ML13246A248
| 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.
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).
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
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 08/30/2013 13:11:40 Report 22 Unit Number Planned Dates Start End Inspection Activity Title No. of Staff on Site Palisades Inspection / Activity Plan 09/01/2013 - 12/31/2014 BI EPR
- EP ROUTINE INSPECTION / PI VERIFICATION 2
1 IP Alert and Notification System Testing 7111402 09/09/2013 09/13/2013 1
IP Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 7111403 09/09/2013 09/13/2013 1
IP Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies 7111405 09/09/2013 09/13/2013 1
IP Performance Indicator Verification 71151 09/09/2013 09/13/2013 BI RP
- RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1
1 IP Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 71124.01 10/07/2013 10/11/2013 1
IP Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls 71124.02 10/07/2013 10/11/2013 BI RP
- RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1
1 IP Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program 71124.07 10/28/2013 11/01/2013 BI RP
- RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1
1 IP Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment 71124.06 11/04/2013 11/08/2013 1
IP Reactor Coolant System Activity 71151-BI01 11/04/2013 11/08/2013 1
IP Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness 71151-OR01 11/04/2013 11/08/2013 1
IP RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent 71151-PR01 11/04/2013 11/08/2013 BI RP
- RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1
1 IP Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 71124.05 12/02/2013 12/06/2013 TI 182
- TI 182 BURIED PIPING PHASE 2 1
1 IP Review of the Implementation of the Industry Initiative to Control Degradation of Underground Piping 2515/182 12/16/2013 12/20/2013 BI RP
- RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1
1 IP In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation 71124.03 01/06/2014 01/10/2014 1
IP Occupational Dose Assessment 71124.04 01/06/2014 01/10/2014 BI ISI
- ISI BASELINE INSPECITON 1
1 IP Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR 7111108P 01/20/2014 02/28/2014 ISFSI
- ISFSI INSPECTION - SCHEDULE DEPENDENT 1
1 IP Review of 10 CFR 72.212(b) Evaluations at Operating Plants 60856.1 03/01/2014 07/31/2014 BI OLRQ
- BIENNIAL REQUAL PROGRAM INSPECTION 2
1 IP Licensed Operator Requalification Program 7111111B 04/07/2014 04/11/2014 BI RP
- RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1
1 IP Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 71124.01 04/14/2014 04/18/2014 PI&R
- BIENNIAL PI&R 7
1 IP Problem Identification and Resolution 71152B 05/05/2014 05/23/2014 This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.
This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.
Page 2 of 2 08/30/2013 13:11:40 Report 22 Unit Number Planned Dates Start End Inspection Activity Title No. of Staff on Site Palisades Inspection / Activity Plan 09/01/2013 - 12/31/2014 ISFSI
- ISFSI PREOP TESTING - SCHEDULE DEPENDENT 1
1 IP Preoperational Testing of Independent Spent Fuel Storage Facility Installation at Operating Plants 60854.1 06/01/2014 09/30/2014 BI RP
- RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1
1 IP Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 71124.05 07/07/2014 07/11/2014 OL PREP
- INITIAL EXAM - 09/2014 3
1 OL - INITIAL EXAM - 2014 JUN-FEB - PALI W90308 09/08/2014 09/12/2014 BI ENG
- COMPONENT DESIGN BASIS INSPECTION 6
1 IP Component Design Bases Inspection 7111121 09/08/2014 10/10/2014 OL EXAM
- INIT EXAM FOR 09/2014 3
1 OL - INITIAL EXAM - 2014 JUN-FEB - PALI W90308 09/15/2014 09/26/2014 BI RP
- RADIATION PROTECTION BASELINE INSPECTION 1
1 IP Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls 71124.02 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 1
IP Reactor Coolant System Activity 71151-BI01 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 1
IP Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness 71151-OR01 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 1
IP RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent 71151-PR01 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 BI EPX
- EP EXERCISE INSPECTION / PI VERIFICATION 2
1 IP Performance Indicator Verification 71151 10/27/2014 10/31/2014 ISFSI
- ISFSI OPERATION - SCHEDULE DEPENDENT 1
1 IP Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Operating Plants 60855.1 11/01/2014 11/30/2014 ISFSI
- ISFSI INSPECTION - SCHEDULE DEPENDENT 1
1 IP Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Operating Plants 60855.1 11/01/2014 11/30/2014 This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.
This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.