ML26042A256
| ML26042A256 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | 05200055 |
| Issue date: | 02/23/2026 |
| From: | Sayoc E NRC/NRR/DNRL/NLIB |
| To: | Hayes M NRC/NRR/DNRL/NLIB |
| References | |
| Download: ML26042A256 (0) | |
Text
MEMORANDUM TO: Michelle W. Hayes, Chief Licensing and Regulatory Infrastructure Branch Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Emmanuel C. Sayoc, Project Manager Licensing and Regulatory Infrastructure Branch Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
AUDIT PLAN FOR THE STAFF SAFETY REVIEW OF THE DUKE ENERGY BELEWS CREEK NORTH CAROLINA SITE EARLY SITE PERMIT APPLICATION This letter transmits an audit plan for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staffs safety review of the Duke Energy Carolinas LLC, (Duke), Early Site Permit (ESP) application for the Belews Creek, North Carolina (NC) site. An environmental audit will be conducted separately.
By letter dated February 8, 2026, the NRC staff accepted the Duke ESP application for the Belews Creek, NC site (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS)
Accession No. ML26016A624). The ESP application documents were submitted on December 30, 2025 (ML25364A004). The purpose of this audit is to facilitate NRC staffs safety review of the Duke ESP application in such a manner that identified issues can readily be discussed and resolved, enabling a more effective and efficient review.
The audit will begin on the date of this letter and will tentatively end on October 6, 2026. The audit will be conducted in accordance with the guidance provided in Office Instruction (OI) LIC -111, Revision 2, Regulatory Audits. (ML24309A281). The audit plan is provided as an enclosure.
Docket No. 05200055
Enclosure:
Audit Plan cc: GovDelivery CONTACT: Manny Sayoc, NRR/NLIB 301-415-4080 February 23, 2026 Signed by Sayoc, Emmanuel on 02/23/26
DGreene ESayoc*
DATE 2/11/2026 2/17/2026 2/18/2026 OFFICE NRR/DNRL/NLIB: BC NRR/DNRL/NLIB: PM NAME MHayes*
ESayoc*
DATE 2/20/2026
Enclosure UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION AUDIT PLAN FOR THE STAFF SAFETY REVIEW OF THE DUKE ENERGY BELEWS CREEK NORTH CAROLINA SITE, EARLY SITE PERMIT APPLICATION DOCKET NO. 05200055 AUDIT PLAN APPLICANT:
Duke Energy Carolina, LLC (Duke)
CONTACTS:
Lead Regulatory Affairs Specialist: Sherry Andrews, Senior Licensing Consultant: Arthur Zaremba, DURATION:
February 24, 2026, through October 6, 2026 (approximately)
LOCATION:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Headquarters, via Duke Electronic Reading Room (eRR))
AUDIT TEAM:
Emmanuel Sayoc Lead Safety Project Manager (PM)
India Banks Safety PM George Wang Civil Engineer Amitava Ghosh Physical Scientist Anthony Torres Meteorologist Jenise Thompson Geologist Kevin Quinlan Senior Meteorologist Sarah Tabatabai Geophysicist Nebiyu Tiruneh Hydrologist Carol Dye Geologist Edward Stutzcage Reactor Scientist (Radiation)
Jamole Skeeter Emergency Preparedness Specialist Edward Robinson Senior Emergency Preparedness Specialist Travis Leach Security Specialist Tiffany Lee Reactor Systems Engineer (Quality Assurance Inspection)
2 I.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES By letter dated February 8, 2026, the NRC staff accepted Dukes application for an early site permit (ESP) for the Belews Creek North Carolina site (ML26016A624), which Duke submitted on December 30, 2025 (ML25364A004). During this audit, the NRC staff will seek clarification, gain understanding, and verify information related to the safety review of the ESP application. The audit will identify if any information is needed to support a regulatory finding so it can be placed on the docket. Additionally, review and discussion of the audit material will help minimize any subsequent requests for additional information.
II.
REGULATORY AUDIT BASIS The basis for this audit is the regulations in Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 52, Subpart A Early Site Permits, specific to the requirements of an ESP.
III.
REGULATORY AUDIT SCOPE The audit covers the safety-related portion of Dukes ESP application. A separate audit will be conducted for the environmental aspects.
IV.
INFORMATION AND OTHER MATERIAL NECESSARY FOR THE REGULATORY AUDIT Duke should be prepared to provide documents, reports, calculations, computer code verification, and other material in response to NRC supplied audit information needs. The NRC staff requests that Duke make these materials available in the eRR.
V.
LOGISTICS, SPECIAL REQUESTS, AND DELIVERABLES Duke and NRC have discussed and agreed upon the following audit logistics:
Duke will maintain a read-only SharePoint eRR for document viewing.
o NRC will provide participant names and emails, and Duke will set up read only access for said participants.
The audit will begin upon receipt of this audit plan and there will be no entrance meeting.
Weekly schedule for audit activities.
o Monday - NRC PM uploads to an NRC maintained secure external SharePoint the NRC maintained audit information needs tracker which will identify any new information needs along with the status of current audit information needs.
o Audit meetings will be scheduled as needed.
o Throughout the week,
As they become available, Duke posts responses to audit information needs in the eRR and notifies NRC PMs via email when responses are available,
As they become available, NRC staff review responses to audit
3 information needs and NRC PMs communicate approval or concerns verbally or via email to the Duke licensing contacts. Once an issue response is approved, the NRC staff will inform Duke if the response needs to be docketed.
During the audit meetings Duke and NRC staff will:
o Clarify audit issues, o
Discuss audit issue resolutions, o
Discuss additional document needs, o
Ensure mutual alignment of audit information needs tracker.
Timeliness of audit issue responses and staff feedback shall be maintained:
o Duke is expected to respond to audit information needs within 2 weeks, o
NRC staff is expected to review Dukes response and either approve or identify remaining concerns within 2 weeks, o
Duke is expected to provide regular docketed responses to batch audit information needs that were requested to be docketed, o
Duke is expected to maintain and periodically update a red-line strike out version of the ESP application that captures changes resulting from the resolution of audit information needs.
The final set of audit information needs are expected to be submitted 4 weeks prior to the milestone for the Draft Safety Evaluation Report (August 2026). An audit exit meeting will be conducted in October 2026, but the eRR should remain open until the Final Safety Evaluation Report is completed (March 2027).
The RAI process will be used when either Duke or the NRC staff determines that it would be more efficient and advantageous to use RAIs to meet the project schedule.
The NRC staff acknowledges the proprietary nature of the information requested and will handle it appropriately throughout the audit.
An audit report will be issued within 90 days following the exit meeting.
The NRC points of contact for this audit are Emmanuel Manny Sayoc at Emmanuel.Sayoc@nrc.gov and India Banks via email at India.Banks@nrc.gov.