ML14245A123

Mid-Cycle Letter

ML14245A123
Person / Time
Site:	Watts Bar
Issue date:	09/02/2014
From:	Bartley J Reactor Projects Region 2 Branch 6
To:	James Shea Tennessee Valley Authority
References
IR-2014-006
Download: ML14245A123 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION II 245 PEACHTREE CENTER AVENUE NE, SUITE 1200 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-1257 September 2, 2014 Mr. Joseph W. Shea Vice President, Nuclear Licensing Tennessee Valley Authority 1101 Market Street, LP 3D-C Chattanooga, TN 37402-2801

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR THE WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT UNIT 1, NRC INSPECTION REPORT 005000390/2014006

Dear Mr. Shea:

On August 14, 2014, the NRC completed its mid-cycle performance review of Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 1. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2014. 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 Watts Bar Unit 1 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.

Performance at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 1 during the fourth quarter of 2013 was within the Degraded Cornerstone Column of the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix because of one White and one Yellow finding in the Mitigating Systems cornerstone.

On December 20, 2013, the NRC completed a supplemental inspection in accordance with Inspection Procedure 95002, Supplemental Inspection for One Degraded Cornerstone or Any Three White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area. Based on the results of this inspection, the NRC determined that your staff adequately addressed the causes for both of these findings.

Therefore, both findings were closed and Watts Bar Unit 1 transitioned to the Licensee Response Column of the NRCs ROP Action Matrix on January 1, 2014.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through December 31, 2015.

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.

J. Shea 2 In addition to the ROP baseline inspections at your facility, we also plan on conducting infrequently performed inspections which include: Problem Identification and Resolution, Component Design Basis Inspection, Triennial Heat Sink Inspection, IP 43004, Inspection of Commercial Grade Dedication Programs, and IP 92702 inspection for follow-up of the December 22, 2009, Confirmatory Order. The NRC also plans to perform Temporary Instruction (TI) 2515/191: Inspection of the Licensees Implementation of Mitigating Strategies and Spent Fuel Instrumentation Orders and Emergency Preparedness/Staffing Plans.

In response to the accident at Fukushima, the Commission issued Order EA-12-049, Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Requirements for Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events, which requires licensees to develop, implement, and maintain guidance and strategies to maintain or restore core cooling, containment, and spent fuel pool cooling capabilities following a beyond-design-basis external event. Additionally, the Commission issued Order EA-12-051, Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Reliable Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation, which requires licensees to have a reliable means of remotely monitoring wide-range Spent Fuel Pool levels to support effective prioritization of event mitigation and recovery actions in the event of a beyond-design-basis external event. The NRC is conducting audits of licensee efforts towards compliance with these Orders. The audit included an onsite component in order for the NRC to evaluate licensee plans for complying with the Orders, as described in site-specific submittals, and to receive and review information relative to associated open items. This onsite component was completed for Watts Bar in March 2014. Therefore, the NRC will perform TI 2515/191 Inspection of the Licensees Implementation of Mitigating Strategies and Spent Fuel Instrumentation Orders and Emergency Preparedness/Staffing Plans. A site-specific inspection plan for the visit will be provided in advance to allow sufficient time for preparations.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Rules 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 404-997-4607 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Jonathan H. Bartley, Chief Reactor Projects Branch 6 Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos.: 50-390 License Nos. NPF-90

Enclosure:

Watts Bar Inspection/Activity Plan (09/01/2014 - 12/31/2015) cc distribution via ListServ

_________________________ SUNSI REVIEW COMPLETE FORM 665 ATTACHED OFFICE RII:DRP RII:DRP SIGNATURE JDH /RA/ JHB /RA/

NAME JHamman JBartley DATE 08/27/2014 08/26/2014 E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO J. Shea 3 Letter to Joseph W. Shea from Jonathan H. Bartley dated September 2, 2014

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR THE WATTS BAR NUCLEAR PLANT UNIT 1, NRC INSPECTION REPORT 005000390/2014006 DISTRIBUTION:

D. Gamberoni, RII L. Douglas, RII OE Mail RIDSNRRDIRS PUBLIC RidsNrrPMWattsBar1 Resource RidsNrrPMWattsBar2 Resource ROP Assessment ROP Reports Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)

Page 1 of 2 Watts Bar 09/02/2014 09:43:20 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 09/01/2014 - 12/31/2015 Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site EP - EP PROGRAM INSPECTION 3 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 7111402 Alert and Notification System Testing 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 7111403 Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 7111404 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 7111405 Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies 1 10/06/2014 10/10/2014 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification OL RQ - REQUAL INSP 2 1 11/17/2014 11/21/2014 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification Program PI&R - PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION 4 1 12/01/2014 12/05/2014 IP 71152B Problem Identification and Resolution 1 12/15/2014 12/19/2014 IP 71152B Problem Identification and Resolution CDBI - COMPONENT DESIGN BASES INSPECTION 10 1 02/23/2015 02/27/2015 IP 7111121 Component Design Bases Inspection 1 03/16/2015 03/20/2015 IP 7111121 Component Design Bases Inspection 1 03/30/2015 04/03/2015 IP 7111121 Component Design Bases Inspection 1 04/13/2015 04/17/2015 IP 7111121 Component Design Bases Inspection HS - TRIENNIAL HEAT SINK PERFORMANCE 1 1 06/08/2015 06/12/2015 IP 7111107T Heat Sink Performance RP - RP OCCUPATIONAL BASELINE WEEK 1 3 1 10/05/2015 10/09/2015 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1 10/05/2015 10/09/2015 IP 71124.02 Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls 1 10/05/2015 10/09/2015 IP 71124.03 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation 1 10/05/2015 10/09/2015 IP 71124.04 Occupational Dose Assessment 1 10/05/2015 10/09/2015 IP 71124.05 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 1 10/05/2015 10/09/2015 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification ISI - UNIT 1 IN-SERVICE INSPECTION 1 1 10/12/2015 10/16/2015 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR RP - RP OCCUPATIONAL BASELINE WEEK 2 3 1 10/19/2015 10/23/2015 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1 10/19/2015 10/23/2015 IP 71124.02 Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls 1 10/19/2015 10/23/2015 IP 71124.03 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation 1 10/19/2015 10/23/2015 IP 71124.04 Occupational Dose Assessment 1 10/19/2015 10/23/2015 IP 71124.05 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities. Enclosure This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.

Page 2 of 2 Watts Bar 09/02/2014 09:43:20 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 09/01/2014 - 12/31/2015 Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site RP - RP OCCUPATIONAL BASELINE WEEK 2 3 1 10/19/2015 10/23/2015 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification EP - EP EXERCISE 5 1 11/16/2015 11/20/2015 IP 7111404 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 1 11/16/2015 11/20/2015 IP 7111407 Exercise Evaluation - Hostile Action (HA) Event 1 11/16/2015 11/20/2015 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities. Enclosure This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.