IR 05000354/2002001

2002 Annual Assessment Letter - Hope Creek Nuclear Plant (Report 50-354/02-001)

ML020630411
Person / Time
Site:	Hope Creek
Issue date:	03/01/2002
From:	Meyer G Reactor Projects Branch 3
To:	Keiser H Public Service Enterprise Group
References
IR-02-001
Download: ML020630411 (6)

Text

rch 1, 2002

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER - HOPE CREEK NUCLEAR PLANT (REPORT 50-354/02-001)

Dear Mr. Keiser:

On January 30, 2002, the NRC staff completed its end-of-cycle plant performance assessment of the Hope Creek Nuclear Plant. The end-of-cycle review for Hope Creek involved the participation of the responsible technical divisions in Region I in evaluating the performance indicators (PIs)

and inspection results for the period of 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, Hope Creek 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 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 schedule for the last six months of the inspection plan is tentative and may be revised at the Mid-Cycle Review meeting.

Immediately following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the NRC issued safeguards advisories recommending that nuclear power plant licensees go to the highest

Mr. Harold Keiser 2 level of security, and all promptly did so. With continued uncertainty about the possibility of additional terrorist activities, the Nation's nuclear power plants, including Hope Creek, 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 your staffs actions in response to the terrorist attacks through a series of audits. With the issuance of the Order, we will evaluate Hope Creeks 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 (610) 337-5211 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Glenn W. Meyer, Chief Division of Reactor Projects Branch 3 Docket No. 50-354 License No. NPR-57 Enclosure: Hope Creek Inspection/Inspection/Activity Plan

Mr. Harold Keiser 3 cc w/encl: E. Simpson, Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer M. Bezilla, Vice President - Technical support D. Garchow, Vice President - Operations G. Salamon, Manager - Licensing R. Kankus, Joint Owner Affairs J. J. Keenan, Esquire Consumer Advocate, Office of Consumer Advocate F. Pompper, Chief of Police and Emergency Management Coordinator M. Wetterhahn, Esquire N. Cohen, Coordinator - Unplug Salem Campaign E. Gbur, Coordinator - Jersey Shore Nuclear Watch E. Zobian, Coordinator - Jersey Shore Anti Nuclear Alliance State of New Jersey State of Delaware

Mr. Harold Keiser 4 Distribution w/encl: Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

J. Schoppy - NRC Resident Inspector H. Miller, RA J. Wiggins, DRA G. Meyer, DRP R. Barkley, DRP T. Haverkamp, DRP L. Prividy, DRS DRS Director, Region I L. Prividy, DRS J. Furia, DRS G. Smith, DRS N. McNamara, DRS B. Platchek, DRP T. Bergman, OEDO E. Adensam, NRR R. Ennis, PM, NRR R. Fretz, Backup PM, NRR DOCUMENT NAME: G:\Branch 3\Hope Creek End-of-Cycle Letter 2002.wpd To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the box: "C" = Copy without attachment/enclosure "E" = Copy with attachment/enclosure "N" = No copy OFFICE RI/DRP N RI/DRP N NAME Rbarkley/RSB GMeyer/GWM DATE 03/01/02 03/01/02 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Page 1 of 2 Hope Creek 02/28/2002 12:07:16 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 12/30/2001 - 03/31/2003 Unit No. of Staff Planned Dates Inspection Number Inspection Activity Title on Site Start End Type 7111112B - MAINT RULE 2 1 IP 7111112B Maintenance Rule Implementation 01/07/2002 01/11/2002 Baseline Inspections 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 01/28/2002 02/01/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 01/28/2002 02/01/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7112103 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 01/28/2002 02/01/2002 Baseline Inspections 3/11EXAM - OPERATOR LICENSING INITIAL EXAMS 4 1 U01462 HOPE CREEK O/L INITIAL EXAM 03/04/02 TO 03/15/02 02/11/2002 02/15/2002 Not Applicable 1 U01462 HOPE CREEK O/L INITIAL EXAM 03/04/02 TO 03/15/02 03/11/2002 03/14/2002 Not Applicable 7111107B - HEAT SINK 1 1 IP 7111107B Heat Sink Performance 03/18/2002 03/22/2002 Baseline Inspections 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 05/27/2002 05/31/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 05/27/2002 05/31/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7112103 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 05/27/2002 05/31/2002 Baseline Inspections 71130 - SECURITY 2 1 IP 7113001 Access Authorization Program (Behavior Observation Only) 06/03/2002 06/07/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7113002 Access Control (Search of Personnel, Packages, and Vehicles: Identification and Authorization) 06/03/2002 06/07/2002 Baseline Inspections 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 09/16/2002 09/20/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 09/16/2002 09/20/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7112103 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 09/16/2002 09/20/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 09/16/2002 09/20/2002 Baseline Inspections 71130 - SECURITY-RESPONSE ATT3 2 1 IP 7113003 Response to Contingency Events (Protective Strategy and Implementation of Protective Strategy) 11/04/2002 11/08/2002 Baseline Inspections 7111121 - SSDI 6 1 IP 7111121 Safety System Design and Performance Capability 11/18/2002 11/22/2002 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7111121 Safety System Design and Performance Capability 12/09/2002 12/13/2002 Baseline Inspections 7111111B - L.O.REQUALIFICATION PROGRAM 2 1 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification 12/16/2002 12/20/2002 Baseline Inspections 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 01/06/2003 01/10/2003 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 01/06/2003 01/10/2003 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7112103 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 01/06/2003 01/10/2003 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 Hope Creek 02/28/2002 12:07:16 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 12/30/2001 - 03/31/2003 Unit No. of Staff Planned Dates Inspection Number Inspection Activity Title on Site Start End Type 7111117B - MODS 3 1 IP 7111102 Evaluation of Changes, Tests, or Experiments 01/13/2003 01/17/2003 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 7111117B Permanent Plant Modifications 01/13/2003 01/17/2003 Baseline Inspections 2/24 EXM - OPERATOR LICENSING INTIAL EXAMS 2 1 U01494 HOPE CREEK INITIAL EXAM (2/24/03) 01/27/2003 01/31/2003 Not Applicable 1 U01494 HOPE CREEK INITIAL EXAM (2/24/03) 02/24/2003 02/28/2003 Not Applicable 7112203 - PUB RAD SAFETY - REMP 1 1 IP 7112203 Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program 02/17/2003 02/21/2003 Baseline Inspections 71152B - PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION 3 1 IP 71152B Identification and Resolution of Problems 03/10/2003 03/14/2003 Baseline Inspections 1 IP 71152B Identification and Resolution of Problems 03/24/2003 03/28/2003 Baseline Inspections This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

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