IR 05000333/2002001

2002 Annual Assessment Letter - Fitzpatrick Nuclear Plant (Report No. 50-333/02-001)

ML020630471
Person / Time
Site:	FitzPatrick
Issue date:	03/01/2002
From:	Blough A Division Reactor Projects I
To:	Ted Sullivan Entergy Nuclear Northeast
References
IR-02-001
Download: ML020630471 (6)

Text

rch 1, 2002

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER - FITZPATRICK NUCLEAR PLANT (REPORT NO. 50-333/02-001)

Dear Mr. Sullivan:

On January 30, 2002, the NRC staff completed its end-of-cycle plant performance assessment of the FitzPatrick Nuclear Plant. The end-of-cycle review for FitzPatrick involved the participation of the responsible technical divisions in Region I in evaluating the performance indicators (PIs) and inspection results for the period of April 1 through December 31, 2001. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our assessment of your safety performance during this period and our plans for future inspections at your facility so that you will have an opportunity to prepare for these inspections and to inform us of any planned inspections which may conflict with your plant activities.

As discussed in our previous annual assessment letter dated May 31, 2001, this inspection and assessment cycle consisted of three quarters (i.e., the second, third and fourth calendar quarters of calendar year 2001) instead of the usual four quarters. This change was implemented in order to align the inspection and assessment cycle with the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2002.

Overall, FitzPatrick operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives. Plant performance for the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRCs Action Matrix, based on all inspection findings being classified as having very low safety significance (Green) and all PIs indicating performance at a level requiring no additional NRC oversight (Green). Therefore, we plan to conduct only baseline inspections at your facility through March 31, 2003. However, due to the ongoing construction and future operation of your independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), we will also conduct inspections of the completion and start-up of this facility.

While plant performance for the most recent quarter is within the Licensee Response Column of the Action Matrix, in the second calendar quarter of 2001 performance was in the Regulatory Response Column. Specifically, the PI on unplanned power changes was White during that period. A reduction in unplanned power changes since the third quarter of 2000 resulted in this PI returning to Green in the third quarter 2001. Also, a 95001 supplemental inspection of the unplanned power changes (Inspection Report 50-333/01-002 dated February 23, 2001) identified that the Entergy staff had adequately identified the broad causes and appropriate corrective actions for the equipment conditions that prompted these power changes.

Mr. Theodore Sullivan 2 In our assessment letter dated May 31, 2001, NRC had noted a substantive cross-cutting issue in the area of corrective action. However, based upon routine resident inspections and the findings of the problem identification and resolution (PI&R) and safety system design inspections (SSDI) in the latter half of this assessment period, we noted improved performance in these areas and therefore have discontinued this designation.

The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections scheduled through March 31, 2003. The inspection plan is provided to minimize the resource impact on your staff and to allow for scheduling conflicts and personnel availability to be resolved in advance of inspector arrival onsite. Routine resident inspections are not listed due to their ongoing and continuous nature.

The schedule for the last six months of the inspection plan is tentative and may be revised at the Mid-Cycle Review meeting.

Immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the NRC issued safeguards advisories recommending that nuclear power plant licensees go to the highest level of security, and all promptly did so. With continued uncertainty about the possibility of additional terrorist activities, the Nation's nuclear power plants, including FitzPatrick, remain at a high level of security. On February 25, 2002, the NRC issued an Order to all nuclear power plant licensees, requiring them to take certain additional interim compensatory measures to address the generalized high-level threat environment. These additional compensatory requirements will provide the NRC with reasonable assurance that public health and safety and the common defense and security continue to be adequately protected in the current generalized high-level threat environment. These requirements will remain in effect pending notification from the Commission that a significant change in the threat environment occurs, or until the Commission determines that other changes are needed following a more comprehensive re-evaluation of current safeguards and security programs. To date, we have monitored your staffs actions in response to the terrorist attacks through a series of audits. With the issuance of the Order, we will evaluate FitzPatricks compliance with these interim requirements.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be made 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/NRC/ADAMS/index.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Mr. Theodore Sullivan 3 If circumstances arise which cause us to change this inspection plan, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible. Please contact Glenn W. Meyer, Chief, Projects Branch 3, at (610) 337-5211 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/

A. Randolph Blough, Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50-333 License No. DPR-59 Enclosure: James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: J. Yelverton, CEO, Entergy Operations B. OGrady, General Manager, Entergy Nuclear Operations J. Knubel, VP Operations Support H. Salmon, Director of Oversight A. Halliday, Licensing Manager M. Kansler, Chief Operating Officer, Entergy D. Pace, VP Engineering J. Fulton, Assistant General Counsel Supervisor, Town of Scriba J. Tierney, Oswego County Administrator C. Donaldson, Esquire, Assistant Attorney General, New York Department of Law P. Eddy, Electric Division, Department of Public Service, State of New York W. Flynn, President, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority S. Lousteau, Treasury Department T. Judson, Central New York Citizens Awareness Network

Mr. Theodore Sullivan 4 Distribution w/encl: Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

(VIA E-MAIL) R. Rasmussen, DRP - NRC Resident Inspector H. Miller, RA J. Wiggins, DRA G. Meyer, DRP R. Barkley, DRP T. Haverkamp, DRP B. Platchek, DRP N. Sheehan, PAO DRS Director DRS Deputy Director DRS Branch Chiefs (4)

H. Gray, DRS T. Moslak,DRS P. Frechette, DRS D. Silk, DRS T. Bergman, EDO E. Adensam, NRR G. Vissing, PM, NRR R. Clark, Backup PM, NRR T. Frye, NRR C. See, NRR DOCUMENT NAME: G:\Branch 3\FitzPatrick End-of-Cycle Letter 2002.wpd To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment/enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment/enclosure "N" = No copy OFFICE RI/DRP N RI/DRP N RI/DRP NAME Rbarkley/RSB1 Gmeyer/GWM ARBlough/ARB DATE 03/01/02 03/01 /02 03/01/02 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Page 1 of 2 FitzPatrick 02/28/2002 12:06:19 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 12/30/2001 - 03/31/2003 Unit No. of Staff Planned Dates Inspection Number Inspection Activity Title on Site Start End Type 7111105T - FIRE PROTECTION 3 1 IP 7111105T Fire Protection 04/08/2002 04/12/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7111105T Fire Protection 04/22/2002 04/26/2002 Baseline Inspections 71130 - SECURITY 1 1 IP 7113001 Access Authorization Program (Behavior Observation Only) 01/28/2002 02/01/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7113002 Access Control (Search of Personnel, Packages, and Vehicles: Identification and Authorization) 01/28/2002 02/01/2002 Baseline Inspections 7111111B - L.O.REQUAL INSPECTION 2 1 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification 01/28/2002 02/01/2002 Baseline Inspections 60855 - ISFSI 2 1 IP 60855 Operation Of An ISFSI 04/15/2002 04/19/2002 Other Routine 7112103 - OCC RAD SAFETY - INSTRUMENTATION 1 1 IP 7112103 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 06/24/2002 06/28/2002 Baseline Inspections 71114 - EP PROGRAM REVIEW & EP PI VERIFICATION 1 1 IP 7111402 Alert and Notification System Testing 07/29/2002 08/02/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7111403 Emergency Response Organization Augmentation Testing 07/29/2002 08/02/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7111404 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 07/29/2002 08/02/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7111405 Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies 07/29/2002 08/02/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 07/29/2002 08/02/2002 Baseline Inspections 71152B - PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION 4 1 IP 71152B Identification and Resolution of Problems 08/12/2002 08/16/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 71152B Identification and Resolution of Problems 08/26/2002 08/30/2002 Baseline Inspections 7112101 - OCC RAD SAFETY - ACCESS 1 1 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 08/26/2002 08/30/2002 Baseline Inspections 7112102 - OCC RAD SAFETY - ALARA 1 1 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 10/21/2002 10/25/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 10/21/2002 10/25/2002 Baseline Inspections 7111108 - INSERVICE INSPECTION 1 1 IP 7111108 Inservice Inspection Activities 10/21/2002 10/25/2002 Baseline Inspections 7111117B - MODS 3 1 IP 7111102 Evaluation of Changes, Tests, or Experiments 11/18/2002 11/22/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7111117B Permanent Plant Modifications 11/18/2002 11/22/2002 Baseline Inspections 71130 - SECURITY 1 1 IP 7113001 Access Authorization Program (Behavior Observation Only) 01/06/2003 01/10/2003 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7113002 Access Control (Search of Personnel, Packages, and Vehicles: Identification and Authorization) 01/06/2003 01/10/2003 Baseline Inspections This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.

Page 2 of 2 FitzPatrick 02/28/2002 12:06:19 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 12/30/2001 - 03/31/2003 Unit No. of Staff Planned Dates Inspection Number Inspection Activity Title on Site Start End Type 7112201 - PUB RAD SAFETY - RETS 1 1 IP 7112201 Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment and Monitoring Systems 03/17/2003 03/21/2003 Baseline Inspections 7112102 - OCC RAD SAFETY - ALARA 1 1 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 03/24/2003 03/28/2003 Baseline Inspections This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.