IR 05000263/2003007

IR 05000263-03-007(DRS); on 11/17/03 - 11/21/03; for Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant; Emergency Preparedness Specialist Report

ML033500493
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	12/16/2003
From:	Kenneth Riemer Division of Reactor Safety III
To:	Thomas J. Palmisano Nuclear Management Co
References
IR-03-007
Download: ML033500493 (14)

Text

ber 16, 2003

SUBJECT:

MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT NRC EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS INSPECTION REPORT 05000263/2003007(DRS)

Dear Mr. Palmisano:

On November 21, 2003, the NRC completed an inspection at your Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. The enclosed report documents the inspection findings, which were discussed on November 21, 2003, with you and members of your staff.

The inspection examined activities conducted under your license as they relate to safety and compliance with the Commissions rules and regulations and with the conditions of your license.

The inspectors reviewed selected procedures and records, observed activities, and interviewed personnel. Specifically, this inspection focused on emergency preparedness, including your staffs determinations of performance indicators for the Emergency Preparedness Cornerstone.

On the basis of the results of this inspection, no findings of significance were identified.

In accordance with 10 CFR Part 2.790 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure 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).

Sincerely,

/RA/

Kenneth Riemer, Chief Plant Support Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-263 License No. DPR-22 Enclosure: Inspection Report 05000263/2003007(DRS)

See Attached Distribution

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

IR 05000263/2003007(DRS); 11/17/03 - 11/21/03; Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant;

Emergency Preparedness Specialist Report.

The report covers a one-week baseline inspection by one regional emergency preparedness inspector, a radiation protection inspector, and a resident inspector. The inspection focused on the Emergency Preparedness Cornerstone in the Reactor Safety strategic performance area during the biennial emergency preparedness exercise. This inspection also included a review of records related to the three emergency preparedness performance indicators for the period July 1, 2002 through September 30, 2003. No findings of significance were identified.

The NRCs program for overseeing the safe operation of commercial nuclear power reactors is described in NUREG-1649, Reactor Oversight Process, Revision 3, dated July 2000.

A. Inspector-Identified and Self-Revealed Findings None.

Licensee-Identified Violations

None.

REPORT DETAILS

1EP1 Exercise Evaluation

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors reviewed the November 18, 2003 biennial emergency preparedness exercises objectives and scenario to ensure that the exercise would acceptably test major elements of the licensees emergency plan and to verify that the exercises simulated problems provided an acceptable framework to support demonstration of the licensees capability to implement its plan. The inspectors also reviewed a summary of an emergency preparedness drill, which was conducted on October 8, 2003, to determine whether that scenario was sufficiently different from the scenario used in the November 18, 2003 exercise.

The inspectors evaluated the licensees exercise performance, focusing on the risk-significant activities of emergency classification, notification, and protective action decision making, as well as implementation of accident mitigation strategies in the following emergency response facilities:

• Control Room Simulator (CRS);

• Technical Support Center (TSC);

• Operations Support Center (OSC); and

• Emergency Operations Facility (EOF).

The inspectors also assessed the licensees recognition of abnormal plant conditions, transfer of responsibilities between facilities, internal communications, interfaces with offsite officials, readiness of emergency facilities and related equipment, and overall implementation of the licensees emergency plan.

The inspectors attended post-exercise critiques in the TSC, OSC, and EOF to evaluate the licensees initial self-assessment of its exercise performance. The inspectors later met with the licensees lead exercise evaluators to obtain the licensees refined assessments of its exercise participants performances. These self-assessments were then compared with the inspectors independent observations and assessments to assess the licensees ability to adequately critique station performance during the exercise.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA1 Performance Indicator (PI) Verification

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors reviewed the licensees records related to each of the three emergency preparedness PIs to verify that the licensees program was implemented consistent with the industry guidelines in Nuclear Energy Institute publication No. 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline, Revision 2, and related licensee procedures. Specifically, licensee records related to the performance of the Alert and Notification System (ANS), key Emergency Response Organization (ERO) members drill participation, and Drill and Exercise Performance (DEP) were reviewed to verify the accuracy and completeness of the PI data submitted to NRC for the period from July 2002 through September 2003.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA2 Identification and Resolution of Problems

The following performance concerns, which could have adversely impacted response activities if scenario events had been real, were independently identified by the licensee and by the inspectors during the November 18, 2003 exercise:

• The initial notification message to State and county officials did not indicate that a simulated, unplanned, minor release of radioactive gas was associated with the Alert declaration.

• The TSCs management did not clearly communicate the relative priorities of missions assigned to teams deployed from the OSC to OSC and EOF counterparts.

• A revised Protective Action Recommendation, which involved areas roughly five to 10 miles downwind of the site, should have been communicated to offsite officials about five to ten minutes sooner.

4OA6 Meetings

.1 Exit Meeting

An exit meeting was conducted for:

• Emergency Preparedness with Mr. T. Palmisano and other members of licensee management and staff at the conclusion of the inspection on November 21, 2003. The licensee acknowledged the information presented. No proprietary information was identified.

.2 Public and Media Briefing

• On November 21, 2003, an inspector summarized the NRCs preliminary conclusions on the licensees exercise and critique performances at a public and media briefing hosted by Federal Emergency Management Agency staff in Buffalo, Minnesota.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

M. Antony, Design Engineering Manager

R. Baumer, Compliance Engineer

T. Cooper, Nuclear Oversight Assessor

G. Holthaus, Emergency preparedness Coordinator

B. MacKissock, Operations Manager

D. Neve, Regulatory Affairs Manager

T. Palmisano, Site Vice President

D. Pedersen, Emergency Planning Manager

J. Purkis, Plant Manager

R. VanNell, Information Technology Manager

M. Vonk, Corporate Senior Emergency Planning Specialist

LIST OF ITEMS

Opened and Closed

None.

Discussed

None.