ML21064A522

BWXT Nuclear Operations Group Licensee Performance Review Inspection Report 070000027/2021005

ML21064A522
Person / Time
Site:	BWX Technologies
Issue date:	03/05/2021
From:	Ladonna Suggs Division of Nuclear Materials Safety II
To:	Bittner J BWXT
References
IR 2021005
Download: ML21064A522 (5)

Text

March 5, 2021 Mr. Jim Bittner Vice President and General Manager BWXT Nuclear Operations Group, Inc.

P.O. Box 785 Lynchburg, VA 24505-0785

SUBJECT:

BWXT NUCLEAR OPERATIONS GROUP - LICENSEE PERFORMANCE REVIEW (NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION INSPECTION REPORT 70-27/2021-005)

Dear Mr. Bittner:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff in the Region II office, the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, and the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response completed a periodic review of the BWXT Nuclear Operations Group, Inc. (NOG),

Lynchburg, VA, fuel fabrication facility performance in conducting NRC-licensed activities. The performance review covered licensed activities from January 1, 2019, through December 31, 2020. The performance of BWXT NOG was evaluated in the following performance areas:

Safety Operations, Safeguards, Radiological Controls, Facility Support, and Other Areas in accordance with Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 2604, Licensee Performance Review.

Overall, the staff determined that BWXT NOG has continued to conduct NRC regulated activities safely and securely and in a manner that protects public health and the environment.

Based on our review of NRC regulated activities, no area subject to our oversight and needing improvement was identified for Safety Operations, Safeguards, Radiological Controls, Facility Support, and Other Areas. Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct the core inspection program for a Category I Fuel Facility as described in NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 2600 Appendix B, NRC Core Inspection Requirements, for the period of January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022.

No separate letter will be issued addressing the Safeguards area.

The results of our review will be discussed with you at a public meeting on April 28, 2021, which will be conducted via an online webinar. During the meeting, we request that you be prepared to discuss your performance in the same major areas as those evaluated by the NRC.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice and Procedure," 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 (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).

J. Bittner 2 Please refer questions and comments regarding your Licensee Performance Review to Mr. Eric Michel, Chief, Projects Branch 2, by telephone at 404-997-4555.

Sincerely,

/RA/

LaDonna B. Suggs, Director Division of Fuel Facility Inspection Docket No. 70-27 License No. SNM-42

Enclosure:

Licensee Performance Review cc: (See page 3) cc w/ encl: Distribution via LISTSERV

ML21064A522 SUNSI REVIEW COMPLETE FORM 665 ATTACHED OFFICE RII:DFFI/PB2 RII:DFFI/PB2 RII:DFFI/PB2 NMSS:DFM NMSS:DFM NMSS:DFM NAME E. Michel N. Pitoniak T. Sippel J. Downs J. Zimmerman J. Rubenstone DATE 2/23/2021 2/24/2021 2/23/2021 2/19/2021 2/22/2021 2/19/2021 E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO OFFICE NMSS:DFM RII:DFFI NAME A. Kock L. Suggs DATE 2/28/2021 3/5/2021 E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO LICENSEE PERFORMANCE REVIEW FOR NUCLEAR FUELS SERVICES, INC.

ASSESSMENT PERIOD: JANUARY 1, 2019 TO DECEMBER 31, 2020 The following is a summary of the enforcement actions considered for the performance review of BWXT in the conduct of NRC-licensed activities.

PERFORMANCE AREA: SAFETY OPERATIONS This area is comprised of plant operations (including maintenance and surveillance), nuclear criticality safety, and fire protection.

Program Areas Needing Improvement During the Licensee Performance Review (LPR) assessment period, the enforcement items listed below were issued in the area of Safety Operations. However, no specific Area Needing Improvement (ANI) was identified in Safety Operations.

• Two non-cited violations (NCVs) were issued in the area of safety operations. Their causes were unrelated. This does not warrant an ANI. (ML19030A138 and ML20302A244)

• Four Severity Level IV cited violations were issued in the area of safety operations.

Because their causes varied and they occurred in different areas, no ANI is warranted. (ML19211D562, ML20121A219, and ML21029A157)

Recommended NRC Inspection Effort

• Maintain the core inspection effort in Safety Operations.

PERFORMANCE AREA: SAFEGUARDS This area is comprised of material control and accounting (MC&A), physical protection of special nuclear material, and information security.

Program Areas Needing Improvement

• Two NCVs were issued in the area of physical security. Their causes were unrelated.

This does not warrant an ANI. (ML19193A163 and ML20070H452)

Recommended NRC Inspection Effort

• Maintain the core inspection effort in Safeguards.

PERFORMANCE AREA: RADIOLOGICAL CONTROLS This area is comprised of radiation protection, environmental protection, waste management, and transportation.

Enclosure

Program Areas Needing Improvement

• No specific Area Needing Improvement was identified in Radiological Controls.

Recommended NRC Inspection Effort

• Maintain the core inspection effort in Radiological Controls.

PERFORMANCE AREA: FACILITY SUPPORT This area is comprised of emergency preparedness and permanent plant modifications.

Program Areas Needing Improvement

• No specific Area Needing Improvement was identified in Facility Support.

Recommended NRC Inspection Effort

• Maintain the core inspection effort in Facility Support.

PERFORMANCE AREA: OTHER AREAS This area is comprised of special issues.

Program Areas Needing Improvement

• No specific Area Needing Improvement was identified in Other Areas.

Recommended NRC Inspection Effort

• Maintain the core inspection effort.

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