IR 05000271/2013001

2013 Annual Assessment Letter for Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Report 05000271/2013001)(w/Inspection Plan)

ML14059A297
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	03/04/2014
From:	Raymond McKinley NRC/RGN-I/DRP/PB5
To:	Wamser C Entergy Nuclear Operations
McKinley R R
References
IR-13-001
Download: ML14059A297 (5)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION I 2100 RENAISSANCE BLVD., SUITE 100 KING OF PRUSSIA, PA 19406-2713 March 4, 2014

Mr. Chris Wamser, Site Vice President Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station 320 Governor Hunt Road

Vernon, VT 05354 SUBJECT: ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION (REPORT 05000271/2013001)

Dear Mr. Wamser:

On February 11, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed its end-of- cycle performance review of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013. 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, Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. The NRC determined the performance at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRC's Reactor Oversight Process Action Matrix because all inspection findings had ve ry low (i.e., green) safety significance, and all performance indicators demonstrated that your performance was within the nominal, expected range (i.e, green). Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct Reactor Oversight Process baseline inspections at your facility.

As a result of the Safety Culture Common Language Initiative, the terminology and coding of cross-cutting aspects were revised. All cross-cutting aspects identified during inspections conducted in calendar year (CY) 2014 will reflect this revision to Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 0310. The CY 2013 end-of-cycle assessments were conducted using the IMC 0310 guidance in effect in CY 2013 (dated October 28, 2011). Cross-cutting aspects identified in 2013 using the 2013 terminology will be converted to the latest revision in accordance with the cross-reference in IMC 0310 during the mid-cyc le assessment review and evaluated for cross-cutting themes and potential substantive cross-cutting issues in accordance with IMC 0305.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through June 30, 2015. Routine inspections performed by resident inspectors are not included in the enclosed inspection plan. In a letter (ML13273A204)

1 dated September 23, 2013, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(i), you notified the NRC of your intent to permanently cease power operations at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station in the fourth quarter of 2014. Therefore, inspections currently scheduled

1 The NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession Number for the referenced document. The document is publicly available and retrievable through the ADAMS hyperlink provided at the end of this letter using this number. beyond 2014 are tentative. Once you formally notify the NRC in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(ii) that Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station is permanently shutdown and that all nuclear fuel has been removed from the reactor vessel, then Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station will transition from the NRC IMC 0305, "Operating Reactor Assessment Program," and IMC 2515, "Light Water Reactor Inspection Program - Operations Phase," to IMC 2561,

"Decommissioning Power Reactor Inspection Program." 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.

Finally, the Reactor Oversight Process and Inspection Program provides inherent flexibility to permit inspection sampling adjustments to be made in order to better inform our assessment of performance during this unique period of operations prior to permanent plant shutdown. In addition, the NRC will be implementing quarterly assessment reviews, consistent with the guidance contained in IMC 0305, "Operating Reactor Assessment Program," in order to more closely monitor and review overall plant activities to assure that there are no issues emerging that might indicate a decline in focus on the safe operation of the facility.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 2.390, "Public Inspections, Exemptions, Requests for Withholding,"

of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records co mponent 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.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Please contact me at (610)337-5150 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/ Raymond R. McKinley, Chief Reactor Projects Branch 5

Division of Reactor Projects Docket No: 50-271 License No: DPR-28

Enclosure: Inspection Plan

cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServ

ML14059A297 SUNSI Review Non-Sensitive Sensitive Publicly Available Non-Publicly Available OFFICE RI/DRP RI/DRP RI/DRP RI/ORA NAME EKeighley/EMK RMcKinley/RRM MScott/EJB for WDean/ DATE 2/28/14 3/4/14 2/28/14 / /14

Letter to Mr. from R. McKinley, dated March 4, 2014 SUBJECT: ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION (REPORT 05000271/2013001)

Distribution w/encl: (via email) W. Dean, RA D. Lew, DRA M. Scott, DRP E. Benner, DRP R. Lorson, DRS J. Trapp, DRS D. Schroeder, DRP

A. Burritt, DRP G. Dentel, DRP F. Bower, DRP K. Mangan, DRP R. Powell, DRP R. McKinley, DRP S. Shaffer, DRP E. Keighley, DRP J. DeBoer, DRP

S. Rutenkroger, DRP, SRI S. Rich, DRP, RI

A. Rancourt, DRP, AA E. Quinones, RI OEDO RidsNrrPMVermontYankee Resource

RidsNrrDorlLl1-1 Resource ROPreports Resource DRS Branch Chiefs (6) D. Screnci, PAO N. Sheenan, PAO N. McNamara, SLO

D. Tifft, SLO

C. O'Daniell, ORA

L. Pinkham, DRP K. Heater, DRS T. Haverkamp, DNMS ROPassessment Resource

RidsNrrDirslpabResource Page 1 of 1 02/27/2014 14:10:32 Report 22 Unit NumberPlanned Dates Start EndInspection ActivityTitle No. of Staff on SiteVermont YankeeInspection / Activity Plan 01/01/2014

-06/30/20152/10EXAM-VY INITIAL OL EXAM 2 1 FY14-VERMONT YANKEE INITIAL OPERATOR LICENSING EXAM U01897 01/13/2014 01/17/2014 1 FY14-VERMONT YANKEE INITIAL OPERATOR LICENSING EXAM U01897 02/10/2014 02/14/2014 CDBI-CDBI 7 1 IP Component Design Bases Inspection7111121 03/17/2014 03/21/2014 1 IP Component Design Bases Inspection7111121 03/31/2014 04/04/2014 1 IP Component Design Bases Inspection7111121 04/14/2014 04/18/201471124-HP 1 1 IP Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls71124.01 04/21/2014 04/25/20147111111B-VY REQUAL INSPECTON WITH P/F RESULTS 2 1 IP Licensed Operator Requalification Program7111111B 06/23/2014 06/27/2014EP PROG-EP PROGRAM INSPECTION 1 1 IP A lert and Notification System Testing7111402 07/21/2014 07/25/2014 1 IP Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System7111403 07/21/2014 07/25/2014 1 IP Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies7111405 07/21/2014 07/25/20147111108G-INSERVICE INSPECTION 1 1 IP Inservice Inspection Activities - BWR7111108G 10/20/2014 10/24/2014 EXM-3/16-VY INITIAL LICENSING EXAM 3 1 FY15-VY INITIAL OPERATOR LICENSING EXAM U01909 02/16/2015 02/20/2015 1 FY15-VY INITIAL OPERATOR LICENSING EXAM U01909 03/16/2015 03/20/2015 This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities. This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.