IR 05000498/2013001

Annual Assessment Letter for South Texas Project Electric Generating Station Units 1 and 2 (Report 05000498/2013001 and 05000499/2013001)

ML14064A307
Person / Time
Site:	South Texas
Issue date:	03/04/2014
From:	O'Keefe N NRC/RGN-IV/DRP/RPB-B
To:	Koehl D South Texas
N. O'Keefe
References
IR-13-001
Download: ML14064A307 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES rch 4, 2014

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR SOUTH TEXAS PROJECT ELECTRIC GENERATING STATION UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORT 05000498/2013001 AND 05000499/2013001)

Dear Mr. Koehl:

On February 12, 2014, the NRC completed its end-of-cycle performance review of South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, 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, South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. The NRC determined the performance at South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 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 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.

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 the staff in development of an ultimate Safety Evaluation for the site. The NRC will be working with your staff to establish a date for the onsite component audit.

As a result of the Safety Culture Common Language Initiative, the terminology and coding of cross-cutting aspects were revised effective January 1, 2014. New cross-cutting aspects will be coded in accordance with the latest revision to NRC Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 0310, dated December 19, 2013. Cross-cutting aspects identified in the last six months of 2013 using the previous terminology will be converted to the revised language in accordance with the cross-reference in IMC 0310. The revised cross-cutting aspects will be evaluated for cross-cutting themes and potential substantive cross-cutting issues in accordance with IMC 0305 starting with the calendar year 2014 mid-cycle assessment.

In accordance with 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 817-200-1141 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Neil OKeefe, Chief Project Branch B Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos. 05000498, 05000499 License Nos. NPF-79, NPF-80 Enclosure:

South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, Units 1 and 2 Inspection/Activity Plan