ML14245A178

Mid-Cycle Letter

ML14245A178
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	09/02/2014
From:	Mark Franke NRC/RGN-II/DRP/RPB2
To:	Madison D Southern Nuclear Operating Co
References
IR-2014-006
Download: ML14245A178 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION II 245 PEACHTREE CENTER AVENUE NE, SUITE 1200 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-1257 September 2, 2014 Mr. Dennis Madison Vice President - Vogtle Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

Vogtle Electric Generating Plant 7821 River Road Waynesboro, GA 30830

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT (NRC INSPECTION REPORT 05000424/2014006 AND 05000425/2014006)

Dear Mr.:

Madison On August 12, 2014, the NRC completed its mid-cycle performance review of Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2. 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 that overall, Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2 was operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. The NRC determined the performance at Vogtle Unit 1 and Unit 2 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.

On August 6, 2014, the NRC issued Integrated Inspection Report 05000424,425/2014003 (ML14218A669) which described a finding of low-to-moderate safety significance (White), and associated Notice of Violation, in the Emergency Preparedness cornerstone of the ROP. The finding involved the licensees failure to follow and maintain the effectiveness of emergency plans that meet 10 CFR 50.47(b)(4). As communicated in the integrated inspection report, the NRC exercised enforcement discretion for this issue because the finding met the criteria specified in Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 0305, Operating Reactor Assessment Program, for treatment as an old design issue. Therefore, in accordance with IMC 0305, this issue did not aggregate in the Action Matrix with other performance indicators and inspection findings.

Notwithstanding the exercise of enforcement discretion, IMC 0305 specifies the need for an inspection in accordance with inspection procedure (IP) 95001 Supplemental Inspection for One or Two White Inputs in a Strategic Performance Area, even if the White finding meets the criteria for treatment as an old design issue. Therefore, in addition to the ROP baseline

D. Madison 2 inspections, the NRC plans to conduct a supplemental inspection to review the root cause and corrective actions associated with the White finding. The NRC requests that your staff provide notification of your readiness for the NRC to conduct the supplemental inspection to review the actions taken to address the White finding.

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.

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. This audit includes 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 activity will occur in the months prior to a declaration of compliance for the first unit at each site, and will aid staff in development of an ultimate Safety Evaluation for the site. The date for the onsite component at your site is being coordinated with your staff. A site-specific audit 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).

D. Madison 3 Please contact me at (404) 997-4436 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Mark Franke, Chief Projects Branch 2 Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos.: 50-424, 50-425 License Nos.: NPF-68, NPF-81

Enclosure:

Vogtle Inspection/Activity Plan (09/01/2014 - 12/31/2015) cc Distribution via ListServ

_________________________ SUNSI REVIEW COMPLETE FORM 665 ATTACHED OFFICE RII:RDP RII:DRP SIGNATURE JGW /RA/ MEF /RA/

NAME JWorosilo MFranke DATE 09/02/2014 09/02/2014 E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO D. Madison 4 Letter to D. Madison from Frank Ehrhardt dated September 2, 2014

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT (NRC INSPECTION REPORT 05000424/2014006 AND 05000425/2014006)

DISTRIBUTION:

D. Gamberoni, RII L. Douglas, RII OE Mail RIDSNRRDIRS PUBLIC RidsNrrPMVogtle Resource Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)

ROP Reports ROP Assessment

Page 1 of 1 Vogtle 09/02/2014 09:45:31 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 ISI - UNIT 2 IN-SERVICE INSPECTION 1 2 09/22/2014 09/26/2014 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR SGISI - UNIT 2 SG IN-SERVICE INSPECTION 1 2 09/22/2014 09/26/2014 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR PI&R - PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION 5 1, 2 03/16/2015 03/20/2015 IP 71152B Problem Identification and Resolution 1, 2 03/30/2015 04/03/2015 IP 71152B Problem Identification and Resolution EP - EP PROGRAM INSPECTION 2 1, 2 05/18/2015 05/22/2015 IP 7111402 Alert and Notification System Testing 1, 2 05/18/2015 05/22/2015 IP 7111403 Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 1, 2 05/18/2015 05/22/2015 IP 7111404 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 1, 2 05/18/2015 05/22/2015 IP 7111405 Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies 1, 2 05/18/2015 05/22/2015 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification TFPI - TRIENNIEL FIRE PROTECTION INSP 4 1, 2 07/13/2015 07/17/2015 IP 7111105T Fire Protection [Triennial]

1, 2 07/27/2015 07/31/2015 IP 7111105T Fire Protection [Triennial]

OL RQ - REQUAL INSP 2 1, 2 08/24/2015 08/28/2015 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification Program RP - RP PUBLIC RAD SAFETY BASELINE 2 1, 2 08/24/2015 08/28/2015 IP 71124.06 Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment 1, 2 08/24/2015 08/28/2015 IP 71124.07 Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program 1, 2 08/24/2015 08/28/2015 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification RP - RAD HAZARDS ANALYSIS AND TRANSPORTATION 2 1, 2 09/21/2015 09/25/2015 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1, 2 09/21/2015 09/25/2015 IP 71124.08 Radioactive Solid Waste Processing and Radioactive Material Handling, Storage, and Transportation 1, 2 09/21/2015 09/25/2015 IP 71151 Performance Indicator Verification ISI - UNIT 1 IN-SERVICE INSPECTION 1 1 09/28/2015 10/02/2015 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR SGISI - UNIT 1 SG IN-SERVICE INSPECTION 1 1 10/05/2015 10/09/2015 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities. Enclosure This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.