IR 05000255/2011006

Mid-Cycle Letter for Palisades Nuclear Plant, 05000255-11-006

ML112440144
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	09/01/2011
From:	Jack Giessner Reactor Projects Region 3 Branch 4
To:	Vitale A Entergy Nuclear Operations
References
IR-11-006
Download: ML112440144 (7)

Text

mber 1, 2011

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE LETTER FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT; 05000255/2011-006

Dear Mr. Vitale:

On August 10, 2011, the NRC completed its mid-cycle performance review of the Palisades Nuclear Plant. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from July 1, 2010, through June 30, 2011. This letter informs you of the NRCs assessment of your facility during this period and its plans for future inspections at your facility. This performance review and enclosed inspection plan do not include security information. A separate letter will include the NRCs assessment of your performance in the Security Cornerstone and its security-related inspection plan.

The NRC determined the performance at the Palisades Nuclear Plant during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix because all inspection findings had very low (i.e., green) safety significance, and all PIs indicated that your performance was within the nominal, expected range (i.e., green). Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct ROP baseline inspections at your facility.

The NRC identified a cross-cutting theme in the Resources component in the area of Human Performance. Specifically, there were five findings considered to have a cross-cutting aspect of documentation/procedures H.2(c). In reviewing your actions to date, the NRC noted that you have entered the condition into your corrective action program and completed a root cause evaluation. The NRC determined that a substantive cross-cutting issue (SCCI) associated with H.2(c) does not exist because the NRC does not have a concern with your staffs scope of effort and progress in addressing the cross-cutting theme based on the limited time since completion of the root cause. In addition, the NRC identified a cross-cutting theme in the Decision Making component of the Human Performance area. Specifically, there were four findings considered to have a cross-cutting aspect of conservative assumptions, H.1(b). The NRC determined that a SCCI associated with H.1(b) does not exist because the NRC does not have a concern with your staffs scope of effort and progress in addressing the cross-cutting theme since the theme did not develop until late in the second quarter. The NRC will continue to monitor your staffs effort and progress in addressing these themes.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through December 31, 2012.

Routine inspections performed by resident inspectors are not included in the inspection plan.

The inspections listed during the last nine months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the end-of-cycle performance review. The NRC provides the inspection plan to allow for the resolution of any scheduling conflicts and personnel availability issues. The NRC will contact you as soon as possible to discuss changes to the inspection plan should circumstances warrant any changes. We also plan on performing special and infrequently performed inspections: Inspection Procedure (IP) 60855.1, Operation of an ISFSI at Operating Plants and IP 71003, Post-Approval Site Inspection For License Renewal - Followup.

In the days following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan, the Commission directed the staff to establish a senior-level agency task force to conduct a methodical and systematic review of the NRCs processes and regulations to determine whether the agency should make additional improvements to its regulatory system. The NRC has since completed Temporary Instruction (TI) 183, Follow-up to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station Fuel Damage Event, and TI-184, Availability and Readiness Inspection of Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMGs) at your facility. Results of these inspections can be found here:

http://www.nrc.gov/japan/japan-activities.html. Additionally, on May 11, 2011, the agency issued NRC Bulletin 2011-01, Mitigating Strategies, to confirm compliance with Order EA-02-026, subsequently imposed license conditions, and 10 CFR 50.54(hh)(2),

and to determine the status of licensee mitigating strategies programs. On July 12, 2011, the NRCs Task Force made its recommendations to the Commission in its report, Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21st Century: The Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Daiichi Accident. The NRC is currently reviewing the Task Forces recommendations to determine what additional actions may be warranted.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC=s ARules of Practice,@ a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room). Please contact me at 630-829-9619 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/

John B.Giessner, Chief Branch 4 Division of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50-255 License No. DPR-20 Enclosure: Palisades Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServ