IR 05000454/2002001

Annual Assessment Letter - Byron Station, Units 1 and 2 (Report 50-454/02-01; 50-455/02-01)

ML020700076
Person / Time
Site:	Byron
Issue date:	03/04/2002
From:	Ann Marie Stone NRC/RGN-III/DRP/RPB3
To:	Skolds J Exelon Generation Co, Exelon Nuclear
References
IR-02-001
Download: ML020700076 (5)

Text

rch 4, 2002

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER - BYRON STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORT 50-454/02-01; 50-455/02-01)

Dear Mr. Skolds:

On January 30, 2002, the NRC staff completed its end-of-cycle plant performance assessment of the Byron Station, Units 1 and 2. The end-of-cycle review for Byron Station, Units 1 and 2 involved the participation of all technical divisions in evaluating performance indicators (PIs) for the most recent quarter and inspection results for the period from April 1 through December 31, 2001. 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 so that you will have an opportunity to prepare for these inspections and to inform us of any planned inspections which may conflict with your plant activities.

As discussed in our previous annual assessment letter dated May 31, 2001, this inspection and assessment cycle consisted of three quarters (i.e., the second, third, and fourth calendar quarters of calendar year 2001) instead of the usual four quarters. This change was implemented in order to align the inspection and assessment cycle with the calendar year beginning on January 1, 2002.

Overall, the Byron Station, Units 1 and 2 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives. Plant performance for the most recent quarter, as well as for the first two quarters of the assessment cycle, was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRCs Action Matrix, based on all inspection findings being classified as having very low safety significance (Green) and all PIs indicating performance at a level requiring no additional NRC oversight (Green). Therefore, we plan to conduct only baseline inspections at your facility through March 31, 2003.

The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections scheduled through March 31, 2003. The inspection plan is provided to minimize the resource impact on your staff and to allow for scheduling conflicts and personnel availability to be resolved in advance of inspector arrival onsite. Routine resident inspections are not listed due to their ongoing and continuous nature.

The inspection plan for the last 6 months is tentative and may be revised at the Mid-Cycle Review meeting. In addition to the baseline inspection program, the NRC issued safeguards advisories recommending that nuclear power plant licensees go to the highest level of security immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and all promptly did so. With continued uncertainty about the possibility of additional terrorist activities, the Nation's nuclear power plants, including the Byron Station, Units 1 and 2, remain at a high level of security. On February 25, 2002, the NRC issued an Order to all nuclear power plant licensees, requiring them to take certain additional interim compensatory measures to address the generalized high-level threat environment. These additional compensatory requirements will provide the NRC with reasonable assurance that public health and safety and the common defense and security continue to be adequately protected in the current generalized high-level threat environment. These requirements will remain in effect pending notification from the Commission that a significant change in the threat environment occurs, or until the Commission determines that other changes are needed following a more comprehensive re-evaluation of current safeguards and security programs. To date, we have monitored Exelon's actions in response to the terrorist attacks through a series of audits. With the issuance of the Order, we will evaluate Exelon's compliance with these interim requirements.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.790 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/NRC/ADAMS/index.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

If circumstances arise which cause us to change this inspection plan, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible. Please contact me at 630-829-9729 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Ann Marie Stone, Chief Branch 3 Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos. 50-454; 50-455 License Nos. NPF-37; NPF-66 Enclosure: Byron Station, Units 1 and 2 Inspection/Activity Plan See Attached Distribution DOCUMENT NAME: G:\EOC Ltrs\2002\Byr-eoc02.wpd To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box:"C" = Copy without enclosure "E"= Copy with enclosure"N"= No copy OFFICE RIII RIII NAME TTongue:co AMStone DATE 03/ /02 03/ /02 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY cc w/encl: J. Skolds, Chief Operating Officer C. Crane, Senior Vice President, Midwest ROG J. Benjamin, Vice President Licensing H. Stanley, Vice President, Midwest ROG Operations K. Jury, Licensing Director, Midwest ROG R. Helfrich, Senior Counsel, Nuclear DCD - Licensing R. Lopriore, Site Vice President S. Kuczynski, Station Manager W. Grundmann, Regulatory Assurance Manager M. Aguilar, Assistant Attorney General Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety State Liaison Officer State Liaison Officer, State of Wisconsin Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission Distribution:

AJM DFT H. Nieh, OEDO T. Boyce, NRR Project Director, NRR Project Mgr., NRR RidsNrrDipmlipb J. Caldwell, RIII G. Grant, RIII B. Clayton, RIII R. Lickus, RIII SRI Byron DRPIII DRSIII PLB1 JRK1

Page 1 of 2 Byron 03/08/2002 06:48:01 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 03/04/2002 - 03/31/2003 Unit No. of Staff Planned Dates Inspection Number Inspection Activity Title on Site Start End Type 7111120 - REFUELING AND OUTAGE ACTIVITIES 4 1 IP 7111120 Refueling and Outage Activities 02/12/2002 03/31/2002 Baseline Inspections IP 71121 - OUTAGE RP ALARA & ACCESS CTRL INSP 1 1, 2 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 03/11/2002 03/15/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 03/11/2002 03/15/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 03/11/2002 03/15/2002 Baseline Inspections ISI - INSERVICE INSPECTION UNIT 1 1 1 IP 7111108 Inservice Inspection Activities 03/18/2002 03/29/2002 Baseline Inspections 71111.06 - FLOOD PROTECTION MEASURES 2 1, 2 IP 7111106 Flood Protection Measures 04/01/2002 05/18/2002 Baseline Inspections MOD50.59 - BIENNIAL PLANT MODS AND 50.59 5 1, 2 IP 7111102 Evaluation of Changes, Tests, or Experiments 04/15/2002 04/19/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7111117B Permanent Plant Modifications 04/15/2002 04/19/2002 Baseline Inspections IP 71122 - RAM PROC/SHIPPING INSP 1 1, 2 IP 7112202 Radioactive Material Processing and Transportation 05/06/2002 05/10/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 05/06/2002 05/10/2002 Baseline Inspections 71111.01 - ADVERSE WEATHER HOT 2 1, 2 IP 7111101 Adverse Weather Protection 05/19/2002 06/30/2002 Baseline Inspections 71111.07 - HEAT SINK PERFORMANCE 2 1, 2 IP 7111107A Heat Sink Performance 05/19/2002 06/30/2002 Baseline Inspections MAINT B - BIENNIAL MAINTENANCE RULE 1 1, 2 IP 7111112B Maintenance Rule Implementation 06/24/2002 06/28/2002 Baseline Inspections IP 71114 - EP BASELINE INSPECTION (NON-EXERCISE) 1 1, 2 IP 7111402 Alert and Notification System Testing 07/22/2002 07/26/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7111403 Emergency Response Organization Augmentation Testing 07/22/2002 07/26/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7111405 Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies 07/22/2002 07/26/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 07/22/2002 07/26/2002 Baseline Inspections 7111120 - REFUELING AND OUTAGE ACTIVITIES 3 2 IP 7111120 Refueling and Outage Activities 08/18/2002 09/30/2002 Baseline Inspections IP 71121 - OUTAGE RP ALARA & ACCESS CTRL INSPECTION 1 1, 2 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 09/23/2002 09/27/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 09/23/2002 09/27/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 09/23/2002 09/27/2002 Baseline Inspections This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.

Page 2 of 2 Byron 03/08/2002 06:48:01 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 03/04/2002 - 03/31/2003 Unit No. of Staff Planned Dates Inspection Number Inspection Activity Title on Site Start End Type ISI - INSERVICE INSPECTION UNIT 2 1 2 IP 7111108 Inservice Inspection Activities 09/30/2002 10/11/2002 Baseline Inspections 7111120 - REFUELING AND OUTAGE ACTIVITIES 3 2 IP 7111120 Refueling and Outage Activities 10/01/2002 11/13/2002 Baseline Inspections 71111.01 - ADVERSE WEATHER COLD 2 1, 2 IP 7111101 Adverse Weather Protection 10/01/2002 11/16/2002 Baseline Inspections 71111.11 - LIC OPERATOR REQUAL PROGRAM EVALUATION 2 1, 2 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification 10/07/2002 10/11/2002 Baseline Inspections 71130 - SAFEGUARDS INSPECTION-AA/AC/PI/PC 1 1, 2 IP 7113001 Access Authorization Program (Behavior Observation Only) 11/18/2002 11/22/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7113002 Access Control (Search of Personnel, Packages, and Vehicles: Identification and Authorization) 11/18/2002 11/22/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7113004 Security Plan Changes 11/18/2002 11/22/2002 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 11/18/2002 11/22/2002 Baseline Inspections IP 71121 - RAD INSTRUMENTATION INSPECTION 1 1, 2 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 01/13/2003 01/17/2003 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 01/13/2003 01/17/2003 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7112103 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 01/13/2003 01/17/2003 Baseline Inspections IP 71121 - RAD INSTRUMENTATION INSPECTION 1 1, 2 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 03/10/2003 03/14/2003 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7112103 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 03/10/2003 03/14/2003 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 03/10/2003 03/14/2003 Baseline Inspections HTSINKB - BIENNIAL HEAT SINK 1 1, 2 IP 7111107B Heat Sink Performance 03/31/2003 04/04/2003 Baseline Inspections This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.