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SECY-01-0174 September 20, 2001
Contact: I. Schoenfeld, OEDO
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001 Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Drug Testing Advisory Board (DTAB) Meeting On September 5, 2001, a member of the Reactor Safeguards Policy Section (IOLB/DIPM) participated in the quarterly DTAB meeting held in Washington, DC, which was open to the public. The meeting agenda topics included: (1) an update on the Department of Transportation's new Part 40 rule on drug and alcohol testing; (2) draft HHS Mandatory Guidelines (alternative specimens and onsite testing); (3) proposed HHS validity testing guidelines; (4) electronic reporting of negative HHS laboratory results; and (5) the new Federal Custody and Control Form. Reactor Oversight Process On September 5, 2001, the Inspection Program Branch (IIPB) staff briefed the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) full Committee on the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP). The purpose of the briefing was to present ROP information to support ACRS in their written evaluation of the process which is due to the Commission shortly. Construction Inspection Program On September 7, 2001, IIPB staff participated in a public meeting between the NRC and the Nuclear Energy Institute to discuss Inspections, Tests, Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria (ITAAC) and engineering design verification related to nuclear power plant construction. The purpose of the meeting was to continue the exchange of industry views and proposals begun on June 15, 2001, and to identify the range of issues and sensitivities that should be factored into the envisioned industry white paper on this topic. Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) On September 5, 2001, NRLPO staff held a meeting with Exelon Generation (Exelon), Department of Energy, and interested stakeholders regarding the PBMR application and licensing review process. The goal of this meeting was to begin a series of interactions between the staff and Exelon to establish the expectations for a complete, high quality combined license application and to establish more predictability in the licensing review process. As part of the meeting, the staff discussed some of the lessons learned from other reviews, such as the license renewal and design certification reviews. Two of Exelon's main goals relating to the licensing process are to have one safety analysis report that is internationally applicable and to have an expedited review schedule.
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001 Status of Resolving Igneous Activity Issues at Yucca Mountain The Igneous Activity Key Technical Issue (KTI) is comprised of two subissues: (1) Probability of Future Igneous Activity; and (2) Consequences of Future Igneous Activity. The status of the first subissue is "closed pending," based on agreements that were reached in FY 2000. On September 5, 2001, staff from the NRC conducted a technical exchange in Las Vegas, Nevada, with Department of Energy (DOE) staff, to discuss NRC concerns related to the consequences of future igneous activity subissues. These concerns can be separated into four topics: (1) Ash and Soil Redistribution; (2) Magma-Drift interactions; (3) Magma-Waste Package Interactions; and (4) Magma-Waste Form Interactions. DOE and NRC staffs discussed in detail DOE plans to resolve NRC concerns. Four agreements were reached that fully cover the NRC "Consequence of Future Igneous Activity" subissue. These agreements were made publically available in their formal transmittal to DOE on September 12, 2001 along with the meeting summary. As a result, the status of subissue 2, as well as the overall KTI, is "closed pending." Meeting of the National Academy of Sciences' Board of Radioactive Waste Management Panel, on Staged Repositories On September 5-7, 2001, the National Academy of Sciences' (NAS') Board of Radioactive Waste Management's panel met to discuss "Principles and Operational Strategies for Repository Staging Systems." The Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards management gave a presentation on, "Staging: Policy, Legal, and Regulatory Aspects." Additional presentations were made by representatives from U.S. and European repository programs. The panel is considering issues of flexibility, building public and technical confidence with a staged process, and the Department of Energy's modular design and transportation options. The NAS Board discussed completion of a preliminary report by the end of 2001. Meeting with Stepan Company to Discuss Site Decommissioning On September 5, 2001, the Division of Waste Management, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, held a publicly-noticed meeting with representatives from the Stepan Company, a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) storage-only licensee; the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE); and other NRC Offices. Stepan's legal and technical consultants also attended. Stepan's Maywood, New Jersey, site is listed on EPA's National Priority List, and is designated by the Department of Energy and USACE as a Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP) site. The meeting was held to discuss the licensee's and USACE's schedule for site decommissioning, and to review with the licensee the recently executed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NRC and USACE on decommissioning of NRC-licensed FUSRAP sites. Stepan's Maywood site is listed in the MOU. A constructive exchange of information took place among the participants. Preparation and timing of the Record of Decision for remediation of the radiologically contaminated areas were discussed. Staff responded to EPA's and the licensee's questions regarding the MOU, and attendees agreed to continue coordination on site-related issues. Participation in Enhanced Safestor Information Forum On September 11-12, 2001, staff from the Division of Waste Management (DWM) participated in the Enhanced Safestor Information Forum held in Idaho Falls, Idaho. The Forum, which was sponsored by the Nuclear Energy Institute, featured perspectives from the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the nuclear power industry, on the Safestor mode of nuclear power plant decommissioning (onsite storage for approximately 60 years, followed by dismantlement). DWM staff presented papers on the subject, and also participated in panel discussions on related technical issues. Nuclear Fuel Services, Framatome ANP, and Tennessee Valley Authority Meetings On August 28, 2001, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards (FCSS) staff met with representatives from Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS) and Framatome ANP (FANP) to discuss NFS' and FANP's licensing plan of action for the blended low-enriched uranium project. Under this project, the Department of Energy (DOE) will provide NFS with off-specification highly enriched uranium material for dissolution and downblending to low-enriched uranyl nitrate, and with low-enriched uranyl nitrate that has been downblended by DOE at the Savannah River Site. NFS will convert the uranyl nitrates to oxide powder at a new facility to be constructed at the NFS site in Erwin, Tennessee, then ship the powder to FANP's Richland, Washington, facility, to be pressed into pellets and fabricated into fuel assemblies. These assemblies will be sent to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Brown's Ferry Nuclear Plant in Alabama, for use in the reactor. At the August 28, meeting, NFS and FANP presented their plans and schedules for submitting license amendment applications. The first of the amendment applications will be submitted in January 2002. NFS also presented its hazards analysis approach for the first of the license amendments, which will be for the new uranyl nitrate storage building. FCSS staff emphasized that NFS cannot begin construction of the new building until the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed assessment of the environmental impacts of the proposed project. NFS proposes to submit the Environmental Report for the amendments in November 2001, 3 months ahead of the amendment application, to allow NRC additional time to prepare the Environmental Assessment. NFS also will need to increase the possession limit in its Special Nuclear Materials license. NFS will do some dissolution and downblending at the Erwin plant and also will prepare the low-enriched (~1.25 percent) blendstock. FANP expects to submit its license amendment application for its new pelletizing and fuel assembly equipment in March 2003. On August 29, 2001, FCSS, the Spent Fuel Project Office, and the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) staff met with DOE, TVA, NFS, and FANP to discuss the entire project, including DOE dissolution, downblending, and transportation of materials; dissolution, downblending, and conversion at NFS; fabrication at FANP; oxide and assembly shipping container certificate amendments; and Brown's Ferry licensing.
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001 Draft Regulatory Guide on Laboratory Investigations of Soils and Rocks RES has issued for comment a proposed Revision 1 of Regulatory Guide
1.138. The proposed revision is published as draft Regulatory Guide DG-1109
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001 Preliminary Notifications 1. PNO-II-01-031, Pharmologic W.V., Ltd., AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT INVOLVING RADIOPHARMACEUTICAL SHIPMENT. 2. PNO-IV-01-040, Western Technologies Inc., LOST OR STOLEN PORTABLE GAUGE. 3. PNO-IV-040A, Western Technologies Inc., UPDATE CONCERNING A MISSING PORTABLE GAUGE. 4. PNO-IV-041, Energy Northwest, CONTROL ROOM LICENSED OPERATOR REMOVED FROM OPERATIONAL DUTIES.
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001 ADM Response to Terrorist Attacks As a result of the events of September 11, 2001, a heightened level of security has been implemented for NRC Headquarters, including facilitating classified information traffic to the Safeguards Team and the Executive Team. List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: Standardized NUHOMS-24P and -52B Revision; Confirmation of Effective Date (Part 72) A direct final rule that revised the Standardized NUHOMS-24P and -52B cask system listing within the list of approved spent fuel storage casks, was published in the Federal Register on June 29, 2001 (66 FR 34523) with an effective date of September 12, 2001, if no significant adverse comments were received. A separate notice was published in the Federal Register on September 12, 2001 (66 FR 47380) confirming that the direct final rule would be effective on the previously indicated date of September 12, 2001, since no significant adverse comments were received. In-House Training on Performance-Based Work Statements On September 10-12, 2001, the Division of Contracts and Property Management (DCPM) presented an in-house course on Performance-Based Work Statements. The instructor provided a practical, hands-on approach to writing performance-based work statements including guidance on establishing measurable, realistic standards of performance and how to assign monetary or non-monetary incentives to NRC task order or administrative service requirements. The instructor used samples of NRC Statements of Work to demonstrate practical applications of his guidance. The course was attended by 25 representatives from DCPM and the program offices. Another session is scheduled for October 23 through 25, 2001. DCPM is making arrangements for two additional sessions to be presented in the first quarter of FY 2002. Acquisition Training and Certification Program On September 11, 2001, the Division of Contracts and Property Management conducted a mandatory Acquisition for Certification and Training Program module entitled "Organizational Conflicts of Interest" with 53 attendees. This half-day training presentation includes a discussion of what constitutes a conflict of interest (COI) and how the Agency regulations treat COI. Lectures also include the process for identifying and resolving COI situations for both contract awards to the private sector and DOE laboratory agreements. Class participants work in groups to analyze situations to determine if COI exists and, if so, how to resolve the COI. On September 12, 2001, the Division of Contracts and Property Management sponsored a mandatory Acquisition for Certification and Training Program module entitled "Preparing Statements of Work" (SOW) with 31 attendees. This module provides project managers with practical exercises in developing succinct and complete SOWs that ensure contractors and DOE laboratories fully understand project scope, achieve work objectives, and deliver useful products in a timely manner and at a reasonable cost. This module was also presented on September 13, 2001, with 32 attendees. On September 13, 2001, the Division of Contracts and Property Management featured a mandatory Acquisition for Certification and Training Program module entitled "Developing the Independent Government Cost Estimate" with 31 attendees. This half-day module focuses on the importance of establishing an independent Government cost estimate, the mechanics of the process and components which can be used in its development.
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001 Freedom of Information and Privacy Act Requests received during the Period of September 7, 2001 through September 13, 2001:
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001
Commission Correspondence 1. Letter to Congress dated September 7, 2001 concerns final amendments to the Commission's rules in the Federal Register. 2. Letter to Professor Yaffa Eliach, President and Founder, the Shtetl Foundation, dated September 6, 2001, concerns NRC's diversity Day Celebration. 3. Letter to Congress dated September 5, 2001 concerns improper payments made by Federal agencies. 4. Letter to Congressman Joseph Crowley dated September 5, 2001 concerns request for an extension of a Congressional Fellowship assignment. 5. Letter to Congress dated August 29, 2001 concerns implementation of a one-year pilot of an industry-initiated Safeguards Performance Assessment program at commercial nuclear power plants 6. Letter to Senator John Edwards dated August 15, 2001 concerns the potential vulnerability of nuclear power plants of terrorist threats. Federal Register Notices Issued 1. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting of the Subcommittee on Planning and Procedures; Notice of Meeting. 2. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting of the Subcommittee on Thermal-Hydraulic Phenomena; Notice of Meeting. 3. Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes; Notice of Meeting. 4. Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards; Meeting Notice.
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001 NRC's Response to the National Emergency On September 11, 2001, Region II activated its Incident Response Center and maintained the center in Standby Mode throughout the week in support of NRC's response to the National Emergency and to monitor potential consequences of Topical Storm Gabriel on facilities in Florida. Regional Emergency Preparedness Workshop On September 11, 2001, the Regional State Liaison Officer participated in a Regional Emergency Preparedness Workshop, sponsored by FEMA IV, in Atlanta, GA. The workshop included discussions of how FEMA will implement revisions to its exercise evaluation methodology. Representatives from all Region II states in FEMA, Region IV, participated in the workshop.
Items of Interest Week Ending September 14, 2001
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"Laboratory Investigations of Soils and Rocks for Engineering Analysis
and Design of Nuclear Power Plants." The draft guide is being developed
to describe laboratory investigations and testing practices that are acceptable
to the NRC staff for determining soil and rock properties and characteristics
needed for engineering analyses and designs for foundations and earthworks
for nuclear power plants. The state of the art of laboratory testing practices
for soils and rocks is reflected in existing national standards, and this
guide recommends and references such standards where appropriate.