IR 05000255/2015005

Mid-Cycle Assessment Letter for Palisades Nuclear Plant (Report 05000255/2015005)

ML15239B408
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	09/01/2015
From:	Louden P Division of Nuclear Materials Safety III
To:	Vitale A Entergy Nuclear Operations
References
IR 2015005
Download: ML15239B408 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES mber 1, 2015

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT (REPORT 05000255/2015005)

Dear Mr. Vitale:

On August 13, 2015, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (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, 2014 through June 30, 2015. This letter informs you of the NRCs assessment of your facility during this period and its plans for future inspections at your facility.

The NRC determined the performance at Palisades during the most recent quarter was within the Regulatory Response Column of the NRC's Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix because of a finding of low-to-moderate safety significance (White) in the Occupational Radiation Safety cornerstone that was identified in the fourth quarter of 2014. The White finding was associated with the failure to adequately assess the radiation dose to workers who were replacing control rod drive mechanism housings in February and March 2014.

On July 20, 2015, your staff notified the NRC of your readiness for a supplemental inspection to review the actions taken to address the performance issues. Therefore, in addition to ROP baseline inspections, the NRC plans to conduct a supplemental inspection in accordance with Inspection Procedure (IP) 95001, Supplemental Inspection for One or Two White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area, beginning on August 31, 2015, to review your actions to address the performance issues associated with this White finding.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through December 31, 2017.

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

The inspections listed during the second half 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. This inspection plan does not include security related inspections, which will be sent via separate, non-publicly available correspondence.

In addition to the ROP baseline inspections, the NRC plans to conduct infrequent inspections related to IP 92709, Contingency Plans for Licensee Strikes or Lockouts, and IP 92711, Implementation of Licensee Contingency Plans During a Strike/Lockout, if needed due to expiring contracts; and Temporary Instruction (TI) 2515/190, Inspection of Licensee's Proposed Interim Actions as a Result of the Near-Term Task Force Recommendation 2.1 Flooding Evaluation.

In response to the accident at Fukushima, the Commission issued Order EA-12-049, Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Requirements for Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events, which requires licensees to develop, implement, and maintain guidance and strategies to maintain or restore core cooling, containment, and spent fuel pool cooling capabilities following a beyond-design-basis external event. Additionally, the Commission issued Order EA-12-051, Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Reliable Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation, which requires licensees to have a reliable means of remotely monitoring wide-range Spent Fuel Pool levels to support effective prioritization of event mitigation and recovery actions in the event of a beyond-design-basis external event. The NRC is conducting audits of licensee efforts towards compliance with these Orders. The audit has been completed at Palisades, and the information gathered will aid staff in development of the ultimate Safety Evaluation for the site. After the NRC staff receives the Final Compliance letter for the site, the Final Safety Evaluation will be issued. Then, the NRC staff will confirm through inspections the full implementation of the orders mentioned above performing TI 2515/191, Inspection of the Implementation of Mitigation Strategies and Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation Orders and Emergency Preparedness Communication/Staffing/Multi-Unit Dose Assessment Plans.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 2.390 of the NRCs Rules 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 Agencywide Documents Access and Management 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 Mr. Eric Duncan at 630-829-9620 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Patrick L. Louden, Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos. 50-255 License Nos. DPR-20 Enclosure:

Palisades Nuclear Plant Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: Distribution via LISTSERV