ML081280796
| ML081280796 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palisades  |
| Issue date: | 05/12/2008 |
| From: | NRC/RGN-III |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML081280796 (33) | |
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Palisades Annual Assessment Meeting CY2007 Reactor Oversight Program South Haven, MI May 12, 2008
Purpose of Todays Meeting A public forum for discussion of the licensees performance NRC will discuss the licensee performance issues identified in the annual assessment letter Licensee will be given the opportunity to respond to the information in the letter and inform the NRC of new or existing programs to maintain or improve their performance
Agenda Introduction About the NRC Review of the Reactor Oversight Process National Summary of Plant Performance Discussion of Palisades Plant Performance Licensee Response and Remarks NRC Closing Remarks Break NRC available to address public questions
The Atomic Energy Commission was established by Congress in 1946 to encourage the use of nuclear power and regulate its safety In 1974 Congress divided the AEC into two parts U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Department of Energy The NRC is headed by a Chairman and four Commissioners, all appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate for staggered five-year terms.
Who We Are Commissioner Peter B. Lyons Chairman Dale E. Klein Commissioner Gregory B. Jaczko Commissioner Kristine L. Svinicki Vacant
James L. Caldwell Regional Administrator Mark A. Satorius Deputy Regional Administrator Division of Reactor Projects Cynthia D. Pederson, Director Gary Shear, Deputy Director Division of Reactor Safety K. Steven West, Director Anne T. Boland, Deputy Director Christine Lipa Branch 4 Chief Regional Specialists Palisades Resident Inspection Staff John Ellegood, Senior Resident Inspector Jack Geissner, Resident Inspector Cammie Hernandez, Office Assistant Branch Staff Robert Lerch, Project Engineer Alex Garmoe, Reactor Engineer Frank Tran, Reactor Engineer Division of Nuclear Materials Safety Steven C. Reynolds, Director John Madera, Deputy Director Regional Specialists Region III Organization
NRC Representatives Christine Lipa, Branch Chief (630) 829-9619 John Ellegood, Senior Resident Inspector (269) 764-8971 Jack Geissner, Resident Inspector (269) 764-8971 Mahesh Chawla, Project Manager, NRR (301) 415-8371
The NRC employs approximately 3,500 people NRC inspectors are assigned full-time to each nuclear power plant and fuel cycle facility Who We Are
Who We Are The NRC Mission:
To license and regulate the nations civilian use of byproduct, source and special nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, promote the common defense and security, and protect the environment.
104 nuclear plants at 65 sites produce approximately 20%
of U.S. electricity Nuclear electrical generation in 2006 totaled 787 billion kilowatt-hours World-wide, there are 439 nuclear plants in 31 countries (as of 2006)
Nuclear Power Facts
Nuclear materials are used in medicine for cancer treatment and diagnosis
Nuclear materials are widely used in industry, such as in density gauges, flow measurement devices, radiography devices and irradiators
Approximately 22,000 licenses are currently issued for academic, industrial, medical, and other uses of nuclear material Nuclear Materials Facts
Nuclear fuel spends 4-6 years in the reactor until it cannot be used anymore
Fuel is removed from the reactor and placed in large water pools that ensure adequate cooling and shielding
After time in the pool fuel can be moved to gas-filled steel and concrete casks that continue to ensure adequate cooling and shielding
If a license application is submitted, NRC would review the application and regulate a geologic repository Nuclear Waste Facts
Establish Rules and Regulations
Evaluate license applications and issue licenses if appropriate
Provide oversight through inspection of facilities, enforcement of regulatory violations, and evaluation of industry operational experience
Conduct research to provide technical support for regulatory decisions
Respond to events and emergencies at licensed facilities NRC Primary Functions
NRC Regulatory Functions What We Regulate
Nuclear Reactors
Commercial power, research, test, and new reactor designs
Nuclear Material
Reactor fuel, radioactive material for medical, industrial, and academic uses
Nuclear Waste
Transportation, storage, disposal, and facility decommissioning
Nuclear Security
Facility physical security What We DONT Regulate
Nuclear Weapons
Military Reactors
Space Vehicle Reactors
Naturally Occurring Radon or X-rays These are regulated by other federal agencies
Oversight and Inspection
Full-time Resident Inspectors at each nuclear plant and fuel facility
Regional Inspection Specialists
Assessment
Inspection results are assessed to provide a comprehensive picture of facility performance
NRC adjusts inspection effort
Enforcement
NRC Issues Findings and Violations
Investigation of allegations of wrong-doing
Emergency Response
NRC Inspectors are on-call 24/7 to respond to events at any nuclear plant and fuel facility How NRC Regulates
NRC Performance Goals Safety Ensure adequate protection of public health and safety and the environment Security Ensure adequate protection in the secure use and management of radioactive materials
Defense-in-Depth design philosophy
Safety systems must be fully independent and redundant
Multiple physical barriers
Routine testing of licensee Emergency Plans
Ensure Compliance with Regulations and License
NRC inspectors perform daily on-site inspections
Reporting requirements for certain plant issues and safety data
Maintenance Programs
Equipment reliability, unavailability, and failures are tracked and verified
Continuing Training
Nuclear Plant Operators are required to undergo continuing training to retain their Operating License Ensuring Nuclear Safety
Well-armed and well-trained security forces
Surveillance and perimeter patrols
State-of-the-art site access equipment and controls
Physical barriers and detection zones
Intrusion detection systems and alarm stations Ensuring Nuclear Security
Reactor Oversight Process 3 Strategic Performance Areas are divided into 7 Cornerstones of Safety Inspection Findings and Performance Indicators are assigned to a Cornerstone Inspection Findings can be assigned a cross-cutting aspect (a causal factor for the issue)
Human Performance
Problem Identification and Resolution
Safety Conscious Work Environment Numerous findings with a common cross-cutting aspect results in a Substantive Cross-Cutting Issue
Reactor Oversight Process Strategic Performance Areas Safety Cornerstones Inspection Results Performance Indicator Results Significance Evaluation Significance Evaluation Action Matrix Regulatory
Response
Baseline Inspections Routine inspection effort performed, as a minimum, at all reactor sites Includes daily unannounced resident inspector activities and periodic regional team inspections Over 2,000 man-hours of direct inspection effort annually Major focus areas Reactor safety Radiation safety Emergency preparedness Security
Special Inspections Inspection response to unusual or unexpected plant issues Conducted during an ongoing event or soon after Focus on the licensees evaluation and response to ongoing plant issues Supplemental Inspections Inspection response to White, Yellow, and Red inspection results and performance indicators Conducted upon completion of licensee actions to address the issue Focus on the licensees evaluation of the issue and adequacy of corrective actions Beyond Baseline Inspections
Inspection Findings and Performance Indicators Green Implement Baseline Inspection program White Yellow Yellow Red Significance Definitions Green:
Very Low safety significance White:
Low to Moderate safety significance Yellow Yellow:
Substantial safety significance Red:
High safety significance Significance Threshold Increasingly intrusive supplemental inspections to ensure causes are determined and corrected
Action Matrix Increased safety significance of findings and performance indicators results in movement to the right Movement to the right results in:
NRC supplemental inspections Increased management involvement Increased regulatory actions Licensee
Response
Regulatory
Response
Degraded Cornerstone Multiple /
Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone Unacceptable Performance
Action Matrix Status at End of CY 2007 104 TOTAL 0
Unacceptable Performance 1
Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone 8
Degraded Cornerstone 8
Regulatory Response 87 Licensee Response National Plant Performance
National Plant Performance Performance Indicator Results (end of CY 2007)
Green:
1942 White:
8 Yellow Yellow:
1 Red:
0 Total Inspection Findings (CY 2007)
Green:
759 White:
9 Yellow Yellow:
2 Red:
0
January 1 - December 31, 2007 Over 2,200 man-hours of direct inspection 24 Non-Cited Violations (NCV) 1 additional Inspection Finding with no associated violation Feb 5 - 27: Supplemental Inspection Inspection Report 2007003 Conducted in response to White performance indicator from 2nd quarter of CY2006 (high pressure safety injection system) 2 Green non-cited violations May 7 - 25: Triennial Fire Protection Inspection Inspection Report 2007005 No findings or violations Palisades Inspection Activities
January 1 - December 31, 2007 Feb 26 - Mar 6: Forced outage to replace degraded safety-related cables. Leaking control rod drive mechanism seals were also repaired.
May 8: Reactor trip due to inadvertently removing power from a feedwater regulating valve while performing maintenance Sep 9 - Oct 21: Scheduled refueling outage Completed modifications to emergency sump to address the generic sump clogging issue documented in Generic Safety Issue 191 Palisades Assessment Activities
Plant performance for all four quarters of the CY2007 assessment period was within the Licensee Response Column (Column I) of the Action Matrix Human Performance Substantive Cross-Cutting Issue:
Opened in March 2008 due to several examples of failure to use proper error prevention techniques Problem Identification and Resolution Substantive Cross-Cutting Issue:
Opened in August 2007 due to inadequate condition evaluations Closed in March 2008 due to a reduction in findings CY 2007 Regulatory Actions:
24 Non-Cited Violations (NCV) 1 additional Inspection Finding with no associated violation Licensee
Response
Licensee
Response
Licensee
Response
Licensee
Response
4th Quarter 3rd Quarter 2nd Quarter 1st Quarter Palisades Assessment Results
Palisades Assessment Summary January 1 - December 31, 2007 Entergy operated Palisades in a manner that preserved public health and safety All cornerstone objectives were met with no greater than Green findings or performance indicators identified during the CY2007 assessment period NRC plans baseline inspections at Palisades for the CY2008 assessment period Problem Identification and Resolution Inspection (complete)
Emergency Preparedness Exercise Inspection
For general information or questions:
www.nrc.gov Select About NRC then Locations to contact Region III To report a safety concern:
(800) 695-7403 Allegation@nrc.gov To report an emergency:
(301) 816-5100 (collect calls accepted)
Contacting the NRC
Reference Sources
Reactor Oversight Process Select Nuclear Reactors then Operating Reactors from NRC website menu
Public Electronic Reading Room Link on the left menu of NRC homepage
Public Document Room 1-800-397-4209 (Toll Free)
Region III Public Affairs Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 Prema Chandrathil (630) 829-9663
Licensee Remarks Entergy Representatives
Palisades Annual Assessment Meeting CY2007 Reactor Oversight Program Questions and Comments from members of the public Information on the NRC and our assessment processes is available at this meeting. We encourage you to take copies of this information home with you.