ML091110266
| ML091110266 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | LaSalle  |
| Issue date: | 04/16/2009 |
| From: | NRC/RGN-III |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML091110266 (35) | |
Text
LaSalle Annual Assessment Meeting CY2008 Reactor Oversight Program Seneca, IL April 16, 2009
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 LaSalle 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 Who We Are 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.
Commissioner Peter B. Lyons Chairman Dale E. Klein Commissioner Gregory B. Jaczko Commissioner Kristine L. Svinicki Vacant
Mark A. Satorius Regional Administrator Patrick Hiland Deputy Regional Administrator Division of Reactor Projects Cynthia D Pederson Director Division of Reactor Safety K Steven West Director Division of Nuclear Materials Safety Steven C Reynolds Director Region III Organization Cynthia D. Pederson, Director Gary Shear, Deputy Director K. Steven West, Director Kenneth OBrien, Deputy Director Kenneth Riemer Branch 2 Chief Regional Specialists LaSalle Resident Inspection Staff Gregory Roach, Senior Resident Inspector Frances Ramírez, Resident Inspector Mary Grzywa, Office Assistant Branch Staff Nirodh Shah, Project Engineer Christian Scott, Reactor Engineer April Scarbeary, Reactor Engineer Phillip Smagacz, Reactor Engineer Steven C. Reynolds, Director Pat Louden, Deputy Director Regional Specialists
NRC Representatives Kenneth Riemer, Branch Chief (630) 829-9628 Gregory Roach, Senior Resident Inspector (815) 357-8611 Frances Ramírez Resident Inspector Frances Ramírez, Resident Inspector (815) 357-8611 Nirodh Shah, Project Engineer (630) 829-9821 Stephen Sands, Project Manager, NRR (301) 415-3154
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
NRC Mission The NRC Mission:
To license and regulate the nations civilian use of b
d t
d i l 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 The NRC regulates scurity measures at nuclear power plants World-wide, there are ~ 437 nuclear plants in 30 countries 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 radiography devices and Nuclear Materials Facts gauges, radiography devices and irradiators
Approximately 22,000 licenses are currently issued for academic, industrial, medical, and other uses of nuclear material
The NRC regulates secure use of nuclear materials
Nuclear fuel spends 4-6 years in the reactor
Fuel is removed from the reactor and placed in large water pools that ensure adequate cooling and shielding
After time in the pool fuel they can be Nuclear Waste Facts
After time in the pool fuel they can be moved to gas-filled steel and concrete casks that continue to ensure adequate cooling and shielding
The NRC received an application for a geologic repository at Yucca Mtn. For the DOE. The application is currently under review.
NRC regulations provide guidance for the security of nuclear waste
Establish Rules and Regulations
Evaluate license applications and issue licenses if appropriate
Provide oversight through inspection of facilities, enforcement of regulatory NRC Primary Functions 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
What NRC Does Not 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 dj t i ti ff t
How NRC Regulates
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
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 Ensuring Nuclear Safety
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
Well-armed and well-trained security forces
Surveillance and perimeter patrols Ensuring Nuclear Security
State-of-the-art site access equipment and controls
Physical barriers and detection zones
Intrusion detection systems and alarm stations
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 p
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 Beyond Baseline Inspections 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
Inspection Findings and Performance Indicators Green Implement Baseline Inspection program White Yellow Yellow Red Significance Threshold Increasingly intrusive supplemental inspections to ensure causes are determined and corrected Significance Definitions Green:
Very Low safety significance White:
Low to Moderate safety significance Yellow Yellow:
Substantial safety significance Red:
High safety significance
Action Matrix Increased safety significance of findings and Licensee
Response
Regulatory
Response
Degraded Cornerstone Multiple /
Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone Unacceptable Performance 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
Action Matrix Status at End of CY 2008 Licensee Response 86 Regulatory Response 14 Degraded Cornerstone 3
National Plant Performance Degraded Cornerstone 3
Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone 1
Unacceptable Performance 0
TOTAL 104 http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/actionmatrix_summary.html
January 1 - December 31, 2008 Over 2,000 man-hours of direct inspection November 3 17: Triennial Fire Protection LaSalle Inspection Activities November 3-17: Triennial Fire Protection Inspection
January 1 - December 31, 2008
- Feb 3 - Mar 4: Unit 1 was shutdown for a refueling outage. The outage duration was LaSalle Assessment Activities g
g g
24 days and 13 hours1.50463e-4 days <br />0.00361 hours <br />2.149471e-5 weeks <br />4.9465e-6 months <br />.
- Sep 28 - Oct 4: Unit 1 was shutdown to perform repairs of a hydrogen leak on the main generator housing.
Plant performance for all four quarters of the CY2008 assessment period was within the Licensee Response Column (Column I) of the 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Licensee
Response
Licensee
Response
Licensee
Response
Licensee
Response
LaSalle Assessment Results Licensee Response Column (Column I) of the Action Matrix CY 2008 Regulatory Actions:
4 Non-Cited Violations (NCV) 1 additional Inspection Finding with no associated violation
LaSalle Assessment Summary January 1 - December 31, 2008 Exelon operated LaSalle Units 1 & 2 in a manner that preserved public health and safety NRC l
t ti t
d t i d
th NRC plans to continue to conduct in-depth inspections at LaSalle for the CY2009 assessment period Force on Force Biennial PI&R Inspection (Corrective Action Program)
Radiation Protection
For general information or questions:
www.nrc.gov Select About NRC then Locations to contact Region III To report a safety concern:
Contacting the NRC o epo t a sa ety co ce (800) 695-7403 Allegation@nrc.gov To report an emergency:
(301) 816-5100 (collect calls accepted)
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 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 Exelon Representatives Exelon Representatives
LaSalle County Station David P. Rhoades L S ll Pl t M LaSalle Plant Manager NRC End of Cycle Meeting April 16, 2009
Overview
- LaSalle Accomplishments
- Key Events - 2009
- Focus Areas - 2009
LaSalle Accomplishments Continued Strong Focus on Safety and Human Performance Improved Equipment Reliability Unit 1 Continuous Operation since September 2008 Maintenance Outage Unit 2 Second Consecutive Breaker-to-Breaker Run Unit 2 Successful Refueling Outage ( 22 Days, No LTAs)
Installation of Digital Rod Control Management System Successful NRC Force-on-Force Exercise Community Involvement
Key Events - 2009 Summer Operations Preparation Execution Unit 1 Refuel Preparations (2010 Outage)
Rod Control Management System (RCMS)
Dry Cask Storage Preparations EP Threat-Based Exercise
LaSalle Annual Assessment Meeting CY2008 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.