IR 05000424/2021006

Annual Assessment Letter for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 1 and 2 (Report No 05000424/2021006 and 05000425/2021006)

ML22047A337
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	03/02/2022
From:	Alan Blamey NRC/RGN-II/DRP/RPB2
To:	Gayheart C Southern Nuclear Company
Alan Blamey
References
IR 2021006
Download: ML22047A337 (7)

Text

March 2, 2022

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORT 05000424/2021006 AND 05000425/2021006)

Dear Ms. Gayheart:

The NRC has completed its end-of-cycle performance assessment of Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 1 and 2, reviewing performance indicators (PIs), inspection results, and enforcement actions from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. 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 concluded that overall performance at your facility preserved public health and safety. The baseline inspection program was completed at your facility as defined in Inspection Manual Chapter 2515, Light-Water Reactor Inspection Program - Operations Phase.

The NRC determined the performance at Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 1 and 2 during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column, the highest performance category of the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix, because all inspection findings had very low safety significance (i.e., Green), and all PIs were within the expected range (i.e., Green). Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct ROP baseline inspections at your facility.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through December 31, 2023.

The NRC provides the inspection plan to allow for the resolution of any scheduling conflicts and personnel availability issues. Routine inspections performed by resident inspectors are not included in the inspection plan. The inspections listed during the last twelve months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised. The NRC will contact you as soon as possible to discuss changes to the inspection plan should circumstances warrant any changes.

In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the NRC adjusted inspection plans and schedules in order to safeguard the health and safety of both NRC and licensee staff while still effectively implementing the ROP. While the PHE continues, overall conditions throughout the country support performance of our inspection and oversight activities to return to normal onsite presence by our resident and region-based inspectors and completion of nominal baseline inspection samples. We continue to monitor site-specific conditions and as discussed in our November 2, 2021 memo, Implementation of Inspection Programs Following Re-Entry from the Public Health Emergency for the Reactor Safety Program (ML21295A302), it may be necessary to alter how and when we perform our inspection and oversight activities as we balance the importance of protecting the health and safety of our staff with the need to conduct effective oversight that supports the NRCs critical safety mission. For inspections requiring extensive coordination with offsite organizations, such as evaluated emergency preparedness exercises, NRC guidance and frequently asked questions for security and emergency preparedness can be found here: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/covid-19/security-ep/. Similarly, the NRC has developed guidance if force-on-force inspections cannot be completed as scheduled due to an emergency, such as the COVID-19 PHE. These changes help ensure the health and safety of both NRC and licensee staff while maintaining the NRCs important safety and security mission during the COVID-19 PHE. The attached inspection plan is accurate on the date of issuance but remains subject to change based on approval of potential exemption requests or other changes needed due to changing conditions in the COVID-19 PHE. NRC staff will contact your appropriate regulatory affairs staff in order to coordinate inspection planning and scheduling.

From May 21, 2020 - March 1, 2021 an investigation was conducted, by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Investigations (OI) at Southern Nuclear Operating Companys (SNC)

Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle), Units 1 and 2. The purpose of the inspection and investigation was to determine whether a Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) deliberately failed to report a specific medication change. On January 4, 2022, the NRC issued a Severity Level III, Notice of Violation (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)

Accession No. ML22004A388) associated with Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 1 and 2, for failure to maintain complete and accurate medical qualification data for a senior operator in accordance with 10 CFR 50.9. Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct Inspection Procedure 92702, Follow-up on Traditional Enforcement Actions Including Violations, Deviations, Confirmatory Action Letters, Confirmatory Orders, and Alternative Dispute Resolution Confirmatory Orders, to follow-up on the violation.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 2.390 of the NRCs 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 me at (404) 997-4415 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely, Alan J. Digitally signed by Alan J. Blamey Blamey Date: 2022.03.02 06:18:45 -05'00'

Alan J. Blamey, Chief Reactor Projects Branch 2 Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos. 05000424 and 05000425 License Nos. NPF-68 and NPF-81 Enclosure:

Vogtle Inspection/ Activity Plan (03/01/2022-12/31/2023)

cc: Distribution via ListServ

ML22047A337 OFFICE RII: DRP RII: DRP NAME D. Mas Penaranda A. Blamey DATE 03/01/2022 03/2/2022

Site Inspection Activity Plan Vogtle 03/01/2022 - 12/31/2023 Unit Start End Activity CAC Title Staff Count UNIT 2 IN-SERVICE INSPECTION +SG 1 2 3/14/2022 3/25/2022 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)

RP OCCUPATIONAL RAD SAFETY BASELINE INSPECTION 3 1,2 3/14/2022 3/18/2022 IP 71124.01 000725 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1,2 3/14/2022 3/18/2022 IP 71124.03 000727 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation 1,2 3/14/2022 3/18/2022 IP 71124.04 000728 Occupational Dose Assessment 1,2 3/14/2022 3/18/2022 IP 71124.05 000729 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 1,2 3/14/2022 3/18/2022 IP 71151 000746 Performance Indicator Verification 1,2 3/28/2022 4/1/2022 IP 71124.01 000725 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1,2 3/28/2022 4/1/2022 IP 71124.03 000727 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation 1,2 3/28/2022 4/1/2022 IP 71124.04 000728 Occupational Dose Assessment 1,2 3/28/2022 4/1/2022 IP 71124.05 000729 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 1,2 3/28/2022 4/1/2022 IP 71151 000746 Performance Indicator Verification EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE INSPECTION 5 1,2 5/16/2022 5/20/2022 IP 71114.01 000716 Exercise Evaluation 1,2 5/16/2022 5/20/2022 IP 71114.04 000719 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 1,2 5/16/2022 5/20/2022 IP 71151 001397 Performance Indicator Verification SECURITY BASELINE INSPECTION 3 1,2 6/6/2022 6/10/2022 IP 71130.02 000734 Access Control 1,2 6/6/2022 6/10/2022 IP 71130.04 000736 Equipment Performance, Testing, and Maintenance 1,2 6/6/2022 6/10/2022 IP 71130.07 000739 Security Training 1,2 6/6/2022 6/10/2022 IP 71130.09 001656 Security Plan Changes 1,2 6/6/2022 6/10/2022 IP 71151 001338 Performance Indicator Verification 1,2 6/6/2022 6/10/2022 IP 81311 000831 Physical Security Requirements for Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations CYBER SECURITY INSPECTION 2 1,2 6/27/2022 7/1/2022 IP 71130.10 000741 Cybersecurity FORCE-ON-FORCE PLANNING AND EXERCISE WEEKS - VOG 6 1,2 7/18/2022 7/22/2022 IP 71130.03 000735 Contingency Response - Force-On-Force Testing 1,2 8/8/2022 8/12/2022 IP 71130.03 000735 Contingency Response - Force-On-Force Testing IP 92702 TRADITIONAL ENFORCEMENT FOLLOWUP 1 1,2 7/18/2022 7/22/2022 IP 92702 000238 Follow-Up on Traditional Enforcement Actions Including Violations, Deviations, Confirmatory Action Letters, and Orders DESIGN BASES ASSURANCE INSPECTION (TEAMS) 6 Prepared on 2/25/2022 12:10:54 PM 1 of 4

Site Inspection Activity Plan 1,2 10/3/2022 10/7/2022 IP 71111.21M 000713 Design Bases Assurance Inspection (Teams)

1,2 10/17/2022 10/21/2022 IP 71111.21M 000713 Design Bases Assurance Inspection (Teams)

UNIT 1 IN-SERVICE INSPECTION +SG 2 1 3/13/2023 3/17/2023 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PROGRAM INSPECTION 2 1,2 4/10/2023 4/14/2023 IP 71114.02 000717 Alert and Notification System Testing 1,2 4/10/2023 4/14/2023 IP 71114.03 000718 Emergency Response Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 1,2 4/10/2023 4/14/2023 IP 71114.04 000719 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 1,2 4/10/2023 4/14/2023 IP 71114.05 000720 Maintenance of Emergency Preparedness 1,2 4/10/2023 4/14/2023 IP 71151 001397 Performance Indicator Verification VOGTLE INITIAL LICENSE EXAM 6 1,2 3/27/2023 3/31/2023 OV 000956 FB-OR-ONSITE VALIDATION OF INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION (OV)

1,2 5/1/2023 5/12/2023 EXAD 000500 FB-OR-INITIAL LICENSE EXAM ADMINISTRATION (EXAD)

TARGET SET INSPECTION 2 1,2 5/29/2023 6/2/2023 IP 71130.14 000743 Review of Power Reactor Target Sets OPERATION ON AN ISFSI 2 1,2 6/12/2023 6/16/2023 IP 60855 001001 Operation Of An ISFSI VOGTLE 1 & 2 REQUAL INSPECTION 2 1,2 6/12/2023 6/16/2023 IP 71111.11B 000704 Licensed Operator Requalification Program and Licensed Operator Performance PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION & RESOLUTION 4 1,2 6/12/2023 6/16/2023 IP 71152B 000747 Problem Identification and Resolution 1,2 6/26/2023 6/30/2023 IP 71152B 000747 Problem Identification and Resolution SECURITY BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1,2 7/10/2023 7/14/2023 IP 71130.02 000734 Access Control 1,2 7/10/2023 7/14/2023 IP 71130.09 001656 Security Plan Changes 1,2 7/10/2023 7/14/2023 IP 71151 001338 Performance Indicator Verification TRIENNIAL HEAT SINK PERFORMANCE 1 1,2 7/17/2023 7/21/2023 IP 71111.07SIX 000700 Heat Exchanger/Sink Performance 1,2 7/17/2023 7/21/2023 IP 71111.07T 000700 Heat Exchanger/Sink Performance SNC CORPORATE AA/FFD INSPECTION 2 1,2 8/28/2023 9/1/2023 IP 71130.01 000733 Access Authorization 1,2 8/28/2023 9/1/2023 IP 71130.08 000740 Fitness For Duty Program RP OCCUPATIONAL RADIATION SAFETY AND TRANSPORTATION BASELINE 2 1,2 9/11/2023 9/15/2023 IP 71124.01 000725 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1,2 9/11/2023 9/15/2023 IP 71124.08 000732 Radioactive Solid Waste Processing & Radioactive Material Handling, Storage, & Transportation Prepared on 2/25/2022 12:10:54 PM 2 of 4

Site Inspection Activity Plan 1,2 9/11/2023 9/15/2023 IP 71151 000746 Performance Indicator Verification UNIT 2 IN-SERVICE INSPECTION +SG 2 2 9/18/2023 9/22/2023 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)

SECURITY BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1,2 10/23/2023 10/27/2023 IP 71130.01 000733 Access Authorization 1,2 10/23/2023 10/27/2023 IP 71130.08 000740 Fitness For Duty Program TRIENNIAL FIRE PROTECTION INSPECTION 4 1,2 11/27/2023 12/1/2023 IP 71111.21N.05 001646 Fire Protection Team Inspection (FPTI)

1,2 12/11/2023 12/15/2023 IP 71111.21N.05 001646 Fire Protection Team Inspection (FPTI)

Prepared on 2/25/2022 12:10:54 PM 3 of 4

Site Inspection Activity Plan Vogtle ISFSI 03/01/2022 - 12/31/2023 Unit Start End Activity CAC Title Staff Count SECURITY BASELINE INSPECTION (ISFSI) 3 6/6/2022 6/10/2022 IP 81311 001006 Physical Security Requirements for Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations Prepared on 2/25/2022 12:10:54 PM 4 of 4