IR 05000373/2013001

Annual Assessment Letter for LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 (Report 05000373/2013001; 05000374/2013001)

ML14063A274
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	03/04/2014
From:	Boland A Division Reactor Projects III
To:	Pacilio M Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear
References
IR-13-001
Download: ML14063A274 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES March 4, 2014

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR LASALLE COUNTY STATION UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORT 05000373/2013001; 05000374/2013001)

Dear Mr. Pacilio:

On February 11, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed its end-of-cycle performance review of LaSalle County Station (LaSalle), Units 1 and 2. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013. 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 that, overall, LaSalle Unit 1 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. The NRC determined the performance at LaSalle Unit 1 during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix because all inspection findings had very low (i.e., green) safety significance, and all PIs indicated that your performance was within the nominal, expected range (i.e., green). Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct ROP baseline inspections at your facility.

The NRC determined the performance at LaSalle Unit 2 during the most recent quarter was within the Regulatory Response Column (Column 2) of the ROP Action Matrix because of a White Inspection Finding in the Initiating Events Cornerstone. The finding was associated with the failure of station personnel to follow a procedure which resulted in a loss of the units normal heat sink and an unplanned scram on April 25, 2013. In a letter dated January 30, 2014, we discussed that LaSalle Unit 2 had transitioned from the Licensee Response Column (Column 1) of the ROP Action Matrix to Column 2 in the second quarter of 2013 because of a White PI for Unplanned Scrams with Complications. Because the unplanned scram on April 25 was included in the White PI and a White Inspection Finding was identified in the third quarter of 2013 for the same event, we informed you that the White PI would no longer be considered an input into the ROP Action Matrix but the White Inspection Finding would be considered an input, to preclude double counting of similar inputs. Please note that the letter dated January 30, 2014, incorrectly stated that the White PI would no longer be considered an input as of the fourth quarter of 2013; the White PI was no longer considered an input as of the third quarter. As we discussed in our letter to you dated January 30, 2014, we plan to conduct one supplemental inspection for both the White Performance Indicator and the White Inspection Finding using Inspection Procedure 95001, Inspection for One or Two White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area. This inspection procedure is conducted to provide assurance that the root cause and contributing causes of risk significant performance issues are understood, the extent of condition and the extent of cause are identified, and the corrective actions are sufficient to prevent recurrence. On February 14, 2014, the LaSalle Site Vice-President notified the NRC of your readiness for the supplemental inspection and requested that the inspection commence in March 2014, following completion of the Unit 1 refueling outage. We will notify your staff at LaSalle when we have scheduled the inspection. In addition to this supplemental inspection, the NRC will be conducting ROP baseline inspections during 2014.

As a result of the Safety Culture Common Language Initiative, the terminology and coding of cross-cutting aspects were revised. All cross-cutting aspects identified during inspections conducted in calendar year (CY) 2014 will reflect this revision to Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 0310. The CY 2013 end-of-cycle assessments were conducted using the IMC 0310 guidance in effect in CY 2013 (dated October 28, 2011). Cross-cutting aspects identified in 2013 using the 2013 terminology will be converted to the latest revision in accordance with the cross-reference in IMC 0310 during the mid-cycle assessment review and evaluated for cross-cutting themes and potential substantive cross-cutting issues in accordance with IMC 0305.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through June 30, 2015.

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

The inspections listed during the last nine months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the mid-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.

Additionally, an NRC audit of licensee efforts towards compliance with Order EA-12-049, Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Requirements for Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events, is ongoing. This audit includes an onsite component in order for the NRC to evaluate mitigating strategies as described in licensee submittals, and to receive and review information relative to associated open items. This onsite activity will occur in the months prior to a declaration of compliance for the first unit at each site, and will aid staff in development of an ultimate Safety Evaluation for the site. The date for the onsite component at your site is being coordinated with your staff. A site-specific audit plan for the visit will be provided in advance to allow sufficient time for preparations. 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). 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. Michael Kunowski at 630-829-9618 with any questions you have regarding this letter or its attachments.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Anne T. Boland, Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos. 50-373; 50-374 License Nos. NPF-11; NPF-18 Enclosure:

LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServTM