IR 05000341/2008502

IR 05000341-08-502; on 05/19/2008 - 05/23/2008; Fermi Power Plant, Unit 2; Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline Inspection

ML081850669
Person / Time
Site:	Fermi
Issue date:	07/02/2008
From:	Hironori Peterson Division of Reactor Safety III
To:	Jennifer Davis Detroit Edison
References
IR-08-502
Download: ML081850669 (14)

Text

uly 2, 2008

SUBJECT:

FERMI POWER PLANT, UNIT 2 BIENNIAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE BASELINE INSPECTION 05000341/2008502

Dear Mr. Davis:

On May 23, 2008, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed a Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline inspection at your Fermi Power Plant, Unit 2. The enclosed report documents the inspection findings, which were discussed on May 23, 2008, with you and other members of your staff.

The inspection examined activities conducted under your license as they relate to safety and to 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.

Based on the results of this inspection, no NRC-identified and no self-revealed findings of safety 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 (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Sincerely,

/RA/

Hironori Peterson, Chief Operations Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket No. 50-341 License No. NPF-43 Enclosure: Inspection Report 05000341/2008502 w/Attachment: Supplemental Information cc w/encl: J. Plona, Vice President, Nuclear Generation K. Hlavaty, Plant Manager R. Gaston, Manager, Nuclear Licensing D. Pettinari, Legal Department Michigan Department of Environmental Quality M. Yudasz, Jr., Director, Monroe County Emergency Management Division Supervisor - Electric Operators T. Strong, State Liaison Officer Wayne County Emergency Management Division

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

IR 05000341/2008502; 05/19/2008 - 05/23/2008; Fermi Power Plant, Unit 2; Biennial

Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline Inspection.

This report covers a 1 week period of baseline inspection by two regional inspectors and a resident inspector. The NRCs program for overseeing the safe operation of commercial nuclear power reactors is described in NUREG-1649, Reactor Oversight Process, Revision 4, dated December 2006.

NRC-Identified

and Self-Revealed Findings

Cornerstone: Emergency Preparedness

No findings of significance were identified.

Licensee-Identified Violations

No violations of significance were identified.

REPORT DETAILS

1EP1 Exercise Evaluation

.1 Exercise Evaluation

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors reviewed the May 20, 2008, 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 2006, 2007, and 2008, to verify that those drills scenarios were sufficiently different from the scenario used in the May 20, 2008, exercise.

The inspectors evaluated the licensees exercise performance, focusing on the risk significant activities of emergency classification, notification, and protective action decision making, implementation of accident mitigation strategies, and correction of past exercise weaknesses 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. Documents reviewed are listed in the Attachment to this report.

This inspection constituted a single sample as defined in Inspection Procedure 71114.01-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA1 Performance Indicator Verification

.1 Drill/Exercise Performance

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Drill/Exercise Performance performance indicator (PI) for the period from the 3rd quarter 2007 through the 1st quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI)

Document 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline, Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensees records associated with the PI to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI; assessments of PI opportunities during predesignated control room simulator training sessions, performance during the 2007 off-year exercise, and performance during other drills. Specific documents reviewed are described in the to this report.

This inspection constitutes one drill/exercise performance sample as defined in Inspection Procedure 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.2 Emergency Response Organization Drill Participation

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Emergency Response Organization (ERO) Drill Participation PI for the period from the 3rd quarter 2007 through the 1st quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the NEI Document 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline, Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensees records associated with the PI to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI; performance during the 2007 off-year exercise and other drills; and revisions of the roster of personnel assigned to key emergency response organization positions. Specific documents reviewed are described in the Attachment to this report.

This inspection constitutes one ERO drill participation sample as defined in Inspection Procedure 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.3 Alert and Notification System

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Alert and Notification System (ANS)

PI for the period from the 3rd quarter 2007 through the 1st quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the NEI Document 99-02, Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline, Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensees records associated with the PI to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI and results of regularly scheduled ANS operability tests. Specific documents reviewed are described in the Attachment to this report.

This inspection constitutes one alert and notification system sample as defined in Inspection Procedure 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA5 Other Activities

.1 Closure of Unresolved Items

(Closed) URI 05000341/2007010-05: Potential Decrease in Effectiveness of EAL Revision without Prior NRC Approval Emergency Action Levels (EALs) approved in a December 24, 1995 Safety Evaluation had been revised prior to implementation in Revision 17 of the Emergency Plan. Two of the changes to the EALs: 1) "Loss of Water Level in the Reactor Vessel That Uncovered or Will Uncover Fuel in the Reactor Vessel"; and 2) "Containment Isolation Valve Status After Containment Isolation Signal," were identified by NRC as potential decreases in the effectiveness of the emergency plan. Additional information regarding the revisions was not available by the end of the inspection.

The licensee completed further analysis of these EAL changes in corrective actions 07-26350 and 07-26235. Corrective actions 07-26350 and 07-26352, were completed December 10, 2007, and included additional information not described in the effectiveness reviews provided to NRC. The NRC Headquarters staff and regional inspectors determined that the change justifications were adequate and did not represent a decrease in effectiveness of the emergency plan. The URI is closed.

4OA6 Management Meetings

.1 Exit Meeting Summary

• On May 23, 2008, the inspectors presented the inspection results to you and other members of the licensee staff. The licensee acknowledged the issues presented. The inspectors confirmed that none of the potential report input discussed was considered proprietary.

The inspectors confirmed that none of the potential report input discussed was considered proprietary.

.2 Public and Media Briefing

• On May 23, 2008, the inspector summarized the NRC's preliminary exercise inspection conclusions at a public and media briefing hosted by Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency Region V Field Office staff in Monroe, Michigan.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

J. Davis, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Office

R. Gaston, Manager Licensing

K. Hlavaty, Plant Manager

D. Keskitalo, Supervisor Radiological Engineering

E. Kokosky, Manager Performance Improvement

J. Plona, Site Vice President

S. Stasek, Director Nuclear Projects

R. Zipfel, Supervisor Radiological Emergency Response Preparedness

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

M. Morris, Senior Resident Inspector

LIST OF ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened

None.

Closed

05000341/2007010-05 URI Potential Decrease in Effectiveness of EAL Revision without Prior NRC Approval (Section 4OA5)

Discussed

None.

Attachment