IR 05000482/2007001

Annual Assessment Letter - Wolf Creek Generating Station (NRC Inspection Report 05000482-07-001)

ML070610614
Person / Time
Site:	Wolf Creek
Issue date:	03/02/2007
From:	Vincent Gaddy NRC/RGN-IV/DRP/RPB-B
To:	Muench R A Wolf Creek
References
IR-07-001
Download: ML070610614 (7)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION IV 611 RYAN PLAZA DRIVE, SUITE 400 ARLINGTON, TEXAS 76011-4005 March 2, 2007 Rick A. Muench, President and Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation P.O. Box 41 1 Burlington, KS 66839 Chief Executive Officer

SUBJECT: ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER - WOLF CREEK GENERATING STATION (NRC INSPECTION REPORT 05000482/2007001)

Dear Mr. Muench:

On February 8, 2007, the NRC staff completed its performance review of the Wolf Creek Generating Station. Our technical staff reviewed performance indicators for the most recent quarter and inspection results for the period from January 1 through December 31, 2006. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our assessment of your safety performance during this period and our plans for future inspections at your facility. This performance review and enclosed inspection plan do not include physical protection information. A separate letter designated and marked as "Official Use Only - Security-Related Information" will include the physical protection review and resultant inspection plan. Overall, the Wolf Creek Generating Station operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives. Plant performance for the most recent quarter, as well as for the first three quarters of the assessment cycle, was within the Licensee Response column of the NRC's Action Matrix, based on all inspection findings being classified as having very low safety significance (Green) and all performance indicators indicating performance at a level requiring no additional NRC oversight (Green). Therefore, we plan to conduct reactor oversight process baseline inspections at your facility.

The staff identified that there were more than three Green inspection findings for the current 12-month assessment period with documented crosscutting aspects in the human performance area. There is a crosscutting theme associated with these findings involving work practices in that there were a number of instances in which station personnel failed to use human error prevention techniques.

In evaluating your scope of efforts and progress in addressing the crosscutting theme, the NRC staff determined that you recognized the crosscutting theme and are taking actions to address it. In 2004 and 2005, your staff identified negative trends in human performance and implemented corrective actions to address this trend.

Subsequent assessments indicated that these actions were less than fully effective.

Your staff has since implemented additional corrective actions to address this theme. These actions include development of a Human Performance Program Initiative to be led by site management. Specific actions in this initiative include: promoting excellence by ensuring station personnel understand and demonstrate human performance fundamentals, ensuring coaching and Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation - 2 - oversight are effective at achieving desired performance, ensuring root cause and apparent cause evaluations effectively identify organization and process contributors, and ensuring personnel take ownership of station performance by demonstrating sensitivity for error-likely situations and developing defensive strategies. On the basis of these additional actions, the NRC staff has concluded that a substantive crosscutting issue in human performance does not exist at this time.

The staff also identified that there were more than three Green inspection findings for the current 12-month assessment period with documented crosscutting aspects in the problem identification and resolution area. There is a crosscutting theme associated with these findings involving the failure to institutionalize internal and external operating experience into station processes, procedures, equipment, and training programs.

In evaluating your scope of efforts and progress in addressing the crosscutting theme, the NRC staff determined that you took a range of corrective actions which have been implemented and are judged at this time to be effective. Three of the findings were identified during the problem identification and resolution inspection that occurred during Spring 2006. Following this inspection, your staff developed subject matter experts who were tasked with ensuring that operating experience was adequately evaluated and disseminated throughout the organization.

Only one additional finding associated with this crosscutting theme has been identified since corrective action was implemented.

On the basis of your efforts to address this issue, the NRC staff has concluded that a substantive crosscutting issue in problem identification and resolution does not exist at this time. The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections, except those related to physical protection, scheduled through September 30, 2008. In addition to the baseline inspection program, we plan to conduct Inspection Procedure 71 002, "License Renewal Inspection,"

and Temporary Instruction 251 5/150, "Reactor Pressure Vessel Head and Vessel Head Penetration Nozzles."

The inspection plan is provided to allow for the resolution of any scheduling conflicts and personnel availability issues well in advance of inspector arrival onsite. Routine resident inspections are not listed due to their ongoing and continuous nature. The inspections in the last 9 months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the midcycle review. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be made 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).

Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation - 3 - If circumstances arise which cause us to change this inspection plan, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible. Please contact me at 81 7-860-81 41 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,Vincent G. Gaddy, Chief

/ Project Branch B Division of Reactor Projects Docket: 50-482 License: NPF-42

Enclosure:

Wolf Creek Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/enclosure: Vice President OperationdPlant Manager Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp.

P.O. Box 41 1 Burlington, KS 66839 Jay Silberg, Esq. Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP 2300 N Street, NW Washington, DC 20037 Supervisor Licensing Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corp.

P.O. Box411 Burlington, KS 66839 Chief Engineer Utilities Division Kansas Corporation Commission 1500 SW Arrowhead Road Topeka, KS 66604-4027 Office of the Governor State of Kansas Topeka, KS 66612 Attorney General 120 S.W. 10th Avenue, 2nd Floor Topeka, KS 6661 2-1 597 County Clerk Coffey County Courthouse 110 South 6th Street Burlington, KS 66839-1 798 Chief, Radiation and Asbestos Kansas Department of Health and Bureau of Air and Radiation 1000 SW Jackson, Suite 31 0 Topeka, KS 6661 2-1 366 Control Section Environment Chief, Radiological Emergency Preparedness Section Kansas City Field Office Chemical and Nuclear Preparedness and Protection Division Dept. of Homeland Security 9221 Ward Parkway Suite 300 Kansas City, MO 641 14-3372 Tim Sipe, Chairman Coffey County Commissioner 11 0 South 6th Street Burlington, KS 66839 Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation - 4 - Kimberly Robrahn Coffey County Commissioner 110 South 6th Street Burlington, KS 66839 Larry Crotts Coffey County Commissioner 11 0 South 6th Street Burlington, KS 66839 Kraig Kirchner Coffey County Commissioner 11 0 South 6th Street Burlington, KS 66839 Fred Rowley, Vice Chairman Coffey County Commissioner 110 South 6th Street Burlington, KS 66839 Rebecca Jewett Coffey County Emergency Preparedness 110 South 6th Street Burlington, KS 66839 Randy Rogers, Sheriff Coffey County Sheriff's Dept. 110 South 6th Street Burlington, KS 66839 The Honorable Rick Raymer Mayor, City of Burlington City Hall P.O. Box 207 Burlington, KS 66839 The Honorable Bill Freemen Mayor, City of LeRoy 713 Main Street LeRoy, KS 66857 The Honorable Larry Kelley Mayor, City of Gridley P.O. Box 182 Gridley, KS 66852 The Honorable Craig Meader Mayor, City of Waverly P.O. Box 308 Waverly, KS 66871 The Honorable Ed Fisher Mayor, City of Lebo P.O. Box 14 Lebo, KS 66856-0014 Dave Beck Allen County Emergency Allen County Courthouse P.O. Box433 lola, KS 66749 Rick Frevbert Lyon County Emergency 425 Mechanic St. Emporia, KS 66801 Gary Benjamin Anderson County Emergency Preparedness Coordinator 31 5 Orange Street Garnett, KS 66032 Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) Records Center 700 Galleria Parkway SE, Suite 100 Atlanta, GA 30339 Preparedness Coordinator Preparedness Coordinator The Honorable Mark Petterson Mayor, City of New Strawn City Hall P.O. 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Dricks, PA0 (VLD) W. Maier, RSLO (WAM) L. Owen (LAO) DRS Branch Chiefs (WBJ, ATG, LJS, MPSI) C. Miller, Chief, TRPS, OED0 (CGM) S. Richards, Deputy Director, DIRS, NRR (SAR) J. Lubinski, Deputy Director, DORL, NRR (JWL) C. Haney, Director, DORL, NRR (CXH) D. Terao, Chief, PLB IV, DORL, NRR (DXT) J. Donohew, Project Manager (JND) RidsNrrDirsl pab@,nrc.gov ROPreports@!nrc.gov SUNS1 Review Completed: ADAMS:

UYes No Initials: Publicly Available Non-Publicly Available CI Sensitive Non-Sensitive R:\ REACTORS\EOC and Midcvcle\EOC Assessment Letters\2006 - dated 3-2-07\WC.w~d 1121 /07 121 107 121 107 131 I07 I1 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY T=Telephone E=E-mail F=Fax