ML12067A059
| ML12067A059 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oconee  |
| Issue date: | 03/06/2012 |
| From: | Mccree V NRC/RGN-II |
| To: | Gillespie T Duke Energy Carolinas |
| References | |
| CAL 2-12-001 | |
| Download: ML12067A059 (5) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION II 245 PEACHTREE CENTER AVENUE NE, SUITE 1200 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-1257 March 6, 2012 CAL 2-12-001 Mr. T. Preston Gillespie, Jr.
Site Vice President Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Oconee Nuclear Station 7800 Rochester Highway Seneca, SC 29672
SUBJECT:
CONFIRMATORY ACTION LETTER - OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 COMMITMENTS TO PERFORM A COMPREHENSIVE STANDBY SHUTDOWN FACILITY DESIGN REVIEW AND AN EVALUATION OF MODIFICATIONS/PROCEDURE CHANGES TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BUS DUCT FAULTS
Dear Mr. Gillespie:
This letter confirms commitments made by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (DEC) in your letters dated January 26 and February 17, 2012. Specifically, the letters stated that DEC would undertake the following initiatives:
- 1. Perform a comprehensive design, licensing, and operational review of the Oconee Nuclear Station (ONS) Standby Shutdown Facility (SSF). The goal of the review would be to ensure that systems, structures, and components associated with the SSF functions are capable of performing their design function. This review will be completed by March 29, 2013.
- 2. Evaluate modifications and/or procedure changes to reduce core damage frequency associated with bus duct faults. The evaluation will be completed by July 12, 2012.
Since 2001, the NRC has issued two Yellow and four White findings to ONS related to design, operations and maintenance of the Standby Shutdown Facility (SSF). In addition, during the significance determination for the Yellow finding issued in 2010, the NRC determined that the risk resulting from bus duct faults in the turbine building was the dominant core damage risk factor for SSF performance deficiencies. The NRC staff has confirmed that DEC corrected the underlying technical issues associated with each finding. However, these findings have called into question the clarity and implementation of the SSF design and licensing basis. In light of this, DEC has committed to carry out the initiatives described in 1 and 2 above. The NRC encourages licensee initiatives such as these to reveal and resolve issues that are more likely to be identified by a comprehensive design, licensing, and operational review.
DEC 2
As you conduct the design review of the SSF, the NRC staff will assess the effectiveness of your disposition of any significant issues identified during the review. In addition, the NRC staff will conduct an inspection in the spring of 2013 to review your corrective actions for issues identified in the course of the review. In the interim, if the NRC staff determines that an issue is not being appropriately dispositioned in accordance with license requirements, the DEC Corrective Action Program, or the commitments documented in the letters referenced above, the NRC will assess the need for any other regulatory action needed to resolve any associated safety concerns.
Pursuant to Section 182 of the Atomic Energy Act, 42 U.S.C. 2232, you are required to:
- 1) Notify me immediately if your understanding differs from that set forth above;
- 2) Notify me if for any reason you cannot complete the actions within the specified schedule and advise me in writing of your modified schedule in advance of the change; and
- 3) Notify me in writing when you have completed the actions addressed in this Confirmatory Action Letter.
Issuance of this Confirmatory Action Letter does not preclude issuance of an Order formalizing the above commitments or requiring other actions on the part of the licensee; nor does it preclude the NRC from taking enforcement action for violations of NRC requirements that may have prompted the issuance of this letter. In addition, failure to take the actions addressed in this Confirmatory Action Letter may result in enforcement action.
This Confirmatory Action Letter will remain in effect until the reviews and evaluations identified in this Confirmatory Action Letter are complete.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Victor M. McCree Regional Administrator Docket Nos. 50-269, 50-270, 50-287 License Nos.: DPR-38, DPR-47, DPR-55 cc: (See next page)
__ ML12067A059_____________
G SUNSI REVIEW COMPLETE G FORM 665 ATTACHED OFFICE RII:DRP RII:DRP RII:DRP RII:EICS NRR RII:ORA RII:RA SIGNATURE
/RA/
/RA/
/RA/
/RA/
/RA By E-Mail/
LXW1 VMM NAME JBartley WJones RCroteau CEvans ELeeds LWert VMcCree DATE 2/29/2012 2/29/2012 2/29/2012 2/29/2012 3/6/2012 3/6/2012 3/6/2012 E-MAIL COPY?
YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO
DEC 3
cc w/encl:
Division of Radiological Health TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation 401 Church Street Nashville, TN 37243-1532 Charles J. Thomas Fleet Licensing Manager Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution David A. Baxter Vice President, Nuclear Engineering General Office Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution David A. Cummings Associate General Counsel Duke Energy Corporation Electronic Mail Distribution Judy E. Smith Licensing Administrator Oconee Nuclear Station Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution Kent Alter Regulatory Compliance Manager Oconee Nuclear Station Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution Lara S. Nichols Vice President-Legal Duke Energy Corporation Electronic Mail Distribution Luellen B. Jones Fleet Licensing Engineer Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution M. Christopher Nolan Fleet Safety Assurance Manager Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution Sandra Threatt, Manager Nuclear Response and Emergency Environmental Surveillance Bureau of Land and Waste Management Department of Health and Environmental Control Electronic Mail Distribution Scott L. Batson Station Manager Oconee Nuclear Station Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution Senior Resident Inspector U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Oconee Nuclear Station U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 7812B Rochester Hwy Seneca, SC 29672 Terry L. Patterson Safety Assurance Manager Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution Charles Brinkman Director Washington Operations Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution Tom D. Ray Engineering Manager Oconee Nuclear Station Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC Electronic Mail Distribution County Supervisor of Oconee County 415 S. Pine Street Walhalla, SC 29691-2145 W. Lee Cox, III Section Chief Radiation Protection Section N.C. Department of Environmental Commerce & Natural Resources Electronic Mail Distribution
DEC 4
Distribution:
M. Virgilio, EDO R. Zimmerman, OE E. Leeds, NRR R. Hannah, RII J. Ledford, RII J. Pelchat, RII C. Evans, RII EICS (Part 72 Only)
L. Douglas, RII EICS (Linda Douglas)
OE Mail (email address if applicable)
RIDSNRRDIRS PUBLIC RidsNrrPMOconee Resource