IR 05000263/2007502

IR 05000263-07-502, on 11/05/2007 - 11/09/2007; Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline Inspection

ML073390580
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	11/29/2007
From:	Eric Duncan Plant Support Branch II
To:	O'Connor T Nuclear Management Co
References
IR-07-502
Download: ML073390580 (12)

Text

ber 29, 2007

SUBJECT:

MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT BIENNIAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE BASELINE INSPECTION 05000263/2007502(DRS)

Dear Mr. OConnor:

On November 9, 2007, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an inspection at your Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. The enclosed report documents the inspection findings, which were discussed on November 9, 2007, with Mr. T. Blake and other 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 2.390 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 System (PARS) component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Sincerely,

/RA/

Eric Duncan, Chief Plant Support Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-263 License No. DPR-22 Enclosure: Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline Inspection Report 05000263/2007502(DRS);

w/Attachment: Supplemental Information cc w/encl: M. Sellman, President and Chief Executive Officer D. Cooper, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer Manager, Nuclear Safety Assessment J. Rogoff, Vice President, Counsel, and Secretary Nuclear Asset Manager, Xcel Energy, Inc.

State Liaison Officer, Minnesota Department of Health R. Nelson, President Minnesota Environmental Control Citizens Association (MECCA)

Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency D. Gruber, Auditor/Treasurer, Wright County Government Center Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Commerce Manager - Environmental Protection Division Minnesota Attorney Generals Office W. King, FEMA, Region V

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

IR 05000263/2007502; 11/05/2007 - 11/09/2007; Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant,

Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline Inspection.

The report covers a 1 week baseline inspection by one regional emergency preparedness inspector, a resident inspector, and a reactor engineer. 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 April 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007.

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

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 6, 2007, 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 records of other drills and exercises conducted in 2005, 2006, and 2007, to verify that the drill scenarios were sufficiently different from the scenario used in the November 6, 2007 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); 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 CRS, TSC, and EOF to evaluate the licensees initial self-assessment of its exercise performance. The inspectors later met with the licensees lead exercise evaluators and managers to obtain the licensees findings and 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 its exercise performance.

These activities completed one of one inspection sample.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA1 Performance Indicator (PI) Verification

.1 Reactor Safety Strategic Area

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors reviewed the licensees records associated with each of the three emergency preparedness PIs to verify that the licensees program was implemented consistent with the industry guidelines in the applicable revision of Nuclear Energy Institute Publication No. 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline, 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 April 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007. The following three PIs were reviewed:

• ANS;

• ERO Drill Participation; and

• DEP.

These activities completed three of three PI samples.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA6 Meetings

.1 Exit Meeting

On November 9, 2007, at the conclusion of the on-site inspection activities, the inspectors presented preliminary inspection results to Mr. T. Blake and other members of licensee management. The inspectors asked the licensee whether any materials examined during the inspection should be considered proprietary. No proprietary information was identified.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

T. Blake, Regulatory Affairs Manager

E. Weinkam, NMC Regulatory Services Director

D. Pedersen, Emergency Preparedness Manager

R. Baumer, NMC Regulatory Affairs Compliance Engineer

L. Callaway, Nuclear Oversight Supervisor

C. Dixon, Emergency Preparedness Drill and Exercise Coordinator

G. Holthaus, Senior Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

L. Hoskins, Senior Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

C. Morgan, NMC Senior Engineering Analyst

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

C. Thomas, Senior Resident Inspector

L. Haeg, Resident Inspector

LIST OF ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed, and Discussed

None.

Enclosure