IR 05000272/2008502

IR 05000272-08-502, 05000311-08-502, 05000354-08-502 on 05/19/2008 - 5/22/2008 for Hope Creek and Salem; Exercise Evaluation; Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes; Emergency Preparedness Performance Indicators

ML081720213
Person / Time
Site:	Salem, Hope Creek
Issue date:	06/20/2008
From:	James Trapp Plant Support Branch 1
To:	Levis W Public Service Enterprise Group
References
IR-08-502
Download: ML081720213 (11)

Text

June 20, 2008

Mr. William Levis President and Chief Nuclear Officer PSEG Nuclear LLC 80 Park Plaza, T4B Newark, NJ 07102

SUBJECT: SALEM AND HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION - NRC EVALUATED EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE - INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 05000272/2008502, 05000311/2008502, AND 05000354/2008502

Dear Mr. Levis:

On May 22, 2008, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an inspection of the 2008 evaluated emergency preparedness exercise at your Salem and Hope Creek Generating Stations. The enclosed inspection report documents the inspection results, which were discussed on May 22, 2008, with Mr. Carl Fricker, Vice President of Operations Support, and other members of your staff.

The inspection examined activities conducted under your license as they relate to safety and compliance with the Commission's rules and regulations and with the conditions of your license. The inspectors reviewed selected procedures and records, observed activities, and interviewed personnel.

Based on the results of this inspection, no findings of significance were identified.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure and your response (if any) will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of the 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).

Sincerely,

/RA/ James A. Trapp, Chief Plant Support Branch 1 Division of Reactor Safety

SUBJECT:

SALEM AND HOPE CREEK GENERATING STATION - NRC EVALUATED EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE - INSPECTION REPORT NOS. 05000272/2008502, 05000311/2008502, and 05000354/2008502

Dear M

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

IR 05000272/2008502, 05000311/2008502, 05000354/2008502; 05/19/2008 - 05/22/2008; Hope Creek and Salem Generating Stations; Exercise Evaluation; Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes; Emergency Preparedness Performance Indicators.

This was an announced inspection conducted by three region-based inspectors and one senior resident inspector. No findings of significance were identified. The NRC's program for overseeing the safe operation of commercial nuclear power reactors is described in NUREG-1649, "Reactor Oversight Process," Revision 4, dated December 2006.

A. NRC-Identified and Self-Revealing Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

B. Licensee-Identified Findings None.

REPORT DETAILS

REACTOR SAFETY

Cornerstone: Emergency Preparedness (EP)

1EP1 Exercise Evaluation (71114.01 - 1 Sample)

a. Inspection Scope

Prior to the May 20, 2008, emergency preparedness exercise, the NRC inspectors conducted an in-office review of the exercise objectives and scenario, which PSEG had submitted to the NRC, to determine if the exercise would test major elements of the PSEG Nuclear LLC Emergency Plan as required by 10 CFR 50.47(b)(14). This overall exercise inspection activity represented the completion of one sample on a biennial cycle. The exercise evaluation consisted of the following review and assessment:

• The adequacy of PSEG's performance in the biennial full-participation exercise regarding the implementation of the risk-significant planning standards (RSPS) described in 10 CFR 50.47(b)(4), (5), (9), and (10), which are: emergency classification; offsite notification; radiological assessment; and, protective action recommendations, respectively.

• The overall adequacy of PSEG's emergency response facilities with regard to NUREG-0696, "Functional Criteria for Emergency Response Facilities," and Emergency Plan commitments. The facilities assessed were the Control Room Simulator, Technical Support Center (TSC), Operations Support Center (OSC), and Emergency Operations Facility (EOF).

• A review of other performance areas, such as: the emergency response organization's (ERO's) recognition of abnormal plant conditions; command and control; intra- and inter-facility communications; prioritization of mitigating activities; utilization of repair and field monitoring teams; interface with offsite agencies; staffing and procedure adequacy; and, the overall implementation of the emergency plan and its implementing procedures.

• A review of past performance issues from the last NRC exercise inspection report and PSEG's EP drill reports, to determine the effectiveness of licensee corrective actions as demonstrated during the May 20 exercise and to ensure compliance with 10 CFR 50.47(b)(14).

• The licensee's post-exercise critiques, to evaluate PSEG's self-assessment of its ERO performance during the April 2 exercise and to ensure compliance with 10 CFR 50, Appendix E, Section IV.F.2.g.

The inspectors reviewed the documents listed in the attachment to this report.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

1EP4 Emergency Action Level (EAL) and Emergency Plan Changes (71114.04 - 1 Sample)

a. Inspection Scope

Since the last NRC inspection of this program area, Revision 59 of the PSEG Nuclear LLC Emergency Plan was implemented by PSEG. PSEG had determined that in accordance with 10 CFR 50.54(q), the changes resulted in no decrease in effectiveness of the Plan, and that the revised Plan continued to meet the requirements of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and Appendix E to 10 CFR 50. The inspectors reviewed all EAL changes made since January 2007, and conducted a sampling review of other Emergency Plan changes, including changes to lower-tier emergency plan implementing procedures, to evaluate for any potential decreases in effectiveness of the Emergency Plan. However, this review was not documented in a Safety Evaluation Report and does not constitute formal NRC approval of the changes. Therefore, these changes remain subject to future NRC inspection in their entirety.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA1 Performance Indicator (PI) Verification (71151 - 3 Samples)

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors reviewed data for the Salem and Hope Creek EP PIs, which are:

(1) Drill and Exercise Performance (DEP);

(2) Emergency Response Organization (ERO) Drill Participation; and,

(3) Alert and Notification System (ANS) Reliability. The last EP inspection at Salem and Hope Creek was conducted in the first quarter of 2007, so the inspectors reviewed supporting documentation from EP drills and tests from the first, second, third, and fourth calendar quarters of 2007, and the first quarter of 2008, to verify the accuracy of the reported PI data. The review of these PIs was conducted in accordance with NRC Inspection Procedure 71151, using the acceptance criteria documented in NEI 99-02, "Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guidelines," Revision 5.

This inspection activity represented the completion of three samples on an annual cycle.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA6 Meetings, Including Exit

On May 22, 2008, the inspectors presented the results of this inspection to Mr. C. Fricker, the PSEG Vice President of Operations Support, and other members of the PSEG staff. No proprietary information was provided to the inspectors during this inspection.

ATTACHMENT

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee Personnel

C. Neely, PSEG Regulatory Affairs Director

D. Burgin, PSEG Emergency Preparedness Manager

LIST OF ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

None