ML091110266

LaSalle Summary Meeting Slides

ML091110266
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	04/16/2009
From:	NRC/RGN-III
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Download: ML091110266 (35)

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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

Who We Are 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.

Vacant Commissioner Commissioner Chairman Commissioner Kristine L. Svinicki Gregory B. Jaczko Dale E. Klein Peter B. Lyons

Region III Organization Mark A. Satorius Regional Administrator Patrick Hiland Deputy Regional Administrator Division of Reactor Safety Division of Reactor Projects Division of Nuclear Materials Safety K. Steven West K West, Director Cynthia D.

D Pederson, Pederson Director Steven CC. Reynolds Reynolds, Director Kenneth OBrien, Deputy Director Gary Shear, Deputy Director Pat Louden, Deputy Director Kenneth Riemer Regional Specialists Regional Specialists Branch 2 Chief Branch Staff LaSalle Resident Inspection Staff Nirodh Shah, Project Engineer Gregory Roach, Senior Resident Inspector Christian Scott, Reactor Engineer Frances Ramírez, Resident Inspector April Scarbeary, Reactor Engineer Mary Grzywa, Office Assistant Phillip Smagacz, Reactor Engineer

NRC Representatives Kenneth Riemer, Branch Chief (630) 829-9628 Gregory Roach, Senior Resident Inspector (815) 357-8611 Frances Ramírez Ramírez, Resident Inspector (815) 357-8611 Nirodh Shah, Project Engineer (630) 829-9821 Stephen Sands, Project Manager, NRR (301) 415-3154

Who We Are The NRC employs approximately 3,500 people NRC inspectors are assigned full-time to each nuclear power plant and fuel cycle facility

NRC Mission The NRC Mission:

To license and regulate the nations civilian use of b

byproduct, d t source and d special i l nuclear materials to ensure adequate protection of public health and safety, promote the common defense and security, and protect the environment.

Nuclear Power Facts 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 Materials 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 gauges, 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 Waste Facts 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 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

NRC Primary Functions 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

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

How NRC Regulates 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 dj t inspection i ti effort ff t 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

Ensuring Nuclear Safety 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 Security 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

Reactor Oversight Process Strategic Performance Areas Safety Cornerstones Inspection Performance Indicator Results Results Significance Significance Evaluation 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 p effort annually Major focus areas Reactor safety Radiation safety Emergency preparedness Security

Beyond Baseline Inspections 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

Significance Threshold Inspection Findings and Performance Indicators Green Implement Baseline Inspection program White Increasingly intrusive supplemental Yellow inspections to ensure causes are Red 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 Multiple /

Licensee Regulatory Degraded Repetitive Unacceptable Response Response Cornerstone Degraded Performance Cornerstone 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

National Plant Performance Action Matrix Status at End of CY 2008 Licensee Response 86 Regulatory Response 14 Degraded Cornerstone 3 Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone 1 Unacceptable Performance 0 TOTAL 104 http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/actionmatrix_summary.html

LaSalle Inspection Activities January 1 - December 31, 2008 Over 2,000 man-hours of direct inspection November 3 3-17:

17: Triennial Fire Protection Inspection

LaSalle Assessment Activities January 1 - December 31, 2008

• Feb 3 - Mar 4: Unit 1 was shutdown for a refueling g outage.

g The outageg duration was 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.

LaSalle Assessment Results 1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter Licensee Licensee Licensee Licensee Response Response Response Response Plant performance for all four quarters of the CY2008 assessment period was within the 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 plans l tto continue ti tto conduct d t iin-depth d th inspections at LaSalle for the CY2009 assessment period Force on Force Biennial PI&R Inspection (Corrective Action Program)

Radiation Protection

Contacting the NRC For general information or questions:

www.nrc.gov Select About NRC then Locations to contact Region III Too report epo t a sa safety ety co concern:

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 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

LaSalle County Station David P. Rhoades L S ll Pl LaSalle Plantt M 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.