IR 05000373/2008502

IR 05000373-08-502, 05000374-08-502, on 04/28/2008 - 05/02/2008, LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2, Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline Inspection

ML081610749
Person / Time
Site:	LaSalle
Issue date:	06/06/2008
From:	Eric Duncan Plant Support Branch II
To:	Pardee C Exelon Generation Co
References
IR-08-502
Download: ML081610749 (13)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION III 2443 WARRENVILLE ROAD, SUITE 210 LISLE, IL 60532-4352 June 6, 2008 Mr. Charles Chief Nuclear Officer and Senior Vice President Exelon Generation Company, LLC 4300 Winfield Road Warrenville IL 60555

SUBJECT: LASALLE COUNTY STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 BIENNIAL EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXERCISE BASELINE INSPECTION 05000373/2008502; 05000374/2008502

Dear Mr. Pardee:

On May 2, 2008, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed a Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline inspection at your LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2. The enclosed report documents the results of this inspection, which were discussed on May 2, 2008, with the Site Vice President, Mr. Daniel Enright, 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 NRC-identified and no self-revealed findings of very low safety 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 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), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Sincerely,

/RA by D. Funk acting for/

Eric Duncan, Chief Plant Support Branch Division of Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-373; 50-374 License Nos. NPF-11; NPF-18 Enclosure: Inspection Report 05000373/2008502; 05000374/2008502 w/Attachment: Supplemental Information cc w/encl: Site Vice President - LaSalle County Station Plant Manager - LaSalle County Station Regulatory Assurance Manager - LaSalle County Station Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President Senior Vice President - Midwest Operations Senior Vice President - Operations Support Vice President - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Director - Licensing and Regulatory Affairs Manager Licensing - Braidwood, Byron and LaSalle Associate General Counsel Document Control Desk - Licensing Assistant Attorney General J. Klinger, State Liaison Officer Illinois Emergency Management Agency Chairman, Illinois Commerce Commission Illinois Emergency Management Agency

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

IR 05000373/2008502, 05000374/2008502; 04/28/2008 - 05/02/2008; LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2; Biennial Emergency Preparedness Exercise Baseline Inspection. This report covers a 1 week period of baseline inspection by a resident inspector and two regional inspectors. 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-Revealed Findings

Cornerstone: Emergency Preparedness

No violations of significance were identified.

Cornerstone: Emergency Preparedness

No violations of significance were identified.

REPORT DETAILS

1EP1 Exercise Evaluation

.1 Exercise Evaluation

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors reviewed the April 30, 2008, biennial emergency preparedness exercise's objectives and scenario to ensure that the exercise would acceptably test major elements of the licensee's emergency plan and to verify that the exercise's simulated problems provided an acceptable framework to support demonstration of the licensee's capability to implement its plan. The inspectors also reviewed records of other drills and exercises conducted in 2006, 2007, and 2008, to verify that those drills' scenarios were sufficiently different from the scenario used in the April 30, 2008, exercise. The inspectors evaluated the licensee's exercise performance, focusing on the risk significant activities of emergency classification, notification, and protective action decision making, implementation of accident mitigation strategies, and correction of past exercise weaknesses in the following emergency response facilities:

• Control Room Simulator (CRS);

• Technical Support Center (TSC); and

• Emergency Operations Facility (EOF). The inspectors also assessed the licensee's recognition of abnormal plant conditions, transfer of responsibilities between facilities, internal communications, interfaces with offsite officials, readiness of emergency facilities and related equipment, and overall implementation of the licensee's emergency plan. The inspectors attended post-exercise critiques in the CRS, TSC, and EOF to evaluate the licensee's initial self-assessment of its exercise performance. The inspectors later met with the licensee's lead exercise evaluators and managers to obtain the licensee's findings and assessments of its exercise participants' performances. These self-assessments were then compared with the inspectors' independent observations and assessments to assess the licensee's ability to adequately critique its exercise performance. Documents reviewed are listed in the Attachment to this report. This inspection constituted a single sample as defined in Inspection Procedure 71114.01-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA1 Performance Indicator Verification (71151-05)

.1 Drill/Exercise Performance

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Drill/Exercise Performance performance indicator (PI) for the period from the 3 rd quarter 2007 through the 1 st quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) Document 99-02, "Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline," Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensee's records associated with the performance indicator to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI; assessments of PI opportunities during predesignated control room simulator training sessions, performance during the 2008 biennial exercise, and performance during other drills. Specific documents reviewed are described in the Attachment to this report. This inspection constitutes one drill/exercise performance sample as defined in Inspection Procedure 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.2 Emergency Response Organization Drill Participation

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Emergency Response Organization (ERO) Drill Participation performance indicator for the period from the the 3 rd quarter 2007 through the 1 st quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the NEI Document 99-02, "Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline," Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensee's records associated with the performance indicator to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI; performance during the 2008 biennial exercise and other drills; and revisions of the roster of personnel assigned to key emergency response organization positions. Specific documents reviewed are described in the Attachment to this report. This inspection constitutes one ERO drill participation sample as defined in Inspection Procedure 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

.3 Alert and Notification System

a. Inspection Scope

The inspectors sampled licensee submittals for the Alert and Notification System (ANS) performance indicator for the period from the the 3 rd quarter 2007 through the 1 st quarter 2008. To determine the accuracy of the PI data reported during those periods, PI definitions and guidance contained in the NEI Document 99-02, "Regulatory Assessment Performance Indicator Guideline," Revision 5, were used. The inspectors reviewed the licensee's records associated with the performance indicator to verify that the licensee accurately reported the indicator in accordance with relevant procedures and the NEI guidance. Specifically, the inspectors reviewed licensee records and processes including procedural guidance on assessing opportunities for the PI and results of periodic ANS operability tests. Specific documents reviewed are described in the Attachment to this report. This inspection constitutes one alert and notification system sample as defined in Inspection Procedure 71151-05.

b. Findings

No findings of significance were identified.

4OA6 Management Meetings

.1 Exit Meeting Summary

• On May 2, 2008, the inspectors presented the inspection results to Mr. D. Enright, and other members of the licensee staff. The licensee acknowledged the issues presented. The inspectors confirmed that none of the potential report input discussed was considered proprietary. The inspectors confirmed that none of the potential report input discussed was considered proprietary.

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

Licensee

D. Enright, LaSalle Site Vice President

D. Rhoades, LaSalle Plant Manager

K. Appel, Emergency Preparedness Manager Midwest Region

J. Hughes, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator

K. Ihnen, Nuclear Oversight Manager

S. Marik, Operation Director

K. Rusley, Emergency Preparedness Manager

T. Simpkin, Regulatory Affairs Manger

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

G. Roach, Senior Resident Inspector

F. Ramirez, Resident Inspector

Illinois Emergency Management Agency

J. Yesinowski, Resident Inspector

LIST OF ITEMS OPENED, CLOSED, AND DISCUSSED

Opened, Closed, and Discussed

None

LIST OF DOCUMENTS REVIEWED

The following is a list of documents reviewed during the inspection.

Inclusion on this list does not imply that the NRC inspectors reviewed the documents in their entirety, but rather, that selected sections of portions of the documents were evaluated as part of the overall inspection effort.

Inclusion of a document on this list does not imply NRC acceptance of the document or any part of it, unless this is stated in the body of the inspection report. CORRECTIVE ACTION PROGRAM DOCUMENTS REVIEWED Number Description or Title Date

AR 00754962 NOS: EP Pre-Exercise Simulator Performance Issues March 26, 2008

AR 00752478 Pre-Exercise DEP Failure to Classify in Timely Manner March 20, 2008

AR 00752478 Root Cause Investigation Report Content and Format April 24, 2008

AR 00441782 Apparent Cause Report March 4, 2006

IR 00752398 EP

PI-July 2007 Correction to DEP Data March 20, 2008

IR 00752376 EP

PI-November 2007 Correction to Participation Data March 20, 2008