ML13246A248

2013 Palisades Nuclear Plant 2013 Mid-Cycle Letter Combined

ML13246A248
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	09/03/2013
From:	O'Brien K Division Reactor Projects III
To:	Vitale A Entergy Nuclear Operations
References
IR-13-006
Download: ML13246A248 (7)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III 2443 WARRENVILLE ROAD, SUITE 210 LISLE, IL 60532-4352 September 3, 2013 Mr. Anthony Vitale Vice President, Operations Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

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

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT (REPORT 05000255/20130006)

Dear Mr. Vitale:

On August 14, 2013, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed its mid-cycle performance review of the Palisades Nuclear Plant. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013. This letter informs you of the NRCs assessment of your facility during this period and its plans for future inspections at your facility.

The NRC determined the performance at Palisades Nuclear Power Plant during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRCs 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). Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct ROP baseline inspections at your facility. Additionally, as stated in our Assessment Follow-up Letter dated November 9, 2012 (ML12314A304), the NRC is deviating from the ROP to conduct additional inspections, above baseline, during 2013, to: (1) follow-up on corrective actions regarding performance improvement efforts that had not been implemented when the Inspection Procedure (IP) 95002, Inspection for One Degraded Cornerstone or Any Three White Performance Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area, inspection concluded, as well as assessing the corrective actions sustainability; and (2) review a number of technical issues to verify that you determined the causes and implemented corrective actions to provide reasonable assurance that more significant safety concerns do not develop. Specifics on the reasons behind this deviation were provided in an ROP Deviation Memorandum to R. W. Borchardt, Executive Director of Operations, dated November 8, 2012 (ML12306A367).

During this assessment period, there were eleven findings identified in the area of human performance (HP). In our end-of-cycle performance letter dated March 4, 2013 (ML13063A141), we advised you of one substantive cross-cutting issue (SCCI) in the area of HP with a cross-cutting theme in the aspect of Oversight (H.4(c)). In addition, we advised you that the HP substantive cross-cutting issue will remain open until the number of findings in the H.4(c) aspect was reduced and you demonstrated the implementation of effective corrective actions that resulted in sustained performance improvement in the HP area. This SCCI has been open for three consecutive assessment periods.

A. Vitale With regards to Oversight (H.4(c)), there were only two findings in this HP aspect during the current assessment cycle, a reduction in number as it relates to our last assessment. Through our observations during inspections, we determined that your corrective actions have been effective in addressing this issue, and sustained performance improvement has been demonstrated. Some corrective actions that have been implemented since the end-of-cycle review include increasing the use and trending of What It Looks Like (WILL) observation sheets and providing feedback for the behaviors seen; reinforcing procedure use, compliance, and accountability throughout the organization; emphasizing the use of risk management tools; and increasing awareness of mitigating strategies for risk-related work activities. The NRC has seen an increase in management involvement in risk-significant work activities and an increase in the number of WILL sheet observations done by station management that provided valuable feedback to the workers or other managers. Based on these observations and our inspections, the SCCI in Oversight (H.4(c)) is closed.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through December 31, 2014.

Routine inspections performed by resident inspectors are not included in the inspection plan.

The inspections listed during the last nine months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the end-of-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. This inspection plan does not include security related inspections, which will be sent via separate, non-publicly available correspondence.

In addition to the ROP baseline inspections, inspections are planned for Inspection Procedure (IP) 92703, Follow-up on Confirmatory Action Letters or Orders from ADR; IP 92709, Strike Contingency Plans, and IP 92711, Continued Implementation of Strike Plans During an Extended Strike; Temporary Instruction (TI) 2515/182, Review of the Implementation of the Industry Initiative to Control Degradation of Underground Piping; Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) inspections; IP 60854.1, Preoperational Testing of ISFSIs at Operating Plants; IP 60855.1, Operation of an ISFSI at Operating Plants; and IP 60856.1, Review of 10 CFR 72.212(b) Evaluations at Operating Plants. In addition, team inspections involving IP 71152B, Biennial Problem Identification and Resolution, IP 71111.21, Component Design Basis Inspection, and W90308, Operator Licensing Initial Exam are scheduled.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records System (PARS) component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

A. Vitale Please contact Mr. Jamie Benjamin at 630-829-9619 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Kenneth G. OBrien, Acting Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50-255 License No. DPR-20

Enclosure:

Palisades Nuclear Plant Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServTM

A. Vitale Please contact Mr. Jamie Benjamin at 630-829-9619 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Kenneth G. OBrien, Acting Director Division of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50-255 License No. DPR-20

Enclosure:

Palisades Nuclear Plant Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServTM DISTRIBUTION:

See next page DOCUMENT NAME: Palisades 2013 MOC Publicly Available Non-Publicly Available Sensitive Non-Sensitive To receive a copy of this document, indicate in the concurrence box "C" = Copy without attach/encl "E" = Copy with attach/encl "N" = No copy OFFICE RIII-DRP E RIII-DRP RIII RIII NAME JBenjamin:rj JLara for KOBrien DATE 08/27/13 08/28/13 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY

Letter to A. Vitale from K. OBrien dated September 3, 2013

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT (REPORT 05000255/20130006)

DISTRIBUTION:

Vivian Campbell RidsNrrPMPalisades Resource RidsNrrDorlLpl3-1 Resource RidsNrrDirsIrib Resource Cynthia Pederson Anne Boland Steven Orth Allan Barker Carole Ariano Linda Linn DRPIII DRSIII Patricia Buckley Tammy Tomczak ROPassessment.Resource@nrc.gov

Page 1 of 2 Palisades 08/30/2013 13:11:40 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 09/01/2013 - 12/31/2014 Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site BI EPR - EP ROUTINE INSPECTION / PI VERIFICATION 2 1 09/09/2013 09/13/2013 IP 7111402 Alert and Notification System Testing 1 09/09/2013 09/13/2013 IP 7111403 Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 1 09/09/2013 09/13/2013 IP 7111405 Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies 1 09/09/2013 09/13/2013 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification BI RP - RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1 10/07/2013 10/11/2013 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1 10/07/2013 10/11/2013 IP 71124.02 Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls BI RP - RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1 10/28/2013 11/01/2013 IP 71124.07 Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program BI RP - RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1 11/04/2013 11/08/2013 IP 71124.06 Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment 1 11/04/2013 11/08/2013 IP 71151-BI01 Reactor Coolant System Activity 1 11/04/2013 11/08/2013 IP 71151-OR01 Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness 1 11/04/2013 11/08/2013 IP 71151-PR01 RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent BI RP - RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1 12/02/2013 12/06/2013 IP 71124.05 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation TI 182 - TI 182 BURIED PIPING PHASE 2 1 1 12/16/2013 12/20/2013 IP 2515/182 Review of the Implementation of the Industry Initiative to Control Degradation of Underground Piping BI RP - RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1 01/06/2014 01/10/2014 IP 71124.03 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation 1 01/06/2014 01/10/2014 IP 71124.04 Occupational Dose Assessment BI ISI - ISI BASELINE INSPECITON 1 1 01/20/2014 02/28/2014 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR ISFSI - ISFSI INSPECTION - SCHEDULE DEPENDENT 1 1 03/01/2014 07/31/2014 IP 60856.1 Review of 10 CFR 72.212(b) Evaluations at Operating Plants BI OLRQ - BIENNIAL REQUAL PROGRAM INSPECTION 2 1 04/07/2014 04/11/2014 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification Program BI RP - RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1 04/14/2014 04/18/2014 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls PI&R - BIENNIAL PI&R 7 1 05/05/2014 05/23/2014 IP 71152B Problem Identification and Resolution This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.

Page 2 of 2 Palisades 08/30/2013 13:11:40 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 09/01/2013 - 12/31/2014 Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site ISFSI - ISFSI PREOP TESTING - SCHEDULE DEPENDENT 1 1 06/01/2014 09/30/2014 IP 60854.1 Preoperational Testing of Independent Spent Fuel Storage Facility Installation at Operating Plants BI RP - RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1 07/07/2014 07/11/2014 IP 71124.05 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation OL PREP - INITIAL EXAM - 09/2014 3 1 09/08/2014 09/12/2014 W90308 OL - INITIAL EXAM - 2014 JUN-FEB - PALI BI ENG - COMPONENT DESIGN BASIS INSPECTION 6 1 09/08/2014 10/10/2014 IP 7111121 Component Design Bases Inspection OL EXAM - INIT EXAM FOR 09/2014 3 1 09/15/2014 09/26/2014 W90308 OL - INITIAL EXAM - 2014 JUN-FEB - PALI BI RP - RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 71124.02 Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 71151-BI01 Reactor Coolant System Activity 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 71151-OR01 Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 71151-PR01 RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent BI EPX - EP EXERCISE INSPECTION / PI VERIFICATION 2 1 10/27/2014 10/31/2014 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification ISFSI - ISFSI OPERATION - SCHEDULE DEPENDENT 1 1 11/01/2014 11/30/2014 IP 60855.1 Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Operating Plants ISFSI - ISFSI INSPECTION - SCHEDULE DEPENDENT 1 1 11/01/2014 11/30/2014 IP 60855.1 Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Operating Plants This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.