IR 05000387/2013014

Susquehanna Degraded Cornerstone Assessment Follow-Up Letter - 11/5/13, 05000338-13-014

ML13310A301
Person / Time
Site:	Susquehanna
Issue date:	11/05/2013
From:	Dean W M Region 1 Administrator
To:	Rausch T S Susquehanna
Bower F L
References
IR-13-014
Download: ML13310A301 (3)

Text

November 5, 2013

Mr. TimothySenior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer PPL Susquehanna, LLC 769 Salem Boulevard, NUCSB3 Berwick, PA 18603

SUBJECT: ASSESSMENT FOLLOW-UP LETTER FOR SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION - UNlT 2 (REPORT 05000388/2013014)

Dear Mr. Rausch:

As a result of its quarterly review of plant performance, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) updated its assessment of Susquehanna Unit 2. The NRC's evaluation consisted of a review of performance indicators and inspection results. This letter informs you of the NRC's assessment of your facility. This letter supplements, but does not supersede, the mid-cycle letter (Report 05000388/2013006) issued on September 3, 2103.

In our mid-cycle letter, the NRC determined the performance at Susquehanna Unit 2 as of the end of the second quarter of 2013 was within the Regulatory Response Column of the NRC's Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix because one performance indicator (PI) was of low to moderate safety significance (White) in the Initiating Events cornerstone. Specifically, the "Unplanned Scrams with Complications" PI exceeded the Green/White threshold value in the fourth quarter of 2012. You were notified of the change to the ROP Action Matrix Column in an assessment follow-up letter (Report 05000388/2013009) issued on April 1, 2013. This letter also notified you of the NRC's plans to schedule and perform a supplemental inspection using Inspection Procedure (IP) 95001, "Supplemental Inspection for One or Two White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area." This supplemental inspection was conducted during the third quarter of 2013 and the results of that inspection are forthcoming in separate correspondence.

The NRC's third quarter review of Susquehanna Unit 2 determined that the "Unplanned Scrams with Complications" PI remained White in the third quarter of 2013. The NRC's review also identified that the Susquehanna Unit 2 "Unplanned Scrams" PI crossed the Green/White threshold value (i.e., greater than three unplanned scrams per 7,000 critical hours over a four quarter period) in the third quarter of 2013. Specifically, Susquehanna Unit 2 had unplanned scrams on November 9, 2012, December 16, 2012, December 19, 2012, and September 14, 2013. This second White PI in the Initiating Events cornerstone has caused the NRC to reassess Susquehanna Unit 2's performance relative to NRC's Action Matrix.As a result, the NRC determined the performance at Susquehanna Unit 2 during the third quarter of 2013 was within the Degraded Cornerstone Column of the NRC's ROP Action Matrix because all inspection findings had very low safety significance (Green) and two PIs were of low to moderate safety significance (White) in the Initiating Events cornerstone. Therefore, the NRC plans to schedule and perform a supplemental inspection using Inspection Procedure 95002,

"Supplemental Inspection for One Degraded Cornerstone or Any Three White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area." The NRC requests that your staff provide notification of your readiness for the NRC to conduct a supplemental inspection.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter 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). Please contact Mr. Fred L. Bower at 610-337-5200 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,/RA/ William M. Dean Regional Administrator Docket No. 50-388 License No. NPF-22

cc: Distribution via ListServAs a result, the NRC determined the performance at Susquehanna Unit 2 during the third quarter of 2013, was within the Degraded Cornerstone Column of the NRC's ROP Action Matrix because all inspection findings had very low safety significance (Green) and two PIs were of low to moderate safety significance (White) in the Initiating Events cornerstone. Therefore, the NRC plans to schedule and perform a supplemental inspection using Inspection Procedure 95002,

"Supplemental Inspection for One Degraded Cornerstone or Any Three White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area." The NRC requests that your staff provide notification of your readiness for the NRC to conduct a supplemental inspection.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter 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). Please contact Mr. Fred L. Bower at 610-337-5200 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,/RA/ William M. Dean Regional Administrator Docket No. 50-388 License No. NPF-22

cc: Distribution via ListServ Distribution: (via e-mail) W. Dean, RA D. Lew, DRA D. Roberts, DRP M. Scott, DRP R. Lorson, DRS J. Trapp, DRS F. Bower, DRP S. Barber, DRP A. Turilin, DRP B. Lin, DRP J. Greives, DRP, SRI T. Daun, DRP, RI S. Farrell, DRP, AA D. Rich, RI OEDO DRS Branch Chiefs N. McNamara, RI, SLO D. Tifft, RI, SLO D. Screnci, RI, PAO N. Sheehan, RI, PAO RidsNrrPMSusquehanna Resource RidsNrrDorlLpl1-2 Resource ROPReports Resource RidsNrrDirslpab Resource ROPassessment Resource DOC: G:\DRP\BRANCH4\Assessment (EOC, MC)\Susquehanna Degraded Cornerstone Assessment Follow-Up Letter_final.docx ADAMS Accession No: ML13310A301 SUNSI Review Non-Sensitive Sensitive Publicly Available Non-Publicly Available OFFICE klm RI/DRP RI/DRP RI/DRP RI/RA NAME SBarber/SB FBower/FLB DRoberts/DJR WDean/WMD DATE 10/31/13 10/31/13 11/4/13 11/5/13 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY