ML20206P921

New NRC Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program

ML20206P921
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Issue date:	05/31/1999
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NUREG-1649, NUREG-1649-R01, NUREG-1649-R1, NUDOCS 9905190012
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AvailabiNty of Reference Materials Cited in NRC Publications i

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New NRC Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program May 1999 g" ""*%,

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NUREG-1649, Rev.1

New NRC Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is of significant safety problems, and the number revamping its inspection and oversight pro-of outages caused by equipment problems have gram for commercial nuclear power plants.

all decreased.

The new program takes into account improve-ments in the performance of the nuclear indus_

The improvements in plant performance j

can be attributed both to efforts within the j

try over the past twenty years and the desire of the NRC to apply more objective, timely, nuclear industry and to successful regulatory safety-significant criteria in assessing perfor-oversight. Despite this success, the NRC has mance, as well as the agency's need to effec.

noted that the current proces.ses for inspection, tively regulate the industry with a smaller staff assessment, and enforcement are not always and budget.

focused on the most important safety issues.

In some situations, regulatory activities have 1

The new program will be tested at nine been redundant or inefficient and, at times, nuclear power plants on a pilot basis, begin-overly subjective. NRC actions have riot ning in June. This experience will be used to always been sufficiently understandable or evaluate and, if needed, modify the new pro-predictable.

cesses before they are extended to all plants To address these concerns, the new over-next year.

sight program calls for:

The impetus behind this comprehensive O Focusing inspections on activities where change in approach came both from the NRC's own fundamental reviews of its regulatory the potential risks are greater program as part of the " reinventing govern-O Applying greater regulatory attention to ment" process and from concerns expressc9 by facilities with performance problems and the nuclear industry, Congressional committees.

reducing regulatory attention on facilities and public interest groups.

that perform well The commercial nuclear power industry in O

Using objective measurements of the the United States is a mature industry. Most of performance of nuclear power plants the more than 100 nuclear plants have been whenever possible operating for more than 10 years, and half of O Giving the nuclear industry and the public them have operated for more than 20 years.

timely and understandable assessments of The industry has not informed the NRC of any P ant performance l

plans for new nuclear plants, although the NRC has approved standardized designs for im-0 Minimizing unnecessary regulatory proved nuclear power facilities.

burdens on nuclear facilities 0 Responding to violations of regulations in All the evidence suggests that the safety and reliability of the nuclear industry has a predictable and consistent manner that improved markedly since the mid-1980's. The reflects the safety impact of the violations number of automatic shutdowns, the number (continued on next page)

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 1

The key features of the program deal with The objective is to monitor perfonnance in new methods for assessing performance and three broad areas - reactor safety (avoiding inspecting to assure safe operation. The accidents and reducing the consequences of program spells out more clearly what a accidents if they occur); radiation safety for nuclear plant operator can expect with good plant workers and the public during routine performance and what agency actions will be operations; and protection of the plant against taken if performance declines.

sabotage or other security threats.

The new commercial nuclear plant over-Another way of looking at the mission is to sight program is, of course, anchored in the identify the " cornerstones" of safe nuclear NRC's mission to ensure public health and plant operation in each of the three areas:

safety in the operation of such power plants.

Reactor Safety Cornerstones Initiating Events - minimizing events that could lead to an accident Mitigation Systems - assure the ability of safety systems to respond to and lessen the severity of an accident Barrier Integrity - maintain barriers to the release of radioactivity in an accident Emergency Preparedness - plans by the utility and governmental agencies to shelter or evacuate people in the community in the event of a severe accident Radiation Safety Cornerstones Plant worker - minimize exposure during routine operations General public - provide adequate protection during routine operations Security Cornerstone Physical protection of plant and nuclear fuel Cross-Cutting Elements Three cross-cutting elements are part of each of these cornerstones:

Human performance Management attention to safety and workers' ability to raise safety issues

(" Safety-conscious" work environment)

Finding and fixing problems (Utility's corrective action program) 2 Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program I

Measuring Nuclear Plant Performance Indicators Performance eerformance indicators use objective data to monitor each of the " cornerstone" areas.

Nuclear plant performance will be measured The data which make up the performance by a combination of objective performance indicators will be generated by the utilities indicators and by the NRC inspection program and submitted to the NRC. The NRC will also that will be focused on those plant activities monitor plant activities through its inspection which have the greatest impact on safety and program both to verify the accuracy of the overall risk.

performance indicator information and to assess performance that is not measured by the performance indicators.

The principal performance indicators now planned are:

Safety Cornerstone Performance Indicator Initiating events Unplanned reactor shutdowns (automatic and manual) i 1

Loss of normal reactor cooling system following unplanned shutdown

" Transients" - unplanned events that result in changes in reactor power Mitigating Systems Safety system not available

• Specific Emergency Core Cooling Systems Emergency Electric Power Systems Safety system failures Integrity of Barriers to Fuel cladding (measured by radioactivity in reactor cooling Release of Radioactivity system)

Reactor cooling system leak rate Reactor containment leak rate (when tested)

Emergency Preparedness Emergency response organization drill performance Readiness of emergency response organization Availability of notification system for area residents Occupational Radiation Compliance with regulations for controlling access to radiation Safety areas in plant Uncontrolled radiation exposures to workers greater than 10 percent of regulatory limit Public Radiation Safety Effluent releases requiring reporting under NRC regulationis and license conditions Physical Protection Security system equipment availability Personnel screening program performance Employee fitness-for-duty program effectiveness (continued on next page)

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 3

.m Inspections

1. Inspection of areas not covered by perfonnance indicators for which a perfonnance indicator does not fully cover the inspection area; e

The new inspection program will include baseline inspections common to all nuclear

2. Inspections to verify the accuracy of infor-plants. Inspections beyond the baseline will be mation provided by a licensee's perfor-performed at plants with performance below a mance indicators; and specified threshold, based on performance indicators inspection findings. Additional 3 A comprehensive review of the utility's inspections may also be performed in response effectiveness in finding and resolving to a specific event or problem at a plant.

pmblems.

The baseline inspection program will be The baseline inspection program will be evaluated through the pilot program to deter-based on the " cornerstone" areas important to mine the resources needed to conduct the safety. It will focus on activities and systems Inspections. Compared to the existing program, that are " risk significant," that is those activi-some reduction of resources is expected for the ties and systems that have a potential to ini-better performing plants.

tlate an accident, mitigate the effects of an accident, or increase the consequences of a As is the current practice, inspection re-possible accident. The inspection program ports will be issued for all inspections. The will also review how the utilities find and reports are available to the public. When the fix problems.

NRC's new document management system begins operation later this year, the reports will The inspections will be perfonned by NRC be available on the agency's Internet Web site.

resident inspectors stationed at each nuclear power plant, and by inspector; based in one of the four NRC regional offices or in NRC Head-Assessing Plant Performance quarters in Rockville, Maryland. The regional offices are in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; The performance indicator data, submitted Atlanta, Georgia; Lisle, Illinois; and by the utilities, will be evaluated and inte-i Arlington, Texas.

grated with the findings of the NRC inspection program. Each of the performance indicators The redesigned inspection program was has criteria for measuring acceptable perfor-developed using a " risk-informad" approach to mance. (Like all industrial activities, nuclear select areas to inspect within each cornerstone.

Power plants are not error-free or risk-free.

Equipment pmblems will occur. Each perfor-The inspection areas were selected because of mance indicator is designed to determine their importance from the point of view of acceptable levels of operation within adequate potential risk, past operational experience, and safety margins.)

regulatory requirements. Within each inspec-tion area, the scope of the inspection will be The performance indicators will be moni-set using the same assessment of risk signifi-tored by the NRC staff and reported quarterly cance. The degree to which the area is mea-by the utilities. Significant problems identified sured by a performance indicator also affects by performance indicators or by NRC inspec-the scope.

tors will be dealt with promptly.

The baseline inspection program has Each perfonnance indicator and inspection three parts assessment will be categorized to determine the appropriate regulatory response:

4 Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program v

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Category " Green" - Performance only calling sured by the performance indicators and by for NRC " baseline" oversight inspection findings. Every six months this review will be expanded to include planning of Cornerstone objectives fully met inspections for the following six-month period.

No significant deviation from expected performance For those performance indicators and inspection aaas outside of the green cat-Category " White" - Performance calling for ~

egory, the agency may increase its inspection increased regulaiory response and oversight activities in those affected areas.

Cornerstone objectives met with minimal Each year, the final quarterly review will reduction in safety margin involve a more detailed assessment of plant Outside bounds of expected performance performance over the previous 12 months and preparation of a performance report, as well as s

Changes in performance but with very the inspection plan for the following six-small effect on accident risk n.onth period. This review will include NRC Category " Yellow" - Performance calling for headquarters staff members as well as the required reglatory response regional staff and the resident inspectors.

Cornerstone objectives met but with An annual review will also be used to reduction in safety m.vn affirm that those plants with declining perfor-mance that require action from NRC regional Changes in performance with a small offices or from headquarters have beeh appro-effect on accident risk priately considered. These plants will be Category " Red" - Unacceptable performance, discussed at an annual meeting of the NRC's senior managers. All such plants also will be Plant performance significantly outside utscussed during a public Commission meeting design basis m plant performance.

Loss of confidence in ability of plant to provide assurance of public health and Following the Commission meeting, the safety if it continues to operate annual performance reports for all plants will be issued and the NRC staff will hold public

/;nificant reduction in margins of safety.

meetings with each licensee to discuss the The inspection staff has developed a pro-cess to determine the safety significance of inspection findings. The inspectors will clearly How the NRC Will Respond describe the plant conditions observed and the to Plant Performance effect of those conditions on plant safety systems. An initial review would identify the inspection findings that would not result in a The quarterly reviews of plant performance, significant increase in risk; these inspection using the performance indicators and inspec-findings would not be analyzed further. Those tion assessments, will determine what addi-inspection findings not eliminated in this tional action, if any, the NRC will take. This initial screening would be subject to a more process is intended to be more predictable than thorough risk assessment. This, in turn, would current practices by linking regulatory actions help determine what NRC action is called for.

to performance criteria. The new process Each calendar quarter, the resident inspec provides for four levels of regulatory response tors and the inspection staff in the regional beyond the baseline inspection and oversight office will review the performance of all program. The first two levels of increased nuclear power plants in that region as mea-(continued on next page)

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 5

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n regulatory review would be managed by the attention of senior managers from both head-appropriate regional office: The higher levels quarters and a regional office.

would be an agency response, involving the Assessent of Plant Performance (in order of increasing safety significance)

NRC Response 1.

All Performance Indicators and Cornerstone Routine resident inspector and staff Inspection Findings CREEN interaction Normal baseline inspection program Cornerstone objectives fully met.

Annual assessment public meeting II. One or two inputs WHITE in different Response at Regional level Staff to hold public meeting with cornerstones utility management Cornerstone objectives fully met.

Utility corrective action to address WHITE inputs with NRC oversight NRC inspection followup on WHITE inputs and corrective action III. One degraded cornerstone (two inputs Response at Regional level WHITE or one input YELLOW) or three Senior Regional Management to hold cornerstone WHITE public meeting with utility management Utility to conduct self-assessment with Cornerstone objectives met with NRC oversight minimal reduction in safety margin Utility submits response to degraded area Additional inspections focused on cause of degraded performance IV. Repetitive degraded cornerstone, multiple Response at Agency level degraded cornerstones, or multiple Executive Director for Operations to hold public meeting with senior utility management Cornerstone objectives met with Utility develops performance longstanding issues or significant improvement plan with NRC oversight reduction in safety margin NRC team inspection focused on cause of degraded performance

" Demand for Information" or

" Confirmatory Action Letter" or Order V. Overall RED (unacceptable performance)

Response at Agency level Plant not permitted to operate

• Unacceptable reduction in Commission meeting with senior safety margin utility management Order to modify, suspend, or revoke license 6

Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program

Enforcement Actions 2.

Actions that may adversely affect the NRC's ability to monitor utility activities, The NRC is changing its enforcement including reporting violations, failure to program to integrate it with the overall perfor-btain NRC approval for plant changes, mance assessment process.

failure to maintain accurate records, and failure to provide the NRC with complete Each violation of NRC requirements found and accurate information.

during NRC inspections will be evaluated to 3.

Incidents with actual consequences, in-determine its effect on plant safety and risk. If the violation is thought to be oflow safety cluding radiation exposures above NRC significance, it will be discussed in the inspec-limits, releases of radioactive material tion report with no formal enforcement action.

above NRC limits, and failure to notify The utility is expected to deal with the viola-g vernment agencies when emergency tion through its corrective action program, response is required.

correcting the violation and taking steps to prevent a recurrence. The issue may also be reviewed during future NRC inspections.

pilot ProOram to be Conducted While a formal Notice of Violation will usually not be issued for violations of low safety significance, if the utility falls to correct The NRC will test the regulatory oversight the problem ir. a reasonable period or does not process with a six-month ~ pilot program at nine put the problem in its corrective action pro-nuclear power plants, beginning in June. The lP ants represent a cross-section of the nuclear gram, a Notice of Violation will be issued. A Notice of Violation may also be issued if the industry, featuring different plant designs and violation is found to be willful.

v rying levels of performance. In the pilot program, the utilities will collect and report If the NRC risk evaluation finds that the Performance indicator data. The NRC will violation has higher safety significance, a inspect the plants under the new baseline Notice of Violation will be issued. The perfor-inspection program, taking enforcement action, mance assessment process will be used to when appropriate, using the new enforcement establish the appropriate response for the policy guidelines. Similarly, the plants will be violation. Normally, these violations will not evaluated using the new assessment process.

be the subject of a civil penalty. However, there may be violations, when evaluated for The pilot program is intended to test how their safety significance, that warrant a fine effectively the new oversight process works because of the magnitude of the safety signifi.

and to identify possible problems. The pro-cance. Such violations are likely to be rare.

gram will also measure the resources required Possible examples include exceeding a safety by the NRC and by the industry to implement limit specified in a reactor license or the inad-the new system. Based on lessons learned vertent startup of a reactor.

from the pilot, the NRC will decide whether revisions are necessary before extending the Some violations will call for the traditional oversight process to all commercial nuclear enforcement approach, including the possible power plants. Evaluation of the oversight issuance of fines. Examples include:

process will be based on criteria established in dvance.

1.

Discrimination against workers for raising safety issues or other willful violations.

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 7

Those plants selected to participate in the provide a context for assessing performance pilot program are:

and observing change in that performance.

This unified report will then be issued to the Hope Creek, Public Service Electric and Gas utility and to the public.

Company Salem 1 and 2 Public Service Flectric and Every six months, the performance review Cas Company will also be used to develop the plan for FitzPatrick, New York Power Authority inspections to be condacted during the ensuing six months. The last report in a yearly cycle Harris, Carolina Power and Light Company will include a narrative assessment of the Sequoyah I and 2, Tennessee Valley Authority plant's performance over the previous 12 i

Prairie Islanct I and 2. Northern States Power months together with those steps called for by

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Company the NRC or taken by the licensee on its own l

Quad Cities 1 and 2, Commonwealth Edison initiative to address problems. The NRC staff Company will also hold an annual public meeting with Ft. Calhoun, Omaha Public Power District each utility to discuss the plant's performance.

I Cooper Nebraska Public Power District The fourth quarter report for each plant will be issued following a public Commission Making Performance meetin8 to review the performance of all lnformation Available commerciai nuciear piants. This meeting wiii focus on any plants which require additional to the Publ.ic NRC oversight because of declining perfor-mance or continued performance problems.

The new inspection and oversight program will provide more information on plant perfor-mance than in the past, and the information How this Oversight Program will be available on a more frequent basis.

Differs from the Current Updated plant performance information will be issued by the NRC every three months. This

$ystem information will be placed on the NRC's internet Web site as well as in its Public Docu-The current inspection program was designed ment Room in Washington, D.C.

to regulate an industry that was more likely to experience performance problems than is cur-The NRC will develop the format that will rently the case. Therefore, the existing programs be used for the report. The process will call are aimed at closely observing plant activities for a utility to submit to the NRC the quarterly and performance and responding to operational performance indicator data for the plant which problems as they occur.

It operates. The NRC staff will review the data for completeness and accuracy. The staff will The new inspection program recognizes then combine the utility-submitted perfor-that most plants are now performing substan-mance indicators with performance indicators tially better than did the plants of the mid-generated for each of the " safety cornerstone" 1980's. For example, in the 1980's the typical areas by the NRC's own inspection program.

plant had about six unplanned shutdowns The quarterly performance report will include

(" scrams") a year. In the past year, the num-performance indicator data and inspection ber of reactor scrams averaged less than one findings for the previous four quarters to per year per plant. This is an important mea-8 Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program

sure of plant operations and demonstrates the to support the quarterly reviews of plant significant improvement in performance at performance.

most plants.

The new enforcement policy will comple-The new program is designed to focus more ment the assessment process by focusing on of the agency's resources on the relatively small the safety significance of individual violations.

number of plants which evidence performance For those oflesser significance the utilities will problems, while reducing the regulatory impact be expected to address the violations in their on plants that perform well. The baseline inspec-corrective action programs. More significant tion program is considered the minimum inspec-violations may lead to further NRC action, tion effort needed to assure that plants have including meetings with utility officials, formal demonstrated that they meet the " safety comer-orders, or other regulatory tools. Fines may stone" objectives. The baseline inspection pro-also be proposed, if appropriate.

gram will be performed at all reactor sites utiliz-ing NRC resident inspectors and inspectors from The performance assessment process previ-the regional offices.

ously involved three processes:

Plant Performance Review - conducted The baseline inspection program will moni-tor plant activities as an " indicator" of plant every six months to assess events, inspec-performance. If performance declines, the tion findings, and other data. This review inspection effort would increase to consider was done to plan future inspections and to what caused the decline. By way of contrast, identify those plants with declining perfor-the traditional NRC inspection program was mance that required further NRC action.

more diagnostic in the first instance, looking for possible problems and their causes, no Seni r Management Meeting and Watch matter how the plant was performing. The List - the plant performance review was new baseline prog: a is more " risk-informed,

used to identify those plants which re-

- it concentrates on those plant activities and quired further discussmn by the NRC systems that have the greatest potential impact senior managers to determine if additional on safety.

regulatory action was needed. The senior managers reviewed the information assess-Plants that do not meet the " safety corner-ing plant performance. The managers stone" objectives will receive increased inspec-designated those plants warranting height-tion, focusing on areas of declining perfor_

ened NRC monitoring as being on a mance. The NRC will also conduct " reactive-

" watch list." These " watch list" plants inspections beyond the baseline program, even were then discussed at a public meeting at plants performing well, if there are oi era.

with the Commission.

tional problems or events the NRC believes require greater scrutiny. Generic problems, hskm tic Assessment of Wensee affecting some or all plants, may also require Performance (SALP) - about every 18 s, the NRC staff reviewed separately mn additional inspections.

each plant and documented the results in The assessment program will be substan_

a (SALP) report. This report included a tially different from the previous process. The numerical rating of the plant in four new program makes greater use of performance categories-plant operations, maintenance, indicators. Together, the indicators and inspec-engineering, and plant support-as well as tion findings provide the information needed providing a narrative discussion of overall U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 9

performance. For plants with performance

2. To enhance public confidence by in-Problems, the SALP period could be shoit-creasing the predictability, consistency, objec-ened to as little as once a year, while tivity and scrutability of the oversight process plants with superior perfonnance wer so that all parties will be well served by the assessed every 24 months.

changes t'aking place.

The revamping of the NRC's inspection and

3. To improve effectiveness and efficiency oversight program should fulfill the following of the oversight process by focusing agency four goals established by the Commission:

resources and utility resources on those issues

1. To maintain safety by establishing a with the most risk-significance.

regulatory oversight framework that ensures

4. To reduce unnecessary regulatory that plants continue to be operated safely.

burden as the process becomes more efficient Maintaining safety is the foremost consider-and effective.

ation in what NRC does.

10 Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program

NRC FORM 335 u.S. NuCLEA' 4 REGULATORY COMMISSloN

1. REPORT NUMBER RC% 1102.

A h

m.22o2 BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA SHEET (see menoons on n. rewrwi

2. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

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New NRC Reactor Inspection and Oversight Program 3

DATE REPORT PUBLISHED MOUTH

]

YEAR r

May 1999 4 FIN OR GRANT NUMBER

6. AUTHOR (S)

6. TYPE OF REPORT Technical

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7. PERIOO COVERED (incAueve Dates;

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS (WNRC. prowde Dwsaan, otAce or Regen. US Nuedear Regudenzy Commsson, and mahng access. #contrecfw, proude name and mahng access)

Office of Public Affairs U.S. Nudear Regulatory Commission c

Wishington, DC 20555-0001

9. SPONSORING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS (WNRC. type "Same as abovoi # contractor. prowde NRC Dwson, omes or Regen U S Nucsear Regidafory Comnussen, and mehng eddress)

Srme as organization in Block 8.

10. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 4

11. ABSTRACT (200 words or ess)

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is revamping its inspection and oversight program for commercial nuclear power plants.

The new program takes into account improvements in the performance of the nuclear industry over the past 20 years; the desira of the NRC to apply more objective, timely, safety-significant criteria in assessing performance; and the agency's need to effectively regulate the industry with a smaller staff and budget. The new program will be used at eight nuclear power plants on a pilot basis, beginning in June 1999. The experience of this pilot pr ram will be used to evaluate and, if needed, modify the new processes before they are exiended to all plants in January 2

12. KEY WORDS/DESCRIPTORS (bst words or ptreses that ew asast reseen.hers m iocabne the roport) 13 AVAiLAstuTY 61AIEMENr i

rractor inspection unlimited nucl:ct power plant performance 14 SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

~~ 5s'Page)

(T unclassified unclassified 16 NUMBER OF PAGES

16. PRICE NHC FORM 335 (249)

This form was chily produced ty EMe Federal Forms. kic J

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on recycled paper

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