ML062430217

Mid-Cycle Performance Review and Inspection Plan

ML062430217
Person / Time
Site:	Browns Ferry
Issue date:	08/31/2006
From:	Widmann M Reactor Projects Region 2 Branch 6
To:	Singer K Tennessee Valley Authority
Shared Package
ML062430213	List: ML062430217 ML062430221
References
Download: ML062430217 (5)

Text

August 31, 2006 Tennessee Valley Authority ATTN: Mr. Karl W. Singer Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President 6A Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND INSPECTION PLAN - BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT

Dear Mr. Singer:

On August 2, 2006, the NRC staff completed its performance review of the operating Units 2 and 3 at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant for the first half of the calendar year 2006 assessment cycle. Our technical staff reviewed performance indicators (PIs) for the most recent quarter and inspection results over the previous twelve months. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our assessment of your safety performance during this period for Units 2 and 3, and our plans for future inspections at your facility for all three units.

This performance review and the enclosed inspection plan do not include physical protection information. A separate letter designated and marked as Exempt from Public Disclosure in Accordance with 10 CFR 2.390" will include the physical protection review and resultant inspection plan.

Overall, Browns Ferry Units 2 and 3 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives. Plant performance for Browns Ferry Units 2 and 3 for the most recent quarter was in 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 reactor oversight process (ROP) baseline inspections for the operating Units 2 and 3. In addition, we plan to conduct non-ROP inspections involving verification of the Mitigating Systems Performance Index, the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, extended power up-rate modifications and verifications, and followup of license renewal activities.

With regard to Unit 1, we will continue to conduct routine oversight inspections of the Unit 1 Recovery Project in accordance with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRC)

Inspection Manual Chapter (MC) 2509, "Browns Ferry Unit 1 Restart Project Inspection Program." As such, we have planned specialized inspections of Unit 1 Special Programs, significant modification work activities, restart testing, regulatory issues, and open items.

TVA 2 We also informed you by our letter dated December 29, 2004, that we will be monitoring Browns Ferry Unit 1 performance in the Occupational Radiation Safety, Public Radiation Safety, and Emergency Preparedness Cornerstones using the normal ROP. Therefore, we only plan to conduct baseline ROP inspections of these areas for Unit 1. The three remaining Unit 1 Cornerstones (i.e., Initiating Events, Mitigating Systems, and Barrier Integrity) will be fully transitioned to the ROP following completion of the Unit 1 Recovery Project. Please note that as this transition progresses several planned ROP baseline inspections related to these Unit 1 Cornerstones will be conducted in accordance with IMC 2509.

The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections, less those related to physical protection, scheduled through March 31, 2008. The inspection plan is provided to minimize the resource impact on your staff and 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 twelve months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the end-of-cycle review meeting.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 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 the inspection plan, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible. Please contact me at (404) 562-4550 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Malcolm T. Widmann, Chief Reactor Projects Branch 6 Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos.: 50-259, 50-260, 50-296 License Nos.: DPR-33, DPR-52, DPR-68

Enclosure:

Browns Ferry Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: (See page 3)

OFFICE RII:DRP SIGNATURE HJG1 for NAME LGarner DATE 08/28/2006 E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO

TVA 3 cc w/encl: State Health Officer Ashok S. Bhatnagar Alabama Dept. of Public Health Senior Vice President RSA Tower - Administration Nuclear Operations Suite 1552 Tennessee Valley Authority P. O. Box 303017 Electronic Mail Distribution Montgomery, AL 36130-3017 Larry S. Bryant, Vice President Chairman Nuclear Engineering & Technical Services Limestone County Commission Tennessee Valley Authority 310 West Washington Street Electronic Mail Distribution Athens, AL 35611 Brian O'Grady Masoud Bajestani, Vice President Site Vice President Browns Ferry Unit 1 Restart Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution P. O. Box 2000 Decatur, AL 35609 Preston D. Swafford Senior Vice President Robert G. Jones, General Manager Nuclear Support Browns Ferry Site Operations Tennessee Valley Authority Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Electronic Mail Distribution Tennessee Valley Authority P. O. Box 2000 General Counsel Decatur, AL 35609 Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution Distribution w/encl: (See page 4)

John C. Fornicola, Manager Nuclear Assurance and Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution Bruce M. Aukland, Plant Manager Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution Glenn W. Morris, Manager Corporate Nuclear Licensing and Industry Affairs Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution William D. Crouch, Manager Licensing and Industry Affairs Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution

TVA 4 Letter to Karl W. Singer from Malcolm T. Widmann dated August 31, 2006

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND INSPECTION PLAN - BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR PLANT Distribution w/encl:

J. Boska, NRR E. Brown, NRR L. Raghavan, NRR C. Evans L. Slack, RII EICS L. Mellen, RII OE Mail RIDSNRRDIRS PUBLIC