ML050310023
| ML050310023 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Cooper  |
| Issue date: | 01/28/2005 |
| From: | Mallett B Region 4 Administrator |
| To: | Edington R Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) |
| References | |
| CAL 4-03-001 | |
| Download: ML050310023 (5) | |
Text
January 28, 2005 CAL 4-03-001 Randall K. Edington, Vice President-Nuclear and CNO Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321
SUBJECT:
CLOSURE OF CONFIRMATORY ACTION LETTER (CAL 4-03-001)
Dear Mr. Edington:
On January 30, 2003, the NRC issued a Confirmatory Action Letter (CAL) to Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) to confirm commitments made by NPPD regarding implementation of a performance improvement plan at the Cooper Nuclear Station (CNS). The NRC has determined that NPPD has satisfied the commitments documented in the CAL and is closing the CAL. The basis for this determination was discussed with you during a public meeting conducted on January 25, 2005, and is summarized below.
On April 1, 2002, CNS entered the Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone Column of the NRCs Action Matrix (NRC Manual Chapter 0305, Operating Reactor Assessment Program) as a result of continuing problems with the implementation of the emergency preparedness program. Consistent with NRC Manual Chapter 0305, upon entry into this column of the Action Matrix, and with oversight by the NRC, NPPD developed a plan to improve performance at CNS. On June 10, 2002, NPPD submitted Revision 1 of the Strategic Improvement Plan (TIP) to the NRC. Following completion of an NRC supplemental inspection using Inspection Procedure 95003, Inspection for Repetitive Degraded Cornerstones, Multiple Degraded Cornerstones, Multiple Yellow Inputs, or One Red Input, on August 22, 2002, NPPD revised its improvement plan and submitted Revision 2 of the plan to the NRC on November 25, 2002.
As noted above, on January 30, 2003, the NRC issued a CAL to NPPD (ML030310263). The purpose of the CAL was to confirm the commitments made by NPPD regarding completion of those actions in the improvement plan developed to address regulatory performance issues.
Your actions confirmed in the CAL addressed long-standing performance issues in the areas of emergency preparedness, human performance, material condition, equipment reliability, plant modification and configuration control, the corrective action program, and a number of specific engineering programs.
Since the issuance of the CAL, the NRC has implemented a number of inspection and assessment activities to independently verify your actions to address the long-standing
Nebraska Public Power District performance issues at Cooper Nuclear Station. For example, in addition to baseline inspections, the NRC conducted six inspections to verify completion of specific actions and the effectiveness of these actions in addressing the performance issues. These inspections verified completion of TIP action plan steps referred to in the CAL and determined the effectiveness of these actions by assessing baseline inspection results, NRC and NPPD performance indicators, and other NPPD assessment activities related to the TIP and CAL.
These inspections also involved independent assessment of programs, actions, and plant activities to determine whether the results were consistent with performance data noted above.
At a meeting held in the Region IV office on August 18, 2004, you informed the NRC that you had satisfactorily completed NPPDs commitments related to the CAL and described your schedule for completing actions stemming from NPPDs self-assessment conducted in May 2004. Subsequently, in a letter dated September 2, 2004, you also informed the NRC that NPPD had satisfactorily completed the actions associated with the CAL and recommended that NRC close the CAL (ML042950032). NRC inspectors conducted inspection and observation during the conduct of NPPDs self-assessment in May 2004, and conducted an inspection in October 2004 to follow up on the results of this self-assessment, including NPPDs follow on actions. The results of these inspections were documented in NRC Inspection Report 05000298/2004013.
Based on the results of NRC inspections and our assessment of the results of your actions and self-assessments, we have concluded that you have addressed the original causes which led to the performance problems at CNS and have established programs and procedures to effect continued improvements in performance. The NRC has concluded that you have completed the commitments described in the CAL and that these actions have been effective in addressing the specific performance issues. Therefore, all commitments documented in CAL 4-03-001, dated January 30, 2003, are closed. As a result, NRC oversight of CNS will be reduced to a level consistent with the Regulatory Response Column of the NRC Action Matrix.
Currently, CNS has a White inspection finding in the Mitigating Systems Cornerstone.
The NRC notes that previous performance improvement plans implemented at CNS have not been fully successful in improving long-term performance at the site. As indicated during the January 25, 2005, meeting, the NRC has noted a decline in performance shortly after improvement plan actions have been completed. Accordingly, the NRC will focus our baseline inspections this next year to detect any indication of a decline in NPPDs performance in the six areas addressed in the CAL.
Nebraska Public Power District In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter will be made available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs 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).
Sincerely,
/RA/
Bruce S. Mallet Regional Administrator Docket: 50-298 License: DPR-46 cc:
Michael T. Boyce, Nuclear Asset Manager Nebraska Public Power District 1414 15th Street Columbus, NE 68601 John C. McClure, Vice President and General Counsel Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 499 Columbus, NE 68602-0499 P. V. Fleming, Licensing Manager Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321 Michael J. Linder, Director Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality P.O. Box 98922 Lincoln, NE 68509-8922 Chairman Nemaha County Board of Commissioners Nemaha County Courthouse 1824 N Street Auburn, NE 68305
Nebraska Public Power District Sue Semerena, Section Administrator Nebraska Health and Human Services System Division of Public Health Assurance Consumer Services Section 301 Centennial Mall, South P.O. Box 95007 Lincoln, NE 68509-5007 Ronald A. Kucera, Deputy Director for Public Policy Department of Natural Resources P.O. Box 176 Jefferson City, MO 65101 Jerry Uhlmann, Director State Emergency Management Agency P.O. Box 116 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0116 Chief, Radiation and Asbestos Control Section Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Air and Radiation 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 310 Topeka, KS 66612-1366 Daniel K. McGhee Bureau of Radiological Health Iowa Department of Public Health 401 SW 7th Street, Suite D Des Moines, IA 50309 William J. Fehrman, President and Chief Executive Officer Nebraska Public Power District 1414 15th Street Columbus, NE 68601 Jerry C. Roberts, Director of Nuclear Safety Assurance Nebraska Public Power District P.O. Box 98 Brownville, NE 68321
Nebraska Public Power District Electronic distribution by RIV:
Regional Administrator (BSM1)
DRP Director (ATH)
DRS Director (DDC)
Senior Resident Inspector (SDC)
Branch Chief, DRP/C (KMK)
Senior Project Engineer, DRP/C (WCW)
Team Leader, DRP/TSS (RLN1)
RITS Coordinator (KEG)
RidsNrrDipmIipb E. Merschoff (EWM)
OEMAIL J. Dixion-Herrity, RIV EDO Coordinator (JLD)
J. Dyer (JED2)
V. Dricks, PAO (VLD)
W. Maier, RSLO (WAM)
C. Gordon (CJG)
N. Hodges (NLH)
S. Richards, Chief, NRR/DIPM/IIPB (SAR)
M. Webb, Chief, PDIV-1, NRR/DLPM (RAG)
M. Honcharik, NRR Project Manager (MCH3)
SISP Review Completed: _kmk__ ADAMS: / Yes G No Initials: __kmk__
/ Publicly Available G Non-Publicly Available G Sensitive / Non-Sensitive S:\DRP\DRPDIR\CNS CAL 4-03-001 closure letter.wpd RIV:C:DRP/C D:DRP D:DRS D:ACES D:NRR KMKennedy;df ATHowell DDChamberlain GFSanborn JEDyer
/RA/ /RA/ /RA/ /RA/ E - KMKennedy 1/23/05 1/27/05 1/25/05 1/25/05 1/25/05 DRA RA TPGwynn BSMallett
/RA/ /RA/
1/27/05 1/28/05 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY T=Telephone E=E-mail F=Fax