ML16242A329

Mid-Cycle Assessment Letter for Cooper Nuclear Station (Report 05000298/2016005)

ML16242A329
Person / Time
Site:	Cooper
Issue date:	08/31/2016
From:	Greg Warnick NRC/RGN-IV/DRP/RPB-C
To:	Limpias O Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD)
Warnick G
References
IR 2016005
Download: ML16242A329 (7)

See also: IR 05000298/2016005

Text

UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

REGION IV

1600 E LAMAR BLVD

ARLINGTON, TX 76011-4511

August 31, 2016

Mr. Oscar A. Limpias

Vice President-Nuclear and CNO

Nebraska Public Power District

Cooper Nuclear Station

72676 648A Avenue

P.O. Box 98

Brownville, NE 68321

SUBJECT: MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR COOPER NUCLEAR STATION

(REPORT 05000298/2016005)

Dear Mr. Limpias:

On August 10, 2016, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed its mid-cycle

performance review of Cooper Nuclear Station. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly

performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from

July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016. 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, Cooper Nuclear Station operated in a manner that preserved

public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. The NRC determined the

performance at Cooper Nuclear Station 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.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through June 30, 2018. Routine

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

inspections listed during the second half 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. Additionally, the NRC plans to

complete Temporary Instruction 190, Inspection of Licensee's Proposed Interim Actions as a

Result of the Near-Term Task Force Recommendation 2.1 Flooding Evaluation, prior to the end

of 2016.

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, and Order EA-12-051, Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to

O. Limpias -2-

Reliable Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation. The NRC conducted audits of licensee efforts

towards compliance with these Orders, and the information gathered will aid staff in

development of the ultimate Safety Evaluation for the site. After the NRC staff receives the

Final Compliance letter for the site, the Safety Evaluation will be issued. Then, the NRC staff

will confirm through inspections the full implementation of the orders mentioned above by

performing Temporary Instruction 191, Inspection of the Implementation of Mitigation Strategies

and Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation Orders and Emergency Preparedness

Communication/Staffing/Multi-Unit Dose Assessment Plans.

As indicated in our annual assessment letter (ML16061A312) dated March 2, 2016, from

January 1 to December 31, 2015, the NRC issued three Severity Level IV traditional

enforcement violations associated with impeding the regulatory process. The NRC conducted

Inspection Procedure (IP) 92723, Follow up Inspection for Three or More Severity Level IV

Traditional Enforcement Violations in the Same Area in a 12-Month Period, in June 2016, to

assess your evaluation of these violations and review the adequacy of associated corrective

actions. Based on the results of this inspection, as documented in NRC Inspection

Report 05000298/2016005 (ML16211A197) dated July 29, 2016, the NRC concluded that the

inspection objective involving identification of extent of condition and extent of cause of the

violations was not met. Therefore, the NRC plans to complete IP 92723 to verify adequate

extent of condition and extent of cause reviews once we receive notification of your readiness

for inspection.

In Staff Requirements Memorandum - SECY 16-0009, Recommendations Resulting from the

Integrated Prioritization and Re-Baselining of Agency Activities, the Commission approved the

NRC staff recommendation to discontinue the formal mid-cycle assessment process beginning

in calendar year 2017. This will be the final mid-cycle assessment letter. The staff will continue

to conduct quarterly assessment meetings and communicate changes in the assessment of

licensee performance in accordance with the guidance in Inspection Manual Chapter 0305,

Operating Reactor Assessment Program.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (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

O. Limpias -3-

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 me at 817-200-1144 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Greg Warnick, Branch Chief

Project Branch C

Division of Reactor Projects

Docket No. 50-298

License No. DPR-46

Enclosure:

Cooper Nuclear Station

Inspection/Activity Plan

Attachment 2 - Proposed Inspection Plan Official Use Only - Sensitive Internal Information/Security-Related Information CNS

Page 1 of 2 Cooper

08/30/2016 09:33:57 Inspection / Activity Plan

Report 22

07/01/2016 - 06/30/2018

Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff

Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site

TI-190 - TI 2515/190 1

1 08/29/2016 09/02/2016 IP 2515/190 Inspection of Interim Actions of Near-Term Task Force Recommendation 2.1 Flooding Reevaluations

EB2-05XT - TRIENNIAL FIRE PROTECTION INSPECTION 4

1 08/08/2016 08/12/2016 IP 7111105X Fire Protection - NFPA 805 (Triennial)

1 08/22/2016 08/26/2016 IP 7111105X Fire Protection - NFPA 805 (Triennial)

71111.08 - INSERVICE INSPECTION RF29 1

1 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 IP 7111108G Inservice Inspection Activities - BWR

RS 12 PI - RADIATION SAFETY 2

1 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls

1 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 IP 71124.02 Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls

1 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 IP 71151-OR01 Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness

1 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 IP 71151-PR01 RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent Occurrences

ISFSI - LOADING INSPECTION (ONE WEEK IN MONTH) 1

1 05/01/2017 05/30/2017 IP 60855.1 Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Operating Plants

RS 12 PI - RADIATION SAFETY 2

1 05/22/2017 05/26/2017 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls

1 05/22/2017 05/26/2017 IP 71124.03 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation

1 05/22/2017 05/26/2017 IP 71151-OR01 Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness

1 05/22/2017 05/26/2017 IP 71151-PR01 RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent Occurrences

EP-1 - BIENNIAL EP PROGRAM INSPECTION 1

1 06/26/2017 06/30/2017 IP 7111402 Alert and Notification System Testing

1 06/26/2017 06/30/2017 IP 7111403 Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System

1 06/26/2017 06/30/2017 IP 7111404 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes

1 06/26/2017 06/30/2017 IP 7111405 Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies

EP-2 - EP PERFORMANCE INDICATOR VERIFICATION 1

1 06/26/2017 06/30/2017 IP 71151-EP01 Drill/Exercise Performance

1 06/26/2017 06/30/2017 IP 71151-EP02 ERO Readiness

1 06/26/2017 06/30/2017 IP 71151-EP03 Alert & Notification System Reliability

TSB 52B - BIENNIAL PI&R 4

1 07/10/2017 07/14/2017 IP 71152B Problem Identification and Resolution

1 07/24/2017 07/28/2017 IP 71152B Problem Identification and Resolution

BRQ - BRQ INSPECTION 3

1 10/02/2017 10/06/2017 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification Program

This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

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

Enclosure

Official Use Only - Sensitive Internal Information/Security-Related Information

Attachment 2 - Proposed Inspection Plan Official Use Only - Sensitive Internal Information/Security-Related Information CNS

Page 2 of 2 Cooper

08/30/2016 09:33:57 Inspection / Activity Plan

Report 22

07/01/2016 - 06/30/2018

Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff

Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site

RS 5678 - RS TEAM 4

1 10/02/2017 10/06/2017 IP 71124.05 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation

1 10/02/2017 10/06/2017 IP 71124.06 Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment

1 10/02/2017 10/06/2017 IP 71124.07 Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program

1 10/02/2017 10/06/2017 IP 71124.08 Radioactive Solid Waste Processing and Radioactive Material Handling, Storage, and Transportation

EB1-21M - COOPER DESIGN BASES INSPECTION TEAMS 6

1 04/09/2018 05/11/2018 IP 7111121M Component Design Bases Inspection (Teams)

This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

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

Enclosure

Official Use Only - Sensitive Internal Information/Security-Related Information

ML16242A329

SUNSI Review ADAMS Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:

By: CHY Yes No Non-Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002

OFFICE DRP:C/SPE DRS: D DRP: D DRP:PBC

NAME CYoung AVegel TPruett GWarnick

SIGNATURE /RA/ /RA/JClark,for /RA/ /RA/

DATE 8/15/16 8/17/16 8/20/16 8/29/16

Letter to Mr. Oscar Limpias from Greg Warnick dated August 31, 2016

SUBJECT: MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR COOPER NUCLEAR STATION

(REPORT 05000298/2016005)

DISTRIBUTION:

Regional Administrator (Kriss.Kennedy@nrc.gov)

Deputy Regional Administrator (Scott.Morris@nrc.gov)

DRP Director (Troy.Pruett@nrc.gov)

DRP Deputy Director (Ryan.Lantz@nrc.gov)

DRS Director (Anton.Vegel@nrc.gov)

DRS Deputy Director (Jeff.Clark@nrc.gov)

Senior Resident Inspector (Patricia.Voss@nrc.gov)

Resident Inspector (Christopher.Henderson@nrc.gov)

Branch Chief, DRP/C (Greg.Warnick@nrc.gov)

Senior Project Engineer (Cale.Young@nrc.gov)

Project Engineer (Michael.Stafford@nrc.gov)

Project Engineer (Lindsay.Brandt@nrc.gov)

Administrative Assistant (Amy.Elam@nrc.gov)

Public Affairs Officer (Victor.Dricks@nrc.gov)

Project Manager (Thomas.Wengert@nrc.gov)

Team Leader, DRS/IPAT (Thomas.Hipschman@nrc.gov)

ACES (R4Enforcement.Resource@nrc.gov)

RITS Coordinator (Marisa.Herrera@nrc.gov)

Regional Counsel (Karla.Fuller@nrc.gov)

Technical Support Assistant (Loretta.Williams@nrc.gov)

Congressional Affairs Officer (Jenny.Weil@nrc.gov)

Congressional Affairs Officer (Angel.Moreno@nrc.gov)

RIV/ETA: OEDO (Jeremy.Bowen@nrc.gov)

RIV RSLO (Bill.Maier@nrc.gov)

Director, DIRS, NRR (Chris.Miller@nrc.gov)

Deputy Director, DIRS, NRR (Shana.Helton@nrc.gov)

Director, DORL, NRR (Anne.Boland@nrc.gov)

Deputy Director, DORL, NRR (George.Wilson@nrc.gov)

Director, NSIR (Brian.Holian@nrc.gov)

Director, DPR, NSIR (Marissa.Bailey@nrc.gov)

DRP Branch Chiefs (R4DRPBC@nrc.gov)

DRS Branch Chiefs (R4DRSBC@nrc.gov)

ROPreports.Resource@nrc.gov

ROPassessment.Resource@nrc.gov