ML030620203

2003 Annual Assessment Letter - Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station

ML030620203
Person / Time
Site:	Nine Mile Point
Issue date:	03/03/2003
From:	Blough A Division Reactor Projects I
To:	Conway J Nine Mile Point
References
Download: ML030620203 (5)

Text

March 3, 2003 Mr. John T. Conway Vice President Nine Mile Point Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC P.O. Box 63 Lycoming, NY 13093

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER - NINE MILE POINT NUCLEAR STATION

Dear Mr. Conway:

On February 6, 2003, the NRC staff completed its end-of-cycle plant performance assessment of Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station. The end-of-cycle review for Nine Mile Point involved the participation of all technical divisions in evaluating performance indicators (PIs) for the most recent quarter and inspection results for the period from January 1 through December 31, 2002. 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.

Overall, Nine Mile Point was 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, 2004.

While plant performance for the most recent quarter is within the licensee response column of the Action Matrix, there were two white PIs during the assessment cycle. The Unit 1 High Pressure Safety Injection Unavailability PI was white for the first two quarters of 2002. The Unit 2 Unplanned Scrams per 7000 Critical Hours PI was white for the first quarter of 2002. A 95001 supplemental inspection (reference Inspection Report 50-220, 410/2002-09, dated October 7, 2002) concluded that Nine Mile Point had performed comprehensive evaluations of the causes for both issues. The Nine Mile Point evaluation identified the primary root cause of the white performance indicators to be long-standing cultural issues relating to low standards and acceptance of equipment problems. Your actions to address these issues will be monitored by the baseline inspection program.

The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections scheduled through March 31, 2004. 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 inspections in the last six months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the mid-cycle review meeting.

John T. Conway 2 As you are aware, since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the NRC has issued several Orders and threat advisories to enhance security capabilities and improve guard force readiness.

We have conducted inspections to review your implementation of these requirements and have monitored your actions in response to changing threat conditions. For calendar year 2003, we plan to continue these inspections, conduct portions of the security baseline inspection program, as well as perform additional inspections to evaluate your compliance with new requirements that may be ordered. Based on our final determinations in this regard, we will notify you of any inspection plan changes.

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/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 James Trapp at 610-337-5186 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/

A. Randolph Blough, Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos. 50-220, 50-410 Licensee Nos. DPR-63, NPF-69

Enclosure:

Nine Mile Point Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: M. J. Wallace, President, Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, LLC M. Wetterhahn, Esquire, Winston and Strawn J. M. Petro, Jr., Esquire, Counsel, Constellation Power Source, Inc.

P. D. Eddy, Electric Division, NYS Department of Public Service C. Donaldson, Esquire, Assistant Attorney General, New York Department of Law J. V. Vinquist, MATS, Inc.

W. M. Flynn, President, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Supervisor, Town of Scriba C. Adrienne Rhodes, Chairman and Executive Director, State Consumer Protection Board T. Judson, Central NY Citizens Awareness Network

John T. Conway 3 Distribution w/encl: H. Miller, RA/J. Wiggins, DRA (1)

A. Blough, DRP W. Lanning, DRS J. Rogge, DRP R. Crlenjak, DRS J. Trapp, DRP T. McGinty, RI EDO Coordinator RidsNrrDipmIipb Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)

R. Laufer, NRR P. Tam, PM, NRR D. Skay/T. Colburn, PM, NRR (Backup)

G. Hunegs, SRI - Nine Mile Point B. Fuller, RI - Nine Mile Point N. Perry, DRP P. Torres, DRP DRS Branch Chiefs (5)

B. Platchek, DRP J. Noggle, DRS P. Frechette, DRS D. Silk, DRS D. Screnci, PAO N. Sheehan, PAO Region I Docket Room (with concurrences)

DOCUMENT NAME: G:\BRANCH1\2002 EOC Letters\Nine Mile Point letter.wpd After declaring this document An Official Agency Record it will be released to the Public. 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 RI/DRP RI/DRP NAME NPerry /JMT for/ JTrapp /JMT/ ABlough /ARB/

DATE 02/26/03 02/26/03 03/03/03 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Page 1 of 2 Nine Mile Point 02/25/2003 10:49:19 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 12/29/2002 - 03/27/2004 Unit No. of Staff Planned Dates Inspection Number Inspection Activity Title on Site Start End Type 93812 - NMP 1 RBCLC SPECIAL INSPECTION 3 1 IP 93812 Special Inspection 02/10/2003 02/14/2003 Event Response Inspection 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1, 2 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 03/24/2003 03/28/2003 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 03/24/2003 03/28/2003 Baseline Inspections 71152 - PIR SAMPLE - FIRE BRIGADE 1 1 IP 71152 Identification and Resolution of Problems 03/24/2003 03/28/2003 Baseline Inspections 7111108 - INSERVICE INSPECTION 1 1 IP 7111108G Inservice Inspection Activities - BWR 03/31/2003 04/04/2003 Baseline Inspections 71122.02 - RETS - UNIT 1 1 1 IP 7112201 Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment and Monitoring Systems 04/07/2003 04/11/2003 Baseline Inspections 71122.03 - RETS - UNIT 2 1 2 IP 7112201 Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment and Monitoring Systems 04/14/2003 04/18/2003 Baseline Inspections TI148BC - SEC ICM 6 1, 2 IP 2515/148 Inspection of Nuclear Reactor Safeguards - Interim Compensatory Measures 05/05/2003 05/09/2003 Safety Issues 7111105T - FIRE PROTECTION - UNIT 2 5 2 IP 7111105T Fire Protection 06/02/2003 06/06/2003 Baseline Inspections 2 IP 7111105T Fire Protection 06/16/2003 06/20/2003 Baseline Inspections 71121.03 - OCC RAD SAFETY - INSTRUMENTATION 1 1, 2 IP 7112103 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation and Protective Equipment 06/09/2003 06/13/2003 Baseline Inspections 71122.02 - RADWASTE 1 1, 2 IP 7112202 Radioactive Material Processing and Transportation 07/21/2003 07/25/2003 Baseline Inspections 71122.03 - REMP 1 1, 2 IP 7112203 Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program 08/11/2003 08/15/2003 Baseline Inspections 7111117B - PERMANENT PLANT MODS 5 1, 2 IP 7111102 Evaluation of Changes, Tests, or Experiments 08/11/2003 08/15/2003 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7111117B Permanent Plant Modifications 08/11/2003 08/15/2003 Baseline Inspections 71121.01 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1, 2 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 08/25/2003 08/29/2003 Baseline Inspections 71152B - PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION 4 1, 2 IP 71152B Identification and Resolution of Problems 10/20/2003 10/24/2003 Baseline Inspections 7111111B - L. O. REQUALIFICAITON PROGRAM 1 1 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification 11/17/2003 11/20/2003 Baseline Inspections 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1, 2 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 11/17/2003 11/21/2003 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 Nine Mile Point 02/25/2003 10:49:19 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 12/29/2002 - 03/27/2004 Unit No. of Staff Planned Dates Inspection Number Inspection Activity Title on Site Start End Type 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1, 2 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 11/17/2003 11/21/2003 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 11/17/2003 11/21/2003 Baseline Inspections 7111401 - EXERCISE EVALUATION AND PI VERIFICATION 1 1, 2 IP 7111401 Exercise Evaluation 12/11/2003 12/13/2003 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification 12/11/2003 12/13/2003 Baseline Inspections 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY - ALARA 1 1, 2 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 02/23/2004 02/27/2004 Baseline Inspections 7111108G - INSERVICE INSPECTION 1 2 IP 7111108G Inservice Inspection Activities - BWR 03/15/2004 03/19/2004 Baseline Inspections 71121 - OCC RAD SAFETY 1 1, 2 IP 7112101 Access Control to Radiologically Significant Areas 03/22/2004 03/26/2004 Baseline Inspections 1, 2 IP 7112102 ALARA Planning and Controls 03/22/2004 03/26/2004 Baseline Inspections This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

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