Text

EOC Annual Assessment Letter and Inspection/Security Plan
	ML110620625
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	03/04/2011
From:	Khadijah West; Division Reactor Projects III
To:	Kirwin T; Entergy Nuclear Operations
References
	IR-11-001
	Download: ML110620625 (6)
	v • d • e

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III 2443 WARRENVILLE ROAD, SUITE 210 LISLE, IL 60532-4352 March 4, 2011 Mr. Tom Kirwin Vice-President, Operations (Acting)

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Palisades Nuclear Plant 27780 Blue Star Memorial Highway Covert, MI 49043-9530

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT (REPORT 05000255/2011001)

Dear Mr. Kirwin:

On February 17, 2011, the NRC completed its end-of-cycle performance review of Palisades Nuclear Plant. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from January 1, 2010, through December 31, 2010. This letter informs you of the NRCs assessment of your facility during this period and its plans for future inspections at your facility. This performance review and enclosed inspection plan do not include security information. A separate letter will include the NRCs assessment of your performance in the Security Cornerstone and its security-related inspection plan.

The NRC determined that overall, Palisades Nuclear Plant operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. Performance during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRC=s Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix because all inspection findings had very low (i.e., green) safety significance, and all PIs indicated that your performance was within the nominal, expected range (i.e., green). Plant performance for the first, second, and third quarters of 2010 was within the Regulatory Response column of the NRCs Action Matrix based on one inspection finding in the Initiating Events Cornerstone, from the fourth quarter of 2009, which involved degradation of the neutron absorption capability of the Spent Fuel Pool plates. On September 17, 2010, the NRC completed a supplemental inspection (Inspection Report No. 05000255/2010009) which closed the finding and concluded that Palisades transitioned to the Licensee Response column at the end of the third quarter. Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct ROP baseline inspections at your facility.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through June 30, 2012. Routine inspections performed by resident inspectors are not included in the inspection plan. The inspections listed during the last 9 months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the mid-cycle performance review. The NRC provides the inspection plan to allow for the resolution of any scheduling conflicts and personnel availability issues. The NRC will contact you as soon as possible to discuss changes to the inspection plan should circumstances warrant any changes.

T. Kirwin In addition to the ROP baseline, inspections are planned for Temporary Instruction 2515/179, Verification of Licensee Responses to NRC Requirement for Inventories of Materials Tracked in National Source Tracking System, Inspection Procedure 71003, Post-Approval Site Inspection for License Renewal, and also Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) Inspection Procedure 60855.1, Operation of an ISFSI at Operating Plants.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC=s ARules of Practice,@ a copy of this letter will be 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).

Please contact me at 630/829-9619 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Steven West, Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50-255;72-007 License No. DPR-20

Enclosure:

Palisades Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl:

Distribution via ListServ

Inspection / Activity Plan 03/01/2011 - 06/30/2012 Planned Dates Start End Inspection Activity Title No. of Staff on Site Palisades BI EP

- EP ROUTINE INSPECTION / PI VERIFICATION 1

IP Alert and Notification System Testing 7111402 04/11/2011 04/15/2011 IP Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 7111403 04/11/2011 04/15/2011 IP Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies 7111405 04/11/2011 04/15/2011 IP Performance Indicator Verification 71151 04/11/2011 04/15/2011 BI RP