ML26054A209

Approval for Credit for the Salem Nuclear Generating Station Operational Safety Review Team to the Baseline Inspection Samples/Hours

ML26054A209
Person / Time
Site:	Salem
Issue date:	02/24/2026
From:	Nicole Warnek Division of Operating Reactors
To:	Manuel Crespo NRC/NRR/DRO/IRIB
References
Download: ML26054A209 (0)

Text

February 24, 2026 MEMORANDUM TO:

Manuel G. Crespo, Acting Chief Reactor Inspection Branch Division of Reactor Oversight Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:

Nicole S. Warnek, Chief Projects Branch 3 Division of Operating Reactor Safety Region I

SUBJECT:

APPROVAL FOR CREDIT FOR THE SALEM NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION OPERATIONAL SAFETY REVIEW TEAM TO THE BASELINE INSPECTION SAMPLES/HOURS The purpose of this memorandum is to request approval to apply a one-time credit to the baseline inspection program at Salem Nuclear Generating Station (Salem), following the completion of the Salem Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) conducted from September 7 through 25, 2025. This credit is being applied in accordance with Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 2515, "Light-Water Reactor Inspection Program - Operations Phase,"

Section 2515-08.05, Baseline Inspection Credit for Operational Safety Review Team Effort.

As an incentive to encourage licensee participation in the OSART mission, the NRC grants a one-time regulatory credit (reduction in baseline inspection program) for those NRC baseline inspections, listed in Section 08.05, that overlap, either in part or fully, with the OSART review.

To determine the areas reviewed by the OSART team that warranted inspection credit, Region I staff reviewed the OSART team plan, discussed the mission with the OSART team leaders, reviewed corrective action program documentation, discussed the OSART with PSEG licensing staff, and reviewed documentation in the draft and final OSART reports. The Salem OSART final report was issued on February 5, 2026, and will be made available for review by members of the public on or after May 6, 2026.

CONTACT:

Nicole S. Warnek, RI/DORS (610) 337-6954 NICOLE WARNEK Digitally signed by NICOLE WARNEK Date: 2026.02.24 12:58:28 -05'00'

M. Crespo 2

Based on our review, and in accordance with IMC 2515, Region I recommends a one-time reduction of 25 baseline inspection samples to be applied to calendar years 2026 and 2027, with an additional reduction of 113 hours0.00131 days <br />0.0314 hours <br />1.868386e-4 weeks <br />4.29965e-5 months <br /> to be applied to three single-sample inspections in 2027. Details are provided below.

Resident Baseline Inspections Will be credited 13 samples across 2 procedures:

Inspection Procedure (IP) 71111.05 (Walkdowns) - Reduction of 4 samples from an annual minimum of 16 samples IP 71111.05 (Drill Performance) - Reduction of 1 sample from annual minimum of 2 samples IP 71111.24 (PMT) - Reduction of 5 samples from annual minimum of 20 samples IP 71111.24 (ST) - Reduction of 2 samples from annual minimum of 8 samples IP 71111.24 (IST) - Reduction of 1 sample from annual minimum of 3 samples Radiation Safety Inspections1 Will be credited 10 samples across 5 procedures:

IP 71124.01 - Reduction of 2 samples from annual minimum of 10 samples IP 71124.03 - Reduction of 1 sample from biennial minimum of 4 samples IP 71124.04 - Reduction of 1 sample from biennial minimum of 4 samples IP 71124.05 - Reduction of 4 samples from biennial minimum of 17 samples IP 71124.08 - Reduction of 2 samples from biennial minimum of 8 samples.

Emergency Planning Inspections Will be credited 7 hours8.101852e-5 days <br />0.00194 hours <br />1.157407e-5 weeks <br />2.6635e-6 months <br />.

IP 71114.03 - Reduction of 3 hours3.472222e-5 days <br />8.333333e-4 hours <br />4.960317e-6 weeks <br />1.1415e-6 months <br /> from the minimum of 6 hours6.944444e-5 days <br />0.00167 hours <br />9.920635e-6 weeks <br />2.283e-6 months <br /> for the next EP program inspection, currently planned for March 2027.

IP 71114.05 - Reduction of 4 hours4.62963e-5 days <br />0.00111 hours <br />6.613757e-6 weeks <br />1.522e-6 months <br /> from the minimum of 9 hours1.041667e-4 days <br />0.0025 hours <br />1.488095e-5 weeks <br />3.4245e-6 months <br /> for the next EP program inspection, currently planned for March 2027.

Problem Identification and Resolution Will be credited 2 samples plus an additional 106 hours0.00123 days <br />0.0294 hours <br />1.752645e-4 weeks <br />4.0333e-5 months <br />.

IP 71152 (Annual) - Reduction of 2 samples from annual minimum of 4 samples IP 71152 (Biennial) - Reduction of 106 hours0.00123 days <br />0.0294 hours <br />1.752645e-4 weeks <br />4.0333e-5 months <br /> from the minimum 212 hours0.00245 days <br />0.0589 hours <br />3.505291e-4 weeks <br />8.0666e-5 months <br /> for the next biennial PI&R team inspection, currently planned for November 2027.

If you need more information about the content of this memorandum, please contact Nicole Warnek at (610) 337-6954 or nicole.warnek@nrc.gov.

Docket Nos. 05000272 and 05000311

Enclosure:

IMC 2515-08 Excerpt 1 IP 71124.06 and IP 71124.07 were also considered for inspection crediting, in accordance with IMC 2515. However, these IPs were last performed in March 2025 and are not scheduled again until 2028, which is outside of the 2026-2027 crediting window.

ML26054A209 SUNSI Review Non-Sensitive Sensitive Publicly Available Non-Publicly Available OFFICE RI/DORS/PB3 RI/DRSS/SEPIR RI/DRSS/DIRHP RI/DRSS RI/DORS NAME NWarnek BBickett EEve MFerdas MYoung DATE 2/19/2026 2/19/2026 2/19/2026 2/20/2026 2/23/2026

Enclosure IMC 2515-08.05 Excerpt 08.05 Baseline Inspection Credit for Operational Safety Review Team Effort The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) review is performed by senior staff members from International Atomic Energy Agency member states. The OSART missions offer a means of assessing licensee performance and reinforcing plant self-assessments through an independent assessment process. OSARTs focus is on the safety and reliability of plant operation. They review the operation of the plant and the performance of the plants management and staff rather than the adequacy of the plants design and compliance with its licensing basis. Based on a review of sample OSART reports and the OSART guidelines, the staff determined that although the OSART review is not risk-informed, some areas of the review overlap with the ROP baseline inspection program. The NRC believes that it would be beneficial for the U.S. nuclear power industry to continue its participation in the OSART missions.

As an incentive to encourage licensee participation in the OSART mission, the NRC grants a one-time regulatory credit (reduction in baseline inspection program) for those NRC baseline inspections that overlap, either in part or fully, with the OSART review.

Accordingly, a 25 percent ROP baseline inspection credit shall be given for the following baseline inspection procedures:

• IP 71111.05, Fire Protection

• IP 71111.24, Testing and Maintenance of Equipment Important to Risk

• IP 71124.01, Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls

• lP 71124.03, In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation

• IP 71124.04, Occupational Dose Assessment

• IP 71124.05, Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation

• IP 71124.06, Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment

• IP 71124.07, Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program

• lP 71124.08, Radioactive Solid Waste Processing and Radioactive Material Handling, Storage, and Transportation In addition, a 50 percent ROP baseline inspection credit shall be given for the following inspection procedures:

• IP 71114.03, Emergency Response Organization Staffing and Augmentation System

• IP 71114.05, Maintenance of Emergency Preparedness

• IP 71152, Problem Identification and Resolution In order for the region to take one-time credit for reducing baseline inspections, the areas for which the credit is to be given must have been inspected by the OSART team.

This can be determined by looking at the OSART team plan, licensees responses and support for the OSART inspection team, documentation in the OSART report and through discussion with the OSART team leader. The NRC will not be able to directly observe the OSART team including debriefs the OSART team has with the licensee.

(NOTE-OSART report areas with no findings or observations to share are typically blank. Credit is still given to the licensee for those areas that the OSART team inspected based on verbal confirmation from the OSART team or licensee). The region should assure that the OSART inspection report is made publicly available. Specific OSART findings should not normally be referenced or followed-up by the NRC, however, where

2 a significant safety issue (potentially greater than Green) or a potential violation of an NRC requirement is identified, the NRC will independently conduct an appropriate baseline inspection to disposition potential violations and assess the significance of the finding in accordance with the ROP. These findings will be documented in accordance with IMC 0611, Power Reactor Inspection Reports, and will also be processed as performance assessment inputs equivalent to NRC identified findings in accordance with IMC 0305, Operating Reactor Assessment Program. The staff will perform any additional inspections for those findings that have a significance greater than Green in accordance with NRCs Action Matrix. The baseline inspection credit and NRC staff position described above are communicated to the Commission via a memorandum dated July 16, 2003 (ADAMS Accession Numbers: ML031620369, ML030930251, ML0316020346).