IR 05000528/2022006

Annual Assessment Letter for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Units 1, 2 and 3 (Report 05000528/2022006, 05000529/2022006, and 05000530/2022006)

ML23055B074
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	03/01/2023
From:	John Dixon NRC/RGN-IV/DORS/PBD
To:	Heflin A Arizona Public Service Co
Shared Package
ML23055B060	List: IR 05000275/2022006 IR 05000313/2022006 IR 05000397/2022006 IR 05000528/2022006
References
IR 2022006
Download: ML23055B074 (1)

Text

March 01, 2023

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION - UNITS 1, 2 AND 3 (REPORT 05000528/2022006, 05000529/2022006, AND 05000530/2022006)

Dear Adam Heflin:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its end-of-cycle performance assessment of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, reviewing performance indicators (PIs), inspection results, and enforcement actions from January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022. 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 Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 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, 2024.

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.

The Regional Administrator has approved the staffs plan to conduct Inspection Procedure 71003, Post-Approval Site Inspection for License Renewal, at your facility, Units 1 and 2, as indicated in the enclosed inspection plan.

In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the NRC adjusted inspection plans and schedules 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 returning 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.

Beginning on January 1, 2023, the engineering inspection frequency will transition from a triennial (3-year) to a quadrennial (4-year) cycle. The new engineering inspection program will consist of a Comprehensive Engineering Team Inspection (CETI)1 and three Focused Engineering Inspections (FEIs) that will be performed in each quadrennial cycle. For the cycle beginning in 2023, the FEIs will be: Fire Protection Team Inspection, Commercial Grade Dedication and Age-Related Degradation.

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 817-200-1574 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely, Signed by Dixon, John on 03/01/23 John L. Dixon, Jr., Chief Project Branch D Division of Operating Reactor Safety 1 Aspects of the Design Basis Assurance Inspection (DBAI), Evaluations of Changes, Tests, & Experiments, and Heat Sink inspections will be included in the new CETI inspection. Previously scheduled Evaluation of Changes, Tests, & Experiments and Heat Sink inspections have been cancelled and removed from attached Report 22. Docket Nos. 05000528, 05000529 and 05000530 License Nos. NPF-41, NPF-51 and NPF-74 Enclosure:

Inspection Plan cc w/ encl: Distribution via LISTSERV

ML23055B074 SUNSI Review ADAMS: Non-Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:

By: ASanchez Yes No Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002 OFFICE SRI:DORS/D SPE:DORS/D BC:DORS/D NAME LMerker ASanchez JDixon SIGNATURE /RA/ /RA/ /RA/

DATE 02/28/23 02/27/23 03/01/23

Site Inspection Activity Plan 07200044 - Palo Verde (ISFSI)

01/01/2023 - 12/31/2024 Unit Start End Activity CAC Title Staff Count ISFSI Security Inspection (IP 81311) 1 9/9/2024 9/13/2024 IP 81311 001006 Physical Security Requirements for Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations Prepared on 2/21/2023 9:49:19 AM 1 of 3

Site Inspection Activity Plan Palo Verde 01/01/2023 - 12/31/2024 Unit Start End Activity CAC Title Staff Count Palo Verde ISFSI Confirmatory Order (Part 50 feeder) 2 1,2,3 1/10/2023 1/11/2023 IP 92702 CONF 001701 Enforcement Related Order Follow-Up-Only Security FFD .08 1 1,2,3 1/23/2023 1/26/2023 IP 71130.08 000740 Fitness For Duty Program Protective Strategy (.05), Security Plan Changes (.09) 3 1,2,3 1/30/2023 2/17/2023 IP 71130.05 000737 Protective Strategy Evaluation 1,2,3 1/30/2023 2/3/2023 IP 71130.09 001656 Security Plan Changes EP 2023 Biennial Exercise & PI Inspection 4 1,2,3 3/6/2023 3/10/2023 IP 71114.01 000716 Exercise Evaluation 1,2,3 3/6/2023 3/10/2023 IP 71114.04 000719 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 1,2,3 3/6/2023 3/10/2023 IP 71151 001397 Performance Indicator Verification Inservice Inspection 2R24 1 2 4/17/2023 4/28/2023 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)

RP 1,4,PI - 2 1,2,3 4/17/2023 4/21/2023 IP 71124.01 000725 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1,2,3 4/17/2023 4/21/2023 IP 71124.04 000728 Occupational Dose Assessment PV 2023 INITIAL EXAM 6 1,2,3 3/26/2023 4/1/2023 OV 000956 FB-OR-ONSITE VALIDATION OF INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION (OV)

1,2,3 4/30/2023 5/6/2023 EXAD 000500 FB-OR-INITIAL LICENSE EXAM ADMINISTRATION (EXAD)

Palo Verde Biennial PI&R 4 1,2,3 6/26/2023 6/30/2023 IP 71152B 000747 Problem Identification and Resolution 1,2,3 7/10/2023 7/14/2023 IP 71152B 000747 Problem Identification and Resolution Commercial Grade Dedication Inspection - 21N - Palo Verde 3 1,2,3 9/11/2023 9/15/2023 IP 71111.21N.03 001808 Commercial Grade Dedication 1,2,3 9/25/2023 9/29/2023 IP 71111.21N.03 001808 Commercial Grade Dedication Inservice Inspection - PV (U1) 1 1 10/16/2023 10/27/2023 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)

License Renewal Inspection (Phase 1) - PV U1 2 1 10/23/2023 10/27/2023 IP 71003 000687 Post-Approval Site Inspection for License Renewal Security Access Authorization .01 and Access Control .02 + PIV 2 1,2,3 10/30/2023 11/3/2023 IP 71130.01 000733 Access Authorization 1,2,3 10/30/2023 11/3/2023 IP 71130.02 000734 Access Control 1,2,3 10/30/2023 11/3/2023 IP 71151 001338 Performance Indicator Verification Prepared on 2/21/2023 9:49:19 AM 2 of 3

Site Inspection Activity Plan RP 5,8 - 2 1,2,3 11/13/2023 11/17/2023 IP 71124.05 000729 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 1,2,3 11/13/2023 11/17/2023 IP 71124.08 000732 Radioactive Solid Waste Processing & Radioactive Material Handling, Storage, & Transportation Age-Related Engineering Inspection - 21N - Palo Verde 3 1,2,3 1/29/2024 2/2/2024 IP 71111.21N.04 001832 Age-Related Degradation 1,2,3 2/12/2024 2/16/2024 IP 71111.21N.04 001832 Age-Related Degradation Security Equipment (.04), Security Training (.07) 2 1,2,3 2/5/2024 2/9/2024 IP 71130.04 000736 Equipment Performance, Testing, and Maintenance 1,2,3 2/5/2024 2/9/2024 IP 71130.07 000739 Security Training EP Program & PI Inspection (2024) - PV 1 1,2,3 3/18/2024 3/22/2024 IP 71114.02 000717 Alert and Notification System Testing 1,2,3 3/18/2024 3/22/2024 IP 71114.03 000718 Emergency Response Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 1,2,3 3/18/2024 3/22/2024 IP 71114.04 000719 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 1,2,3 3/18/2024 3/22/2024 IP 71114.05 000720 Maintenance of Emergency Preparedness 1,2,3 3/18/2024 3/22/2024 IP 71151 001397 Performance Indicator Verification Inservice Inspection - PV (U3) 1 3 4/8/2024 4/19/2024 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)

PV 2024 INITIAL EXAM 6 1,2,3 3/24/2024 3/30/2024 OV 000956 FB-OR-ONSITE VALIDATION OF INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION (OV)

1,2,3 4/28/2024 5/4/2024 EXAD 000500 FB-OR-INITIAL LICENSE EXAM ADMINISTRATION (EXAD)

Cyber Security - PV 2 1,2,3 5/20/2024 5/24/2024 IP 71130.10 000741 Cybersecurity Security Access Control (.02), Security Plan Changes (.09), Security PIV (71151) 1 1,2,3 9/9/2024 9/13/2024 IP 71130.02 000734 Access Control 1,2,3 9/9/2024 9/13/2024 IP 71130.09 001656 Security Plan Changes 1,2,3 9/9/2024 9/13/2024 IP 71151 001338 Performance Indicator Verification PV 2024 BRQ 3 1,2,3 9/15/2024 9/21/2024 IP 71111.11B 000704 Licensed Operator Requalification Program and Licensed Operator Performance Inservice Inspection - PV (Unit 2) 1 2 10/14/2024 10/25/2024 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)

License Renewal 71003 - PV (Unit 2/Phase 1) 2 2 10/21/2024 10/25/2024 IP 71003 000687 Post-Approval Site Inspection for License Renewal RP 1,3,PI 2 1,2,3 10/21/2024 10/25/2024 IP 71124.01 000725 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1,2,3 10/21/2024 10/25/2024 IP 71124.03 000727 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation Prepared on 2/21/2023 9:49:19 AM 3 of 3