on both agencies' emergency management and response plans; and opportunities for future cooperation and information exchange. Visit by Swedish Young Professionals A group of young professionals sponsored by the Swedish Young Generation Program visited NRC on October 31 to become familiar with the NRC regulatory program. The visit was one of a number of visits to various entities in the U.S. involved with the U.S. nuclear power industry. The five visitors have master of science degrees in engineering and physics. Responding to their expressed interests, NRC staff made brief presentations on NRC legislation and regulatory authority, licensing new reactors, the effects of power uprates and the reactor oversight process. The professionals showed particular interest in public attitudes in the U.S. toward nuclear power and NRC plans to license new reactors. In addition, the group received a briefing on and a tour of the Operations Center. Office of the Secretary (SECY)
Commission Correspondence
Federal Register Notices
Region I (RI) Entergy Nuclear Northeast Meeting at Indian Point Energy Center (IPEC) On November 3, 2005, Entergy hosted a meeting at IPEC with several representatives of New York State government agencies, local and state elected officials, and interested congressional representatives. Entergy provided current information on the nature of conditions involving Indian Point's Unit 2 spent fuel pool and on-site tritium contamination, as well as its plans for evaluation and resolution of these conditions. The meeting included a tour of the affected areas. NRC representatives participated. Region II (RII) Chairman Diaz Attends Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Conference and Visits Region II Offices On November 2, 2005, Chairman Diaz, accompanied by the Executive Director for Operations, and Regional Administrators, attended the 26th Annual INPO CEO Conference in Atlanta. On the following day, the Chairman visited the Region II offices and met with the Regional staff and discussed Agency issues and priorities. Region III (RIII) Special Inspection at Mistras Holding Company/Conam on Potential Radiographer Overexposure On October 27, 2005, an industrial radiographer employed by a Region III licensee, Mistras Holding Group/Conam, failed to conduct a required radiation survey and failed to ensure that an iridium-192 source was in the shielded position before entering a radiation area while working at the Sunoco Refinery in Philadelphia, PA. As a result, the radiographer failed to note that the source was not in the shielded position when entering a high radiation area. From October 28-31, two Region I inspectors conducted a special inspection to review the circumstances of the event. The radiographer's whole body dosimeter badge was processed and the result was 248 millirem deep dose equivalent to the whole body. The licensee's preliminary dose estimate of exposure to the radiographer's hand was 225 rem shallow dose equivalent. The NRC inspectors are in the process of independently assessing the radiation doses received by the radiographer. NRC Management Visits to Perry On October 31, 2005, the Executive Director for Operations and the Regional Administrator visited Perry Nuclear Power Plant. The visit consisted of an extensive tour of the facility, a review of security modifications, a working lunch and a meeting with senior licensee management. Office of Congressional Affairs (OCA)
Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS)/
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