The team identified a finding of very low safety significance involving a noncited violation of
10 CFR 50.59 for the failure to obtain a license amendment prior to implementing a new methodology for determining spent fuel pool heat loading
This finding is a performance deficiency because the licensee failed to meet requirements of
10 CFR 50.59. Specifically, licensee personnel failed to gain prior approval for a departure from an approved method to calculate spent fuel pool heat loading. Because violations of
10 CFR 50.59 are considered violations that impact the regulatory process, they are dispositioned using the traditional enforcement process. As stated in the
NRC Enforcement Policy, the finding is more than minor because the departure from the method would require Commission review and approval prior to implementation. Because this violation is of very low safety significance and was entered into the licensees corrective action program as Condition Report 2-05-08137, this violation is being treated as a
Severity Level IV noncited violation consistent with Section VI.A of the NRC Enforcement Policy:
NCV 05000397/2005009-002, Failure to Obtain Prior Approval Prior to Implementing a New Methodology.
