ML25160A097

FOIA-2025-000451 - Released Set

ML25160A097
Person / Time
Issue date:	02/24/2025
From:	NRC/OCIO
To:
References
FOIA-2025-000451
Download: ML25160A097 (17)

Text

From:

Tony Bowers HR@opm.gov To:

Subject:

RE: What did you do last week?

Monday, February 24, 2025 3:27:00 PM Date:

Good afternoon. Below are 5 accomplishments for last week to support NRC's mission to protect public health and safety and promote common defense and security:

• Obtained alignment and approval on NRC's plans for phased enforcement of the REAL ID Act when entering nuclear power plants, including plans for public communication.

• Obtained alignment on progress towards approval/activation of airspace restrictions for several power reactor licensees pursuing protections from uncrewed aerial systems and the sequence for any next submittals;

• Successfully held a public webinar regarding a proposed interpretive rule to allow for law enforcement response as a part of a power reactor's physical protection program.

• In support of the ADVANCE Act of 2024 (Section 507), provided requested input on enhancing cybersecurity inspections into a paper for the NRC's Commission's consideration requesting approval of recommendations to revise the Reactor Oversight Process to maximize efficiency.

• Provided strategic leadership during several important policy engagements w/ staff on various topics, including 1) the voluntary use of early warning systems at nuclear power plants; 2) the use of enhanced weapons and plans to propose discontinuing future rulemaking activities; and 3) plans for development of rulemaking implementing guidance when conducting consequence analyses considering a security attack as an initiating event.

Regards, Tony Anthony Bowers Deputy Director Division of Physical and Cyber Security Policy Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 208521~ : 301-415-19551

~: Anthony.Bowers@nrc.gov From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] What did you do last week?

Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

Eva Brown HR@opm.gov Michael waters To:

Cc:

Subject:

RE: What did you do last week7 Monday, February 24, 2025 3:55:00 PM Date:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was created as an independent agency by Congress in 197 4 to ensure the safe use of radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes while protecting people and the environment. The NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspection, and enforcement of its requirements. The NRC protects public health and safety and advances the nation's common defense and security by enabling the safe and secure use and deployment of civilian nuclear energy technologies and radioactive materials through efficient and reliable licensing, oversight, and regulation for the benefit of society and the environment. The Coordination Branch is dedicated to safeguarding our organization's resilience and operational integrity through comprehensive incident response and continuity of operations planning. Our mission is to prepare, coordinate. and execute effective response strategies to ensure rapid recovery and sustained functionality during emergencies and disruptions. Last week as the Chief of the Coordination Branch I:

• Continued the planning of a high-stakes emergency drill-This drill will stress-test NRC's response to ensure we're ready for anything.

• Reviewed staffing and related work-load to support streamlined incident response protocols-Looking at tasks to shed to cut inefficiencies, reviewed processes to optimize decision-making, and made sure we can move at lightning speed when it counts.

• Directed staff to coordinate with top agencies-FEMA, DOE, OHS. Strengthened communication in support of the planned drill to improve interagency ties to ensure a seamless, unstoppable response.

• Reviewed critical infrastructure resilience-Identified vulnerabilities, pushed for solutions, and reinforced our preparedness for the worst-case scenario.

• Mentored the next wave of leaders-Shared hard-earned knowledge, challenged the team, and ensured future incident response leaders are primed for success.

Eva Brown Branch Chief Coordination Branch Division of Preparedness and Response Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Phone: 301-415-2315 Eva,Brown@nrc.gov From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender) What did you do last week?

Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

Jefferson Clark HR@opm.gov To:

Cc:

Jki.an..J'.il!; NRC Weekly Bullets

Subject:

RE: What did you do last week? Part II Monday, March 3, 2025 6:40:00 PM Date:

Last week I:

1. Attended management meetings and conducted team leader and branch meetings and briefings and provided status on branch efforts, activities, and site-specific issues affecting the security of NRC licensees.

2. Attended training on t he NRC Enhanced Weapons rule.

3. Participated in a quarterly working group briefing between the NRC and the Nuclear Energy Institute.

4. Conducted research to inform management of previous decisions made by the Commission.

5. Organized and submitted an information request by a partner branch on inspection procedures updates.

Thanks, Jeff JEFFERSON K. CLARK, Chief Security Performance Evaluation Branch Division of Security Operations Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response o -301-287-3666 C _,(b)(6)

From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Friday, February 28, 2025 9:20 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] What did you do last week? Part II Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets describing what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Going forward, please complete the above task each week by Mondays at 11 :59pmET.

Please do not send links, attachments, or any classified/sensitive information. If all of your activities are classified or sensitive, please write "All of my activities are sensitive".

From:

To:

Cc:

Subject:

Date:

Last week I:

Jefferson Clark HR@opm.gov Jki.an.1il!

RE: What did you do last week7 Monday, February 24, 2025 3: 19:00 PM

• Attended management and team meetings and briefings and provided status on branch efforts, activities, and site-specific issues affecting the security of NRC licensees.

Participated in public meetings on NRC's initiative to revise the Baseline Security Significance Determination Process to understand feedback from internal and external stakeholders and how we may apply it to security inspection findings.

• Attended a public meeting to Discuss the Proposed Interpretive Rule Addressing Law Enforcement Response in Power Reactor Physical Protection Programs to understand how it may apply to the NRC force-on-force inspection program.

Drafted a PowerPoint presentation on security exercise scenarios to be used in international security workshops to train counterparts on security for nuclear power plants.

Reviewed and provided edits for agency position papers on security subjects.

Thanks, Jeff JEFFERSON K. CLARK, Chief Security Performance Evaluation Branch Division of Security Operations Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response o -301-287-3666 C -l(b)(6)

From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] What did you do last week?

Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

Desiree Pavis HR@opm.gov Jman.1il!

To:

Cc:

Subject:

RE: What did you do last week7 Monday, February 24, 2025 4:01:33 PM Date:

Provided oversight of the NRC"s physical security baseline inspection program to evaluate the implementation of NRC requirements and activities at licensed power reactor and Category I fuel cycle facilities.

• Coordinated with NRC regional counterparts for oversight activities for security at independent spent fuel storage installations; decommissioned power reactors; other licensed radioactive material, waste processing, storage, and disposal facilities; transportation security; and physical protection of fissile material at nuclear fuel-cycle facilities.

Reviewed, edited, and supported development of a report to congress.

Engaged external stakeholders in public meetings.

Reviewed and communicated operating experience information for NRC-licensed facilities.

From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] W hat did you do last week?

Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

Jara Inverso HR@opm.gov Kevin Williams To:

Cc:

Subject:

RE: What did you do last week7 Monday, February 24, 2025 3:07:00 PM Date:

Good afternoon, Please see below for bullets reflecting five of my accomplishments from last week:

• Analyzed recommendations for security oversight changes in accordance with the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024, with a focus on developing measurable efficiency gains for each Engaged with internal and external stakeholders on the topic of enhancing the Baseline Security Significance Determination Process (BSSDP) to further continuous improvement and ensure that the revised BSSDP is further risk-informed and modernized

• Conducted four personnel counseling/coaching/one-on-one sessions with staff members to provide ongoing feedback, resolve conflict constructively, and to ensure contributions achieve the vision of the organization Applied strategic thinking to review and revise the agency's approach for implementing a new information security program Engaged with counterparts within licensee management to understand and resolve issues related to individual security inspections Thank you, Tara Inverso Director, Division of Security Operations Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] What did you do last week?

Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

Michael Lee HR@opm.gov To:

Cc:

Craig Erlanger: Kevin Williams

Subject:

Re: What did you do last week?

Saturday, February 22, 2025 7:42:00 PM Date:

Good evening, Thank you for providing me an opportunity to share some of the positive things I accomplished last week.

1. Completed key FY 2027 budget formulation milestones.

a. Provided NSIR's FY 2027 SFST/FF budget request to the Fuel Facilities and Spent Fuel Storage and Transportation business line owners.

b. Provided NSIR's FY 2027 Op Rx. Licensing budget requests to the Division of Operating Reactors Licensing process owner.

c. Provided NSIR's FY 2027 International activities budget request to the Office of International Programs.

2. Improved NSIR business processes related to Freedom of Information Act requests through the modification of procedures that will ensure these actions are added to the primary NSIR ticketing system as opposed to only being listed within the FOIA tracking system. This ensures that NSIR management has all actions consolidated in a central location, thereby decreasing the likelihood of late responses due to lack of awareness.

3. Developed a tool, in collaboration with staff, that tracks actual commitments relative to commitment plan schedules. This will ensure that funds are applied to those contracts that need them most, thereby decreasing the likelihood of stop work scenarios for mission essential functions.

4. Engaged with staff and supervisors that have yet to complete their ethics form submissions to ensure compliance with NRC requirements.

5. Worked with budget staff and the 3WFN relocation team to identify approximately

$1 M that will help address shortfalls related to the construction of the NRC's Headquarters Operations Center.

6. Briefed NSIR supervisors on the status of the EPID Expansion project, reaffirmed expectations/targets, provided guidance on how branches can identify performance at the organization and employee levels, and communicated resources that will help.

7. Developed custom reports for DSO manageme*nt that show budget changes from FY 2026 to FY 2027 at the branch and project level of detail. This report will help their strategic planning processes.

I hope this helps!

Michael Lee Deputy Director, NSIR/PMDA Email: Michael.Lee@nrc.gov Cell:._!Cb_X6_) ____

From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] What did you do last week?

Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

Mark MacDonald HR@opm.gov To:

Cc:

Jara Inverso: ~

Subject:

RE: What did you do last week7 Monday, February 24, 2025 4:24:51 PM Date:

Good afternoon.

As the Chief of the Information Security Branch of the NRC, I am responsible for staff who oversee a number of programs including safeguarding of classified information, NRC classified networks/ secure communications, classification and declassification requests, authorization of NRC licensee classified networks, and the facility clearance process found in Title 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 95 and 32 CFR Part 117. As requested, the bullets below highlight just a few of the ongoing efforts in my area of responsibility:

• Conducted both open and closed meetings with an identified US company regarding new uranium enrichment efforts and how to efficiently progress through the process in accordance with Title 10 CFR Part 95 for possessing and non-possessing facility clearance licenses in support of the ADVANCE Act. This will enable a smooth and efficient process in obtaining security clearances for key management personnel.

• Worked through multiple issues regarding Mandatory Declassification Requests (MDRs) in accordance with Executive Order 13526 and published ISOO guidance. The requests included equities from multiple government agencies, requiring coordination and discussion among several offices prior to responding to the requestor.

Consulted with the NIRC Office of International Programs (OIP) in support of multiple FOIA and MOR requests containing international equities. As an outcome of the meeting, OIP will verify that our agreements with international organizations do not contain language restricting the release of such information, be it classified or sensitive.

• Completed review and edits to the Interim Authority to Operate package for a domestic licensee who owns and operates a classified network under 10 CFR Part 95 and 32 CFR Part 117. Comments and edits returned to the author. Ensuring this is complete in a timely manor ensures that the licensee can continue operating mission essential classified networks.

• Completed the review and edit of revisions to the Designation Guide for Safeguards Information (DG-SGl-01, Revision 1 ). This guide enables NRC and DOE staff as well as licensees to properly identify and mark safeguards information in accordance with 10 CFR 73 Subpart D, Regulatory Guide 5.79, and internal NRC guidance such as Management Directive 12.7.

• Assisted an identified US company with the requi rements and process to designate, access, store, and protect safeguards information as they begin working on a new reactor design. Their aim is to incorporate safety and security requirements early in the design phase to maximize efficiency through the regulatory process.

Reviewed multiple documents and attended several meetings regard ing the establishment of a new secure facility within the NRC Headquarters complex with GSA, contractor, and NRC staff. This effort serves to ensure that there is ample space for the headquarters operations center and information security staff on the main campus.

Respectfully, Mark MacDonald Chief, Information Security Branch mark.macdonald@nrc.gov From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] What did you do last week?

Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

John McKjrgan HR@opm.gov Kevio Williams To:

Cc:

Subject:

RE: What did you do last week7 Monday, February 24, 2025 4:04:00 PM Date:

Greetings, Please see the bullets below as representative examples of accomplishments during the week of February 18 - 21, 2025.

• Provided strategic leadership on options for the path forward for rulemaking activities related to nuclear fuel facility security measures.

• Aligned with my team to expeditiously implement critical changes to the cyber-security guidance used by the nuclear reactor community to ensure continued protection from rapidly evolving cyber threats.

• Engaged with my staff to develop key messages in advance of an important public meeting on the agencies plans to efficiently enable the safe deployment of micro nuclear reactors in the United States from the perspective of physical and cyber security.

• Provided critical direction and guidance to my team on the approach to evaluating the hypothetical radiological consequences of security-initiated events at advanced nuclear reactor technologies.

• Provided essential leadership to my staff on the effective and efficient deployment of resources to ensure adequate coverage of critical cyber-security inspections at currently operating nuclear power plants throughout the country.

Regards, John McKirgan Director, Division of Physical and Cybersecurity Policy Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response e-mail: john.mckirgan@nrc.gov Phone: 301-415-5722 From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] W hat did you do last week?

Importance: High

Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

Justin Vazquez HR@opm.gov To:

Cc:

Subject:

John McKirgan: Tony Bowers: Shakur Walker; tIB...QEt:1 RE: What did you do last week7 Date:

Monday, February 24, 2025 4:21:28 PM To Whom It May Concern:

My accomplishments last week included (but were not limited to) the following:

• Supported a public meeting conducted by branch staff to discuss a proposed interpretive rule that would allow licensees to incorporate law enforcement response considerations into site physical protection programs through the implementation of a site-specific security bounding time.

Participated in division-level discussions addressing considerations associated with the use of early warning systems to support licensee physical security programs.

• Coordinated concurrence routing for an information notice that will address nuclear power plant licensee implementation of requirements associated with the REAL ID Act of 2005, providing guidance to licensees and addressing NRC considerations regarding the potential use of a phased enforcement plan for the implementation of card-based enforcement, which has the potential! to alleviate operational burden on nuclear power plant licensee organizations.

• Worked with branch staff to finalize a draft comment-resolution document to support the issuance of a regulatory issue summary that would address non-immigrant foreign nationals access authorization requirements at NRG-licensed facilities.

• Discussed with branch staff proposed updates to the NRC's public web page on Fitness-for-Duty programs, an effort that will enhance public outreach in support of the NRC's strategic goal associated with inspiring stakeholder confidence, and which will reduce inefficiencies/redundancies by alleviating stakeholder reliance on inquiries sent directly to NRC program staff.

Sincerely, Justin Vazquez Chief; Access Authorization, Fitness for Duty, and Policy Branch Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] What did you do last week?

Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.

From:

.6ri.an..YiJ2 To:

HR@opm.gov Cc:

Jara Inverso

Subject:

RE: What did you do last week7 Date:

Monday, February 24, 2025 3:14:51 PM I was o~Cb)(6)

I from February 18-21.

From: HR <hr@opm.gov>

Sent: Saturday, February 22, 2025 4:46 PM

Subject:

[External_Sender] What did you do last week?

Importance: High Please reply to this email with approx. 5 bullets of what you accomplished last week and cc your manager.

Please do not send any classified information, links, or attachments.

Deadline is this Monday at 11 :59pmEST.