IR 05000528/2021006
| ML22053A345 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Palo Verde  |
| Issue date: | 03/02/2022 |
| From: | Ami Agrawal NRC Region 4 |
| To: | Lacal M Arizona Public Service Co |
| References | |
| IR 2021006 | |
| Download: ML22053A345 (7) | |
Text
March 2, 2022
SUBJECT:
ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION - UNITS 1, 2 AND 3 (REPORT 05000528/2021006, 05000529/2021006, AND 05000530/2021006)
Dear Mrs. Lacal:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its end-of-cycle performance assessment of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, reviewing performance indicators (PIs), inspection results, and enforcement actions from January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. 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 concluded that overall performance at your facility preserved public health and safety. The baseline inspection program was completed at your facility as defined in Inspection Manual Chapter 2515, Light-Water Reactor Inspection Program - Operations Phase.
The NRC determined the performance at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column, the highest performance category of the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix, because all inspection findings had very low safety significance (i.e., Green), and all PIs were within the 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 December 31, 2023.
The NRC provides the inspection plan to allow for the resolution of any scheduling conflicts and personnel availability issues. Routine inspections performed by resident inspectors are not included in the inspection plan. The inspections listed during the last twelve months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised. The NRC will contact you as soon as possible to discuss changes to the inspection plan should circumstances warrant any changes.
In response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), the NRC adjusted inspection plans and schedules in order to safeguard the health and safety of both NRC and licensee staff while still effectively implementing the ROP. While the PHE continues, overall conditions throughout the country support performance of our inspection and oversight activities to return to normal onsite presence by our resident and region-based inspectors and completion of nominal baseline inspection samples. We continue to monitor site-specific conditions and as discussed in our November 2, 2021 memo, Implementation of Inspection Programs Following Re-Entry from the Public Health Emergency for the Reactor Safety Program (ML21295A302),
it may be necessary to alter how and when we perform our inspection and oversight activities as we balance the importance of protecting the health and safety of our staff with the need to conduct effective oversight that supports the NRCs critical safety mission. For inspections requiring extensive coordination with offsite organizations, such as evaluated emergency preparedness exercises, NRC guidance and frequently asked questions for security and emergency preparedness can be found here: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/covid-19/security-ep/. Similarly, the NRC has developed guidance if force-on-force inspections cannot be completed as scheduled due to an emergency, such as the COVID-19 PHE. These changes help ensure the health and safety of both NRC and licensee staff while maintaining the NRCs important safety and security mission during the COVID-19 PHE. The attached inspection plan is accurate on the date of issuance but remains subject to change based on approval of potential exemption requests or other changes needed due to changing conditions in the COVID-19 PHE. NRC staff will contact your appropriate regulatory affairs staff in order to coordinate inspection planning and scheduling.
On November 17, 2020, the NRC issued Confirmatory Order EA-20-054 (ADAMS Accession No. ML20323A035), which was associated with your facilitys failure to properly evaluate changes to the onsite dry cask storage system and the failure to adequately analyze the consequences of a hypothetical spent fuel cask tip-over accident. The Regional Administrator has previously approved the staffs plan to conduct a follow-up inspection of planned Confirmatory Order actions in accordance with Inspection Procedure 92702, Followup on Traditional Enforcement Actions Including Violations, Deviations, Confirmatory Action Letters, Confirmatory Orders, And Alternative Dispute Resolution Confirmatory Orders. The date of this inspection is reflected in the enclosed inspection plan.
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 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 817-200-1491 with any questions you have regarding this letter.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Ami N. Agrawal, Chief Project Branch D Division of Operating Reactor Safety
Docket Nos. 05000528, 05000529, and 05000530 License Nos. NPF-41, NPF-51, and NPF-74
Enclosure:
Inspection Plan
ML22053A345 SUNSI Review ADAMS:
Non-Publicly Available Non-Sensitive Keyword:
By: PJV Yes No Publicly Available Sensitive NRC-002 OFFICE SPE: DORS/C C: DORS/D
NAME PVossmar AAgrawal
SIGNATURE
/RA/
/RA/
DATE 2/23/2022 02/23/2022
07200044 - Palo Verde (ISFSI)
01/01/2022 - 12/31/2023 Unit Start End Activity CAC Title Staff Count Palo Verde ISFSI Confirmatory Order Follow-up Inspection (Part 72)
1 10/1/2022 11/30/2022 IP 92702 CONF 001701 Enforcement Related Order Follow-Up-Only Prepared on 2/22/2022 1:40:00 PM 1 of 4 Site Inspection Activity Plan
Palo Verde 01/01/2022 - 12/31/2023 Unit Start End Activity CAC Title Staff Count FORCE-ON-FORCE PLANNING AND EXERCISE WEEKS - PV
1 1/10/2022 1/14/2022 IP 71130.03 000735 Contingency Response - Force-On-Force Testing
1/31/2022 2/4/2022 IP 71130.03 000735 Contingency Response - Force-On-Force Testing
2/1/2022 3/11/2022 IP 71152A 001792 Annual Follow-up Problem Identification and Resolution EP Program and PI Inspection - PV
1 2/28/2022 3/25/2022 IP 71151 001397 Performance Indicator Verification
3/21/2022 3/25/2022 IP 71114.02 000717 Alert and Notification System Testing
3/21/2022 3/25/2022 IP 71114.03 000718 Emergency Response Organization Staffing and Augmentation System
3/21/2022 3/25/2022 IP 71114.04 000719 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes
3/21/2022 3/25/2022 IP 71114.05 000720 Maintenance of Emergency Preparedness PV 2022 INITIAL EXAM
1 3/27/2022 4/2/2022 OV 000956 FB-OR-ONSITE VALIDATION OF INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION (OV)
5/1/2022 5/7/2022 EXAD 000500 FB-OR-INITIAL LICENSE EXAM ADMINISTRATION (EXAD)
Inservice Inspection 1RF23 - PV
1 4/11/2022 4/22/2022 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)
1 4/18/2022 4/22/2022 IP 71124.01 000725 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls
4/18/2022 4/22/2022 IP 71124.03 000727 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation RP 6,7 - PV
1 5/16/2022 5/20/2022 IP 71124.06 000730 Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment
5/16/2022 5/20/2022 IP 71124.07 000731 Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program MC&A - PV
1 6/6/2022 6/10/2022 IP 71130.11 000742 Material Control and Accounting (MC&A)
Security Access Control.02
1 7/25/2022 7/29/2022 IP 71130.02 000734 Access Control
7/25/2022 7/29/2022 IP 71130.09 001656 Security Plan Changes
7/25/2022 7/29/2022 IP 71151 001338 Performance Indicator Verification Target Set Inspection - PV
1 8/1/2022 9/16/2022 IP 71130.14 000743 Review of Power Reactor Target Sets Security Training/Equip Maint.07 and.04
1 9/12/2022 9/16/2022 IP 71130.04 000736 Equipment Performance, Testing, and Maintenance
9/12/2022 9/16/2022 IP 71130.07 000739 Security Training PV 2022 BRQ
Prepared on 2/22/2022 1:40:00 PM 2 of 4 Site Inspection Activity Plan
9/25/2022 10/1/2022 IP 71111.11B 000704 Licensed Operator Requalification Program and Licensed Operator Performance Palo Verde ISFSI Confirmatory Order Follow-up Inspection (Part 50) Feeder for Residents' report
1 10/1/2022 10/2/2022 IP 92702 001555 Follow-Up on Traditional Enforcement Actions Including Violations, Deviations, Confirmatory Action Letters, and Orders
10/1/2022 10/2/2022 IP 92702 CONF 001701 Enforcement Related Order Follow-Up-Only Inservice Inspection 3RF23 - PV
3 10/10/2022 10/21/2022 IP 71111.08P 000702 Inservice Inspection Activities (PWR)
Design Bases Assurance Inspection (Team) - 21M - Palo Verde
1 11/28/2022 12/16/2022 IP 71111.21M 000713 Design Bases Assurance Inspection (Teams)
Cyber Security Inspection - PV
1 12/5/2022 12/9/2022 IP 71130.10 000741 Cybersecurity Heat Exchanger/Sink Performance Inspection - 07T - Palo Verde
1 1/1/2023 6/30/2023 IP 71111.07T 000700 Heat Exchanger/Sink Performance 10 CFR 50.59 Inspection - 17T - Palo Verde
1 1/1/2023 6/30/2023 IP 71111.17T 000709 Evaluations of Changes, Tests, and Experiments EP 2023 Exercise Scenario In-Office Rvw 71114.08 - PV
1 1/1/2023 2/7/2023 IP 71114.08 000723 Exercise Evaluation Scenario Review Security FFD.08
1 1/23/2023 1/27/2023 IP 71130.08 000740 Fitness For Duty Program EP 2023 Biennial Exercise & PI Inspection
1 3/6/2023 3/10/2023 IP 71114.01 000716 Exercise Evaluation
3/6/2023 3/10/2023 IP 71114.04 000719 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes
3/6/2023 3/10/2023 IP 71151 001397 Performance Indicator Verification RP 1,4,PI -
1 4/17/2023 4/21/2023 IP 71124.01 000725 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls
4/17/2023 4/21/2023 IP 71124.04 000728 Occupational Dose Assessment PV 2023 INITIAL EXAM
1 3/26/2023 4/1/2023 OV 000956 FB-OR-ONSITE VALIDATION OF INITIAL LICENSE EXAMINATION (OV)
4/30/2023 5/6/2023 EXAD 000500 FB-OR-INITIAL LICENSE EXAM ADMINISTRATION (EXAD)
Palo Verde Biennial PI&R
1 6/26/2023 6/30/2023 IP 71152B 000747 Problem Identification and Resolution
7/10/2023 7/14/2023 IP 71152B 000747 Problem Identification and Resolution Security Access Authorization.01 and Access Control.02 + PIV + Plan Change.09
1 10/16/2023 10/20/2023 IP 71130.01 000733 Access Authorization
10/16/2023 10/20/2023 IP 71130.02 000734 Access Control
10/16/2023 10/20/2023 IP 71130.09 001656 Security Plan Changes Prepared on 2/22/2022 1:40:00 PM 3 of 4 Site Inspection Activity Plan
10/16/2023 10/20/2023 IP 71151 001338 Performance Indicator Verification RP 5,8 -
1 11/13/2023 11/17/2023 IP 71124.05 000729 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation
11/13/2023 11/17/2023 IP 71124.08 000732 Radioactive Solid Waste Processing & Radioactive Material Handling, Storage, & Transportation Prepared on 2/22/2022 1:40:00 PM 4 of 4 Site Inspection Activity Plan