ML14356A561

Third-Party Assessment of Safety Culture

ML14356A561
Person / Time
Site:	Arkansas Nuclear
Issue date:	12/17/2014
From:	Browning J G Entergy Operations
To:	Document Control Desk, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
OCAN121401
Download: ML14356A561 (4)

Text

SEntergy Entergy Operations, Inc.1448 S.R. 333 Russellville, AR 72802 Tel 479-858-3110 Jeremy G. Browning Site Vice President Arkansas Nuclear One OCAN121401 December 17, 2014 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555

SUBJECT:

Third-Party Assessment of Arkansas Nuclear One Safety Culture Arkansas Nuclear One -Units 1 and 2 Docket Nos. 50-313 and 50-368 License Nos. DPR-51 and NPF-6

Dear Sir or Madam:

Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy) is committed to operating its nuclear generating stations, including Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO), in a manner that protects the health and safety of the public and plant personnel.

Despite a generally good operating record, ANO has recently experienced performance problems which have resulted in NRC violations of more than minor safety significance.

Entergy has performed cause analyses to determine the causes of these violations and has taken corrective actions to address them to prevent their recurrence.

However, in order to ensure that a strong and safe plant performance is maintained, Entergy also intends to perform a broader assessment of the safety culture at ANO. This assessment is planned to be conducted in two phases: 1. Entergy has retained Synergy, Inc. (Synergy) to perform a comprehensive survey of ANO personnel to gauge the safety culture at ANO and personnel perceptions of that safety culture. Synergy has performed many similar surveys in the past and their methodology permits comparisons with other nuclear power facilities and with previous safety culture survey results from ANO. The ANO survey was just completed, and Synergy is analyzing the data.2. Additionally, the ANO safety culture is planned to be assessed by a team of personnel with experience in the management and/or regulation of nuclear power plants and who have experience in addressing safety culture issues. The team members are independent of ANO and meet the criteria for participation in a third-party safety culture assessment as that term is used in NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 0305. The memorandum chartering this assessment is enclosed.

0 0 1 0CAN121401 Page 2 of 2 The on-site portion of the ANO third-party safety culture assessment is currently scheduled to occur in early March, 2015. Entergy anticipates a briefing on the preliminary results by the end of March, 2015, with a written report approximately one month later.In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact Dale James at 479-858-4619 or Stephenie Pyle at 479-858-4704 if any further information is needed. Entergy desires to ensure that a sound and thorough assessment is conducted that is consistent with NRC guidance and is glad to answer any additional questions.

This letter contains no new regulatory commitments.

Sincerely, JGB/dej

Enclosure:

Third-Party Assessment of ANO Safety Culture Charter cc: Mr. Marc Dapas Regional Administrator U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region IV 1600 East Lamar Boulevard Arlington, TX 76011-4511 NRC Senior Resident Inspector Arkansas Nuclear One P.O. Box 310 London, AR 72847 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Ms. Andrea E. George MS O-8B1 One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 Enclosure to OCAN121401 Third-Party Assessment of Arkansas Nuclear One Safety Culture Charter S-Entergy DATE: December 16, 2014 TO: Michael Bellamy FROM: Joseph Kowalews

SUBJECT:

Third-Party Asselsment of Arkansas Nuclear One Safety Culture Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy) is engaged in a broad effort to assess the safety culture of the Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO)generating station, to identify the causes of performance issues, and to develop plans to improve performance.

As part of this effort, a thorough and independent assessment of the ANO safety culture is required.

This assessment will meet the standards for a third-party safety culture assessment specified in NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 0305 and NRC Inspection Procedure 95003.Entergy has retained Synergy, Inc. (Synergy) to conduct a survey to independently assess the ANO safety culture. To supplement Synergy's effort, and to ensure that the views of other individuals with substantial experience in managing nuclear power facilities and/or responding to nuclear safety culture industry are brought to bear, I have asked you to assemble a team of experienced individuals to perform any additional evaluation activities the team deems necessary to ensure a complete and thorough safety culture evaluation.

The team should consider NRC and INPO guidance and standards on safety culture in developing its evaluation plan and performing evaluation activities, and should coordinate its activities with Synergy to ensure that the evaluation is performed in a complete, thorough, and efficient fashion that complies with applicable NRC guidance.

The team should also review the results of the assessment performed by Synergy and integrate them into a final set of conclusions.

The individuals selected for the evaluation team should be independent of Entergy. In particular,* None of these individuals shall be employees of Entergy, its parent company, or any co-owner of ANO.* None of these individuals shall have been responsible, within the past ten years, for any of the activities or programs at ANO which they are assigned to assess.Former Entergy employees may participate on the assessment team, so long as they meet the above criteria; however, no more than two team members shall previously have been employees of Entergy.I have directed ANO and other Entergy management and personnel to provide this team with free access to any ANO or Entergy personnel, documents, facilities, and any other items or information needed for the performance of a complete assessment.

During its activities and in the preparation of any documents, the assessment team should ensure that the identities of individuals who provide opinions or concerns to the assessment team are kept confidential.

The team should also provide any individual who wishes to do so the opportunity to meet with the team and discuss any safety or safety culture issues of concern. In addition, should the team identify any issue that may affect safety plant operation or is otherwise of immediate concern, the team must report that issue promptly to Dale E. James, Director of Regulatory and Performance Improvement so it can be addressed.

The evaluation team shall periodically apprise Entergy of its progress, and report its results in a briefing to Entergy and ANO management on or about March 31, 2015, with a written report to follow according to a mutually agreed-upon schedule.

These results shall include information on strengths and weaknesses in the ANO safety culture, including, where appropriate, information on the reasons for those strengths and weaknesses.

It is our goal to have a complete and thorough assessment.

Please let me know if you need any additional support.JAK/mb cc: Jeremy Browning SEntergy Entergy Operations, Inc.1448 S.R. 333 Russellville, AR 72802 Tel 479-858-3110 Jeremy G. Browning Site Vice President Arkansas Nuclear One OCAN121401 December 17, 2014 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Document Control Desk Washington, DC 20555

SUBJECT:

Third-Party Assessment of Arkansas Nuclear One Safety Culture Arkansas Nuclear One -Units 1 and 2 Docket Nos. 50-313 and 50-368 License Nos. DPR-51 and NPF-6

Dear Sir or Madam:

Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy) is committed to operating its nuclear generating stations, including Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO), in a manner that protects the health and safety of the public and plant personnel.

Despite a generally good operating record, ANO has recently experienced performance problems which have resulted in NRC violations of more than minor safety significance.

Entergy has performed cause analyses to determine the causes of these violations and has taken corrective actions to address them to prevent their recurrence.

However, in order to ensure that a strong and safe plant performance is maintained, Entergy also intends to perform a broader assessment of the safety culture at ANO. This assessment is planned to be conducted in two phases: 1. Entergy has retained Synergy, Inc. (Synergy) to perform a comprehensive survey of ANO personnel to gauge the safety culture at ANO and personnel perceptions of that safety culture. Synergy has performed many similar surveys in the past and their methodology permits comparisons with other nuclear power facilities and with previous safety culture survey results from ANO. The ANO survey was just completed, and Synergy is analyzing the data.2. Additionally, the ANO safety culture is planned to be assessed by a team of personnel with experience in the management and/or regulation of nuclear power plants and who have experience in addressing safety culture issues. The team members are independent of ANO and meet the criteria for participation in a third-party safety culture assessment as that term is used in NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 0305. The memorandum chartering this assessment is enclosed.

0 0 1 0CAN121401 Page 2 of 2 The on-site portion of the ANO third-party safety culture assessment is currently scheduled to occur in early March, 2015. Entergy anticipates a briefing on the preliminary results by the end of March, 2015, with a written report approximately one month later.In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact Dale James at 479-858-4619 or Stephenie Pyle at 479-858-4704 if any further information is needed. Entergy desires to ensure that a sound and thorough assessment is conducted that is consistent with NRC guidance and is glad to answer any additional questions.

This letter contains no new regulatory commitments.

Sincerely, JGB/dej

Enclosure:

Third-Party Assessment of ANO Safety Culture Charter cc: Mr. Marc Dapas Regional Administrator U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Region IV 1600 East Lamar Boulevard Arlington, TX 76011-4511 NRC Senior Resident Inspector Arkansas Nuclear One P.O. Box 310 London, AR 72847 U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Attn: Ms. Andrea E. George MS O-8B1 One White Flint North 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 Enclosure to OCAN121401 Third-Party Assessment of Arkansas Nuclear One Safety Culture Charter S-Entergy DATE: December 16, 2014 TO: Michael Bellamy FROM: Joseph Kowalews

SUBJECT:

Third-Party Asselsment of Arkansas Nuclear One Safety Culture Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy) is engaged in a broad effort to assess the safety culture of the Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO)generating station, to identify the causes of performance issues, and to develop plans to improve performance.

As part of this effort, a thorough and independent assessment of the ANO safety culture is required.

This assessment will meet the standards for a third-party safety culture assessment specified in NRC Inspection Manual Chapter 0305 and NRC Inspection Procedure 95003.Entergy has retained Synergy, Inc. (Synergy) to conduct a survey to independently assess the ANO safety culture. To supplement Synergy's effort, and to ensure that the views of other individuals with substantial experience in managing nuclear power facilities and/or responding to nuclear safety culture industry are brought to bear, I have asked you to assemble a team of experienced individuals to perform any additional evaluation activities the team deems necessary to ensure a complete and thorough safety culture evaluation.

The team should consider NRC and INPO guidance and standards on safety culture in developing its evaluation plan and performing evaluation activities, and should coordinate its activities with Synergy to ensure that the evaluation is performed in a complete, thorough, and efficient fashion that complies with applicable NRC guidance.

The team should also review the results of the assessment performed by Synergy and integrate them into a final set of conclusions.

The individuals selected for the evaluation team should be independent of Entergy. In particular,* None of these individuals shall be employees of Entergy, its parent company, or any co-owner of ANO.* None of these individuals shall have been responsible, within the past ten years, for any of the activities or programs at ANO which they are assigned to assess.Former Entergy employees may participate on the assessment team, so long as they meet the above criteria; however, no more than two team members shall previously have been employees of Entergy.I have directed ANO and other Entergy management and personnel to provide this team with free access to any ANO or Entergy personnel, documents, facilities, and any other items or information needed for the performance of a complete assessment.

During its activities and in the preparation of any documents, the assessment team should ensure that the identities of individuals who provide opinions or concerns to the assessment team are kept confidential.

The team should also provide any individual who wishes to do so the opportunity to meet with the team and discuss any safety or safety culture issues of concern. In addition, should the team identify any issue that may affect safety plant operation or is otherwise of immediate concern, the team must report that issue promptly to Dale E. James, Director of Regulatory and Performance Improvement so it can be addressed.

The evaluation team shall periodically apprise Entergy of its progress, and report its results in a briefing to Entergy and ANO management on or about March 31, 2015, with a written report to follow according to a mutually agreed-upon schedule.

These results shall include information on strengths and weaknesses in the ANO safety culture, including, where appropriate, information on the reasons for those strengths and weaknesses.

It is our goal to have a complete and thorough assessment.

Please let me know if you need any additional support.JAK/mb cc: Jeremy Browning