IR 05000528/2015006

Annual Assessment Letter for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 (05000528/2015006, 05000529/2015006, and 05000530/2015006)

ML16061A371
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde
Issue date:	03/02/2016
From:	Sowa J R NRC/RGN-IV/DRP/RPB-D
To:	Edington R K Arizona Public Service Co
Miller G B
References
IR 2015006
Download: ML16061A371 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION IV 1600 E. LAMAR BLVD.

ARLINGTON, TX 76011-4511 March 2, 2016 Randall Executive Vice President, Nuclear/CNO Mail Station 7602 Arizona Public Service Company P.O. Box 52034 Phoenix, AZ 85072

-2034

SUBJECT: ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 (05000528/2015006, 05000529/2015006, AND 05000530/2015006)

Dear Mr. Edington:

On February 17, 2016, the NRC completed its end

-of-cycle performance review of Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station, Units 1, 2, and 3. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. This letter informs you of the NRC's assessment of your facility during this period and its plans for future inspections at your facility.

The NRC determined that overall, Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Units 1, 2, and 3 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. The NRC determined the performance at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Units 1, 2, and 3 during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column (Column 1) of the NRC

's Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix because all inspection findings had very low (i.e., green) safety significance, and all PIs indicated that your performance was within the nominal, expected range (i.e., green). Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct ROP baseline inspections at your facility.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through December 31, 2017. Routine inspections performed by resident inspectors are not included in the inspection plan. The inspections listed during the last nine months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the mid

-cycle performance review. The NRC provides the inspection plan to allow for the resolution of any scheduling conflicts and personnel availability issues. The NRC will contact you as soon as possible to discuss changes to the inspection plan should circumstances warrant any changes. This inspection plan does not include security related inspections, which will be sent via separate, non

-publicly available correspondence.

In response to the accident at Fukushima, the Commission issued Order EA

-12-049, "Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Requirements for Mitigation Strategies for Beyond

-Design-Basis External Events." This Order requires licensees to develop, implement, and maintain guidance and strategies to maintain or restore core cooling, containment, and spent fuel pool cooling capabilities following a beyond

-design-basis external event.

Additionally, the Commission issued Order EA

-12-051, "Inspection of the Implementation of Mitigation Strategies and Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation Orders and Emergency Preparedness Communication/Staffing/Multi

-Unit Dose Assessment Plans." This Order requires licensees to have a reliable means of remotely monitoring wide

-range Spent Fuel Pool levels to support effective prioritization of event mitigation and recovery actions in the event of a beyond

-design-basis external event.

The NRC is conducting audits of licensee efforts towards compliance with these Orders.

The audit was completed for Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station Units 1, 2, and 3, and the information gathered will aid staff in development of the Safety Evaluation for th e site. After the NRC staff receives the Final Compliance letter for the site, the Final Safety Evaluation will be issued.

Then, the NRC staff will confirm through inspections the full implementation of the orders mentioned above by performing Temporary Instruction 191: "Inspection of the Implementation of Mitigation Strategies and Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation Orders and Emergency Preparedness Communication/Staffing/Multi

-Unit Dose Assessment Plans." In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 2.390, "Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding," a copy of this letter, its enclosure, and your response (if any) will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC's Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS).

ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading

-rm/adams.htm l (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Please contact me at 225-635-3193 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/ Jeffrey R. Sowa, Acting Chief Project Branch D Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos.

50-528, 50-529, 50-530 License Nos.

NPF-41, NPF-51, NPF-74 Enclosure:

Palo Verde Plant Inspection/Activity Plan

SUNSI Review By: RCH ADAMS: Yes No Sensitive Non-Sensitive Non-Publicly Available Publicly Available Keyword NRC-002 OFFICE RIV/BC/DRP RIV/D/DRS RIV/D/DRP NAME JSowa AVegel TPruett SIGNATURE /RA/ /RA/ /RA/RLantz, for DATE 2/25/16 2/26/16 2/26/16 Letter to Randall from Jeffrey R. Sowa dated March 2, 2016

SUBJECT: ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, UNITS 1, 2, AND 3 (05000528/2015006, 05000529/2015006, AND 05000530/2015006)

DISTRIBUTION

Regional Administrator (Marc.Dapas@nrc.gov)

Deputy Regional Administrator (Kriss.Kennedy@nrc.gov) DRP Director (Troy.Pruett@nrc.gov)

DRP Deputy Director (Ryan.Lantz@nrc.gov)

DRS Director (Anton.Vegel@nrc.gov)

DRS Deputy Director (Jeff.Clark@nrc.gov)

Senior Resident Inspector (Charles.Peabody@nrc.gov)

Resident Inspector (David.You@nrc.gov)

Resident Inspector (Dustin.Reinert@nrc.gov)

PV Administrative Assistant (Yvonne.Dubay@nrc.gov)

Acting Branch Chief, DRP/D (Jeffrey.Sowa@nrc.gov)

Senior Project Engineer, DRP/D (Bob.Hagar@nrc.gov

) Project Engineer, DRP/D (Jim.Melfi@nrc.gov)

Public Affairs Officer (Victor.Dricks@nrc.gov

) Project Manager (Margaret.Watford@nrc.gov)

Team Leader, DRS/IPAT (Thomas.Hipschman@nrc.gov)

RITS Coordinator (Marisa.Herrera@nrc.gov)

ACES (R4Enforcement.Resource@nrc.gov)

Regional Counsel (Karla.Fuller@nrc.gov)

Technical Support Assistant (Loretta.Williams@nrc.gov)

Congressional Affairs Officer (Jenny.Weil@nrc.gov)

RIV Congressional Affairs Officer (Angel.Moreno@nrc.gov)

RIV/ETA: OEDO (Raj.Iyengar@nrc.gov)

Director, DIRS, NRR (Scott.Morris@nrc.gov)

Deputy Director, DIRS, NRR (Clay.Johnson@nrc.gov)

Director, DORL, NRR (Anne.Boland@nrc.gov)

Deputy Director, DORL, NRR (George.Wilson@nrc.gov)

Director, DPR (Lawrence.Kokajko@nrc.gov)

Director, NSIR (Brian.Holian@nrc.gov)

DRP Branch Chiefs (R4DRPBC@nrc.gov)

DRS Branch Chiefs (R4DRSBC@nrc.go v) ROPreports.Resource@nrc.gov ROPassessment.Resource@nrc.gov

Page 1 of 2 02/29/2016 15:46:06 Report 22 Unit NumberPlanned Dates Start EndInspection ActivityTitle No. of Staff on SitePalo VerdeInspection / Activity Plan 04/01/2016

-12/31/2017EXAM-INITIAL EXAM 8 1 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 1 (10/2016)

X02576 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 2 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 2 (10/2016)

X02577 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 3 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 3 (10/2016)

X02578 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 1 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 1 (10/2016)

X02576 10/31/201611/10/2016 2 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 2 (10/2016)

X02577 10/31/201611/10/2016 3 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 3 (10/2016)

X02578 10/31/201611/10/2016 RS 13 PI-RADIATION SAFETY 2 1, 2, 3 IP Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls71124.01 04/18/2016 04/22/2016 1, 2, 3 IP In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation71124.03 04/18/2016 04/22/2016 1, 2, 3 IP Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness71151-OR01 04/18/2016 04/22/2016 1, 2, 3 IP RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent Occurrences71151-PR01 04/18/2016 04/22/201671111.08-INSERVICE INSPECTION 1 1 IP Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR7111108P 04/18/2016 04/29/2016 EP-1-EP PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 1 1 IP Drill/Exercise Performance71151-EP01 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 1 IP ERO Readiness71151-EP02 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 1 IP A lert & Notification System Reliability71151-EP03 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 EP-2-BIENNIAL EP PROGRAM INSPECTION 1 1, 2, 3 IP A lert and Notification System Testing7111402 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 1, 2, 3 IP Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System7111403 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 1, 2, 3 IP Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes7111404 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 1, 2, 3 IP Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies7111405 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 EB1-21T-PV COMPONENT DESIGN BASIS INSPECTION 6 1, 2, 3 IP Component Design Bases Inspection7111121 08/01/2016 09/02/201671111.08-INSERVICE INSPECTION 1 3 IP Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR7111108P 10/17/2016 10/28/2016 INSP-BIENNIAL REQUAL INSPECTION 3 1, 2, 3 IP Licensed Operator Requalification Program7111111B 12/12/2016 12/16/2016 RS 5678-RS TEAM 5 1, 2, 3 IP Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation71124.05 01/23/2017 01/27/2017 1, 2, 3 IP Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment71124.06 01/23/2017 01/27/2017 1, 2, 3 IP Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program71124.07 01/23/2017 01/27/2017 This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities. This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.

Page 2 of 2 02/29/2016 15:46:06 Report 22 Unit NumberPlanned Dates Start EndInspection ActivityTitle No. of Staff on SitePalo VerdeInspection / Activity Plan 04/01/2016

-12/31/2017 RS 5678-RS TEAM 5 1, 2, 3 IP Radioactive Solid Waste Processing and Radioactive Material Handling, Storage, and Transportation71124.08 01/23/2017 01/27/2017 EB1-17T-PV PERMANENT PLANT MODS & 50.59 3 1, 2, 3 IP Evaluations of Changes, Tests, and Experiments and Permanent Plant Modifications7111117T 02/27/2017 03/17/2017 EP-3-EP PERFORMANCE INDICATOR VERIFICATION 1 1, 2, 3 IP Drill/Exercise Performance71151-EP01 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 1, 2, 3 IP ERO Readiness71151-EP02 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 1, 2, 3 IP A lert & Notification System Reliability71151-EP03 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 EP2-BIENNIAL EP EXERCISE INSPECTION 4 1, 2, 3 IP Exercise Evaluation7111401 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 1, 2, 3 IP Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes7111404 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 ISFSI-LOADING INSPECTION (ONE WEEK IN MONTH)

1 1, 2, 3 IP Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Operating Plants 60855.1 04/01/2017 04/30/201771111.08-INSERVICE INSPECTION UNIT 2 1 2 IP Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR7111108P 04/17/2017 04/28/2017 RS 12 PI-RADIATION SAFETY 2 1, 2, 3 IP Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls71124.01 10/16/2017 10/20/2017 1, 2, 3 IP Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls71124.02 10/16/2017 10/20/2017 1, 2, 3 IP Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness71151-OR01 10/16/2017 10/20/2017 1, 2, 3 IP RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent Occurrences71151-PR01 10/16/2017 10/20/201771111.08-INSERVICE INSPECTION UNIT 1 1 1 IP Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR7111108P 10/16/2017 10/27/2017 This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities. This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.