IR 05000528/2010001

Annual Assessment Letter - Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (NRC Inspection Reports 05000528-10-001, 05000529-10-001, 05000530-10-001)

ML100621407
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	03/03/2010
From:	Collins E Region 4 Administrator
To:	Edington R Arizona Public Service Co
References
IR-10-001
Download: ML100621407 (12)

Text

UNITED STATES NU C LE AR RE G ULATO RY C O M M I S S I O N rch 3, 2010

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER - PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION (NRC INSPECTION REPORTS 05000528/2010001, 05000529/2010001, 05000530/2010001)

Dear Mr. Edington,

On February 17, 2010, the NRC staff completed its performance review of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station (PVNGS). Our technical staff reviewed performance indicators (PIs) for the most recent quarter and inspection results for the period from January 1 through December 31, 2009. 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 Only--Security Information" will include the security cornerstone review and resultant inspection plan.

Overall, PVNGS Units 1, 2, and 3 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives. Plant performance for the most recent quarter 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 indicating performance at a level requiring no additional NRC oversight (Green)

Therefore, we plan to conduct reactor oversight process (ROP) baseline inspections at your facility.

Plant performance for the most recent three quarters was within the Licensee Response column of the Action Matrix. PVNGS Unit 3 was in the Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone column during the first quarter of the assessment cycle. PVNGS undertook a site wide performance improvement initiative and your significant improvement efforts resulted in PVNGS returning to the licensee response column of the action matrix in the second quarter. The NRC plans to conduct additional inspection activities over a two year period to monitor your continuing improvement.

The staff identified that there were 5 green inspection findings for the current 12-month assessment period with documented cross-cutting aspects in the area of problem identification and resolution, and there is a cross-cutting theme associated with these findings in the aspect of

Arizona Public Service Company -2-thorough problem evaluation within the corrective action program. In evaluating the scope of efforts and progress in addressing this cross-cutting theme, the staff determined that PVNGS appropriately identified/recognized the cross-cutting theme and took actions to address it.

Therefore, the staff has concluded that a substantive cross-cutting issue in problem identification and resolution does not exist at this time.

The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections, less those related to physical protection scheduled through June 30, 2011. In addition to baseline inspection there will be a follow-up inspection in late 2010 or early 2011 to monitor your improvement initiatives. The NRC will also be performing inspection procedure 71007, Reactor Vessel Head Replacement Inspection, concurrent with head replacement outages for units 1 and 3 in the spring and fall of 2010. 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 NRC=s ARules 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 this inspection plan, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible. Please contact Ryan Lantz at 817-860-8173 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/ R. Caniano for Elmo E. Collins Regional Administrator Docket Nos. 50-528, 50-529, 50-530 License Nos. NPF-41, NPF-51, NPF-74 Enclosure: Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Inspection / Activity Plan

Arizona Public Service Company -3-Mr. Steve Olea Arizona Corporation Commission 1200 W. Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85007 Mr. Douglas Kent Porter Senior Counsel Southern California Edison Company Law Department, Generation Resources P.O. Box 800 Rosemead, CA 91770 Chairman Maricopa County Board of Supervisors 301 W. Jefferson, 10th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003 Randall