IR 05000424/2011006

Mid-Cycle Performance Review and Inspection Plan for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Units 1 and 2 Inspection Report 05000424-11-006, & 05000425-11-006 (DRS)

ML112440286
Person / Time
Site:	Vogtle
Issue date:	09/02/2011
From:	Jim Hickey NRC/RGN-II/DRP/RPB2
To:	Tynan T Southern Nuclear Operating Co
Shared Package
ML112440284	List: IR 05000424/2011006 ML112440292
References
IR-11-006
Download: ML112440286 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION REGION II 245 PEACHTREE CENTER AVENUE NE, SUITE 1200 ATLANTA, GEORGIA 30303-1257 September 1, 2011 Mr. Tom Vice President - Vogtle Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

Vogtle Electric Generating Plant 7821 River Road Waynesboro, GA 30830 SUBJECT: MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORT 05000424/2011006, AND 05000425/2011006)

Dear Mr. Tynan:

On August 9, 2011, the NRC completed its mid-cycle performance review of Vogtle Electric Generating Plant. The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. This letter informs you of the NRC's assessment of your facility during this period and its plans for future inspections at your facility. This performance review and enclosed inspection plan do not include security information. A separate letter will include the NRC's assessment of your performance in the Security Cornerstone and its security-related inspection plan.

The NRC determined the performance at Vogtle Units 1 and 2 during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column 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, 2012. 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 end-of-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. In addition to ROP baseline inspection activities, we also plan on conducting Temporary Instruction (TI) 2515/177 "Managing Gas Accumulation in Emergency Core Cooling, Decay Heat Removal, and Containment Spray Systems," and Initial Operator License Examinations.

In the days following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan, the Commission directed the staff to establish a senior-level agency task force to conduct a methodical and systematic review of the NRC's processes and regulations to determine whether the agency should make additional improvements to its regulatory system.

The NRC has since completed TI-183, SNC 2 "Follow-up to Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station Fuel Damage Event," and TI-184, "Availability and Readiness Inspection of Severe Accident Management Guidelines (SAMGs)" at your facility. Results of these inspections can be found here: http://www.nrc.gov/japan/japan-activities.html. Additionally, on May 11, 2011, the agency issued NRC Bulletin 2011-01, "Mitigating Strategies," to confirm compliance with Order EA-02-026, subsequently imposed license conditions, and 10 CFR 50.54(hh)(2), and to determine the status of licensee mitigating strategies programs. On July 12, 2011, the NRC's Task Force made its recommendations to the Commission in its report, "Recommendations for Enhancing Reactor Safety in the 21 st Century: The Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Daiichi Accident."

The Commission is currently reviewing the Task Force's recommendations to determine whether additional actions may be warranted.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC

=s ARules 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 (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).

Please contact me at (404) 997-4548 with any questions you have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

/RA/

James Hickey, Acting Chief Projects Branch 2 Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos.: 50-424, 50-425 License Nos.: NPF-68, NPF-81

Enclosure: Vogtle Inspection/Activity Plan (09/01/2011 - 12/31/2012)

cc w/encl: (See page 3)

________ML112440286_________ X SUNSI REVIEW COMPLETE OFFICE RII:RDP RII:DRP RII:DRP SIGNATURE GSC /RA/ JAH /RA/ TXL /RA/ NAME GCroon JHickey TLighty DATE 08/28/2011 08/26/2011 08/25/2011 E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO SNC 3 cc w/encl:

S. Kuczynski Chairman, President and CEO Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution Jeffrey T. Gasser Chief Nuclear Officer Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution N. J. Stringfellow Licensing Manager Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution

Paula Marino Vice President Engineering Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc.

Electronic Mail Distribution L. Mike Stinson Vice President Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution Dennis R. Madison Vice President Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution J. L. Pemberton SVP & General Counsel-Ops & SNC Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution T. Site Vice President Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution Hickox, T. Mark Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Electronic Mail Distribution M. J. Ajluni Nuclear Licensing Director Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution

B. D. McKinney, Jr. Regulatory Response Manager Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution

T. D. Honeycutt Regulatory Response Supervisor Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution L. P. Hill Licensing Supervisor Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution R. L. Gladney Licensing Engineer Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution L. L. Crumpton Administrative Assistant, Sr. Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc. Electronic Mail Distribution S. C. Swanson Site Support Manager Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Electronic Mail Distribution Bob Masse Resident Manager Vogtle Electric Generating Plant Oglethorpe Power Corporation Electronic Mail Distribution Arthur H. Domby, Esq. Troutman Sanders Electronic Mail Distribution (cc w/encl continued next page)

SNC 4 (cc w/encl continued)

Sandra Threatt, Manager Nuclear Response and Emergency Environmental Surveillance Bureau of Land and Waste Management Department of Health and Environmental Control Electronic Mail Distribution

Division of Radiological Health TN Dept. of Environment & Conservation 401 Church Street Nashville, TN 37243-1532 Richard Haynes Director, Division of Waste Management Bureau of Land and Waste Management S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control 2600 Bull Street Columbia, SC 29201 Lee Foley Manager of Contracts Generation Oglethorpe Power Corporation Electronic Mail Distribution Mark Williams Commissioner Georgia Department of Natural Resources Electronic Mail Distribution F. Allen Barnes Director Environmental Protection Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources Electronic Mail Distribution Cynthia A. Sanders Radioactive Materials Program Manager Environmental Protection Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources Electronic Mail Distribution Office of the County Commissioner Burke County Commission Electronic Mail Distribution

James A. Capp Program Coordination Branch Chief Environmental Protection Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources Electronic Mail Distribution James C. Hardeman Environmental Radiation Program Manager Environmental Protection Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources Electronic Mail Distribution Al Frazier Emergency Response and Radiation Program Manager Environmental Protection Division Georgia Department of Natural Resources Electronic Mail Distribution Mr. Steven M. Jackson Senior Engineer - Power Supply Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia Electronic Mail Distribution Reece McAlister Executive Secretary Georgia Public Service Commission Electronic Mail Distribution Office of the Attorney General 40 Capitol Square, SW Atlanta, GA 30334 Director Consumers' Utility Counsel Division Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs 2 M. L. King, Jr. Drive Plaza Level East; Suite 356 Atlanta, GA 30334-4600 Amy Whaley Engineer Nuclear Generation Development and Construction Electronic Mail Distribution

SNC 5 Letter to Tom from James Hickey dated September 1, 2011 SUBJECT: MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR VOGTLE ELECTRIC GENERATING PLANT UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORT 05000424/2011006, AND 05000425/2011006)

Distribution w/encl

C. Evans, RII OE Mail RIDSNRRDIRS PUBLIC RidsNrrPMVogtle Resource ROP Assessment Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)