ML092440580

Mid-Cycle Performance Review and Inspection Plan Letter - Watts Bar Nuclear Station Unit 1

ML092440580
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	09/01/2009
From:	Eugene Guthrie Reactor Projects Region 2 Branch 6
To:	Swafford P Tennessee Valley Authority
References
Download: ML092440580 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION II SAM NUNN ATLANTA FEDERAL CENTER 61 FORSYTH STREET, SW, SUITE 23T85 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-8931 September 1, 2009 Mr. Preston D. Swafford Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority 3R Lookout Place 1101 Market Street Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND INSPECTION PLAN - WATTS BAR NUCLEAR STATION UNIT 1

Dear Mr. Swafford:

On August 12, 2009, the NRC staff completed its performance review of the Watts Bar Nuclear Station, Unit 1. Our technical staff reviewed performance indicators (PIs) for the most recent quarter and inspection results for the period from July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our assessment of your safety performance during this period and our plans for future inspections at your facility.

This performance review and the enclosed inspection plan do not include security information.

A separate letter designated and marked as AOfficial Use Only - Security Related Information will include the Security cornerstone performance review and resultant inspection plan.

Plant performance for the most recent quarter, at Watts Bar Unit 1, was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRC=s 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 at your facility.

The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections, less those related to physical protection, scheduled through December 31, 2010. In addition to ROP baseline inspection activities, we also plan on conducting several infrequently performed inspections, which include Temporary Instruction (TI) 2515/172, Reactor Coolant System Dissimilar Metal Butt Welds; TI 2515/173, Review of the Implementation of the Industry Ground Water Protection Volunteer Initiative; and operator licensing examinations. 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 nine months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the end-of-cycle review meeting.

TVA 2 In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC=s ARules 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).

As you may know, the NRC is currently evaluating the scope and frequency of all the baseline inspection procedures. If the results of the evaluation, or any other circumstances, cause us to change the inspection plan, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible.

Please contact me at 404-562-4662 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Eugene F. Guthrie, Chief Reactor Projects Branch 6 Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos. 50-390, 50-391 License No. NPF-90 and Construction Permit No. CPPR-92

Enclosure:

Watts Bar Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: (See page 3)

_________________________ X SUNSI REVIEW COMPLETE OFFICE RII:DRP RII:DRP SIGNATURE PCH EFG NAME PHiggins EGuthrie DATE 8/17/09 9/1/09 E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO TVA 3 cc w/encl: Larry E. Nicholson, General Manager Gordon P. Arent Performance Improvement New Generation Licensing Manager Tennessee Valley Authority Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Electronic Mail Distribution Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution Michael A. Purcell Senior Licensing Manager Masoud Bajestani Nuclear Power Group Vice President Watts Bar Unit 2 Tennessee Valley Authority Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Electronic Mail Distribution Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution Michael J. Lorek Vice President - Nuclear Oversight Ashok S. Bhatnagar, Senior Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Generation Development and Electronic Mail Distribution Construction Tennessee Valley Authority Michael D. Skaggs, Site Vice President Electronic Mail Distribution Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority Michael K. Brandon, Manager Electronic Mail Distribution Licensing and Industry Affairs Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Fredrick C. Mashburn, (Acting) Manager Electronic Mail Distribution Corporate Nuclear Licensing and Industry Affairs Preston D. Swafford Tennessee Valley Authority Chief Nuclear Officer and Executive Vice Electronic Mail Distribution President Tennessee Valley Authority R. M. Krich, Vice President Electronic Mail Distribution Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority William R. Campbell, Senior Vice President 3R Lookout Place Fleet Engineering 1101 Market Street Tennessee Valley Authority Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801 Electronic Mail Distribution Robert J. Whalen Thomas Coutu, Vice President Tennessee Valley Authority Nuclear Support 3R Lookout Place Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street Electronic Mail Distribution Chattanooga, TN 37402-280 General Counsel Senior Resident Inspector Tennessee Valley Authority Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Electronic Mail Distribution U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1260 Nuclear Plant Road Gregory A. Boerschig, Plant Manager Spring City, TN 37381-2000 Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Tennessee Valley Authority Electronic Mail Distribution (cc w/encl contd - see next page)

TVA 4 cc w/encl contd:

County Executive 375 Church Street Suite 215 Dayton, TN 37321 County Mayor P.O. Box 156 Decatur, TN 37322 Lawrence E. Nanney, Director Division of Radiological Health TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation Electronic Mail Distribution James H. Bassham, Director Tennessee Emergency Management Agency Electronic Mail Distribution Ann Harris 341 Swing Loop Rockwood, TN 37854

TVA 5 Letter to Preston D. Swafford from Eugene F. Guthrie, dated September 1, 2009

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE PERFORMANCE REVIEW AND INSPECTION PLAN - WATTS BAR NUCLEAR STATION Distribution w/encl:

C. Evans, RII EICS (Part 72 Only)

L. Slack, RII EICS (Linda Slack)

OE Mail (email address if applicable)

RIDSNRRDIRS PUBLIC RidsNrrPMWattsBar1 Resource RidsNrrPMWattsBar2 Resource Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)