IR 05000220/2009001

IR 05000220-09-001 and 05000410-09-001, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC, Annual Assessment Letter, Dated March 4, 2009

ML090630173
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	03/04/2009
From:	David Lew Division Reactor Projects I
To:	Polson K Nine Mile Point
Lew D
Shared Package
ml090630171	List: IR 05000220/2009001
References
IR-09-001
Download: ML090630173 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION rch 4, 2009

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER - NINE MILE POINT NUCLEAR STATION (REPORTS 05000220/2009001 AND 05000410/2009001)

Dear Mr. Polson:

On February 9, 2009, the NRC staff completed its performance review of Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station (NMPNS). Our technical staff reviewed performance indicators (PIs) for the most recent quarter and inspection results for the period from January 1 through December 31, 2008. 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.

This performance review and enclosed inspection plan do not include security information. A separate letter designated and marked as Official Use OnlySecurity Information will include the security cornerstone review and resultant inspection plan.

Overall, NMPNS Units 1 and 2 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives. Plant performance at Unit 1 for the most recent quarter, as well as for the first three quarters of the assessment cycle, was within the Licensee Response column of the NRC's Action Matrix, based on all inspection findings being classified as having very low safety significance (Green) and all Performance Indicators (PIs) indicating performance at a level requiring no additional NRC oversight (Green). Plant performance at Unit 2 for the most recent quarter, was within the Regulatory Response Column of the NRCs Action Matrix, based on all inspection findings being classified as having very low safety significance (Green) and one PI of low to moderate safety significance (White). The White PI identified in the fourth quarter 2008, involved the Mitigating Systems Performance Index (MSPI)

for Cooling Water Systems. Specifically, the PI crossed the White threshold due to a combination of availability challenges associated with service water pump maintenance activities, and reliability challenges associated with the introduction of foreign material into the service water pump suction in November 2008.

As a result of the White PI, the NRC will provide additional regulatory oversight for NMPNS Unit 2 to include a supplemental inspection using Inspection Procedure 95001, "Inspection for One or Two White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area, when your staff notifies us of your readiness for this inspection. This inspection is conducted to provide assurance that the root causes and contributing causes of risk significant performance issues are understood, that the extent of condition and extent of cause of risk significant performance issues are identified, and that licensee corrective actions to risk significant performance issues are sufficient to address the root causes and contributing causes, and will prevent recurrence. In 2009, we will also conduct the reactor oversight process baseline inspections at Unit 1 and 2. The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections, less those related to physical protection scheduled through June 30, 2010. In addition to baseline inspections, we plan on conducting a license renewal commitments inspection on Unit 1. The inspection plan is provided to allow for the resolution of any scheduling conflicts and personnel availability issues well in advance of inspector arrival onsite. Routine resident inspections are not listed due to their ongoing and continuous nature. The inspections in the last nine months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the mid-cycle review.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 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/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

If circumstances arise which cause us to change the inspection plan, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible. Please contact Glenn Dentel of my staff at 610-337-5233, with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/ Original Signed by:

David C. Lew, Director Division of Reactor Projects Region I Docket Nos. 50-220, 50-410 License Nos. DPR-63, DPR-59 Enclosure: Nine Mile Point Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl:

M. Wallace, Vice - Chairman, Constellation Energy H. Barron, President, CEO & Chief Nuclear Officer, Constellation Energy Nuclear Group C. Fleming, Esquire, Senior Counsel, Nuclear Generation, Constellation Energy Group, LLC M. Wetterhahn, Esquire, Winston & Strawn T. Syrell, Director, Licensing, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station J. Spath, Program Director, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority F. Murray, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority P. Eddy, New York State Department of Public Service C. Donaldson, Esquire, Assistant Attorney General, New York Department of Law Supervisor, Town of Scriba P. Church, Oswego County Administator T. Judson, Central NY Citizens Awareness Network D. Katz, Citizens Awareness Network J. Evans, LIPA G. Detter, Manager, Corp Nuclear Safety and Security, Constellation Energy C. Adrienne Rhodes, Chairman and Executive Director, State Consumer Protection Board