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 NRC/RGN-IV/DRP/RPB-D
To:	Edington R Arizona Public Service Co
Miller G
References
IR 2015006
Download: ML16061A371 (6)

Text

UNITED STATES rch 2, 2016

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 NRCs 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 NRCs 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 the 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 NRCs Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records (PARS) component of the NRCs 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 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

ML16061A371 SUNSI Review ADAMS: Sensitive Non-Publicly Available Keyword By: RCH Yes No Non-Sensitive Publicly Available 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.gov)

ROPreports.Resource@nrc.gov ROPassessment.Resource@nrc.gov

Page 1 of 2 Palo Verde 02/29/2016 15:46:06 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 04/01/2016 - 12/31/2017 Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site EXAM - INITIAL EXAM 8 1 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 X02576 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 1 (10/2016)

2 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 X02577 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 2 (10/2016)

3 10/03/2016 10/07/2016 X02578 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 3 (10/2016)

1 10/31/2016 11/10/2016 X02576 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 1 (10/2016)

2 10/31/2016 11/10/2016 X02577 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 2 (10/2016)

3 10/31/2016 11/10/2016 X02578 INITIAL EXAM PALO VERDE UNIT 3 (10/2016)

RS 13 PI - RADIATION SAFETY 2 1, 2, 3 04/18/2016 04/22/2016 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1, 2, 3 04/18/2016 04/22/2016 IP 71124.03 In-Plant Airborne Radioactivity Control and Mitigation 1, 2, 3 04/18/2016 04/22/2016 IP 71151-OR01 Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness 1, 2, 3 04/18/2016 04/22/2016 IP 71151-PR01 RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent Occurrences 71111.08 - INSERVICE INSPECTION 1 1 04/18/2016 04/29/2016 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR EP-1 - EP PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 1 1 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 IP 71151-EP01 Drill/Exercise Performance 1 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 IP 71151-EP02 ERO Readiness 1 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 IP 71151-EP03 Alert & Notification System Reliability EP-2 - BIENNIAL EP PROGRAM INSPECTION 1 1, 2, 3 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 IP 7111402 Alert and Notification System Testing 1, 2, 3 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 IP 7111403 Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 1, 2, 3 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 IP 7111404 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes 1, 2, 3 05/02/2016 05/06/2016 IP 7111405 Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies EB1-21T - PV COMPONENT DESIGN BASIS INSPECTION 6 1, 2, 3 08/01/2016 09/02/2016 IP 7111121 Component Design Bases Inspection 71111.08 - INSERVICE INSPECTION 1 3 10/17/2016 10/28/2016 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR INSP - BIENNIAL REQUAL INSPECTION 3 1, 2, 3 12/12/2016 12/16/2016 IP 7111111B Licensed Operator Requalification Program RS 5678 - RS TEAM 5 1, 2, 3 01/23/2017 01/27/2017 IP 71124.05 Radiation Monitoring Instrumentation 1, 2, 3 01/23/2017 01/27/2017 IP 71124.06 Radioactive Gaseous and Liquid Effluent Treatment 1, 2, 3 01/23/2017 01/27/2017 IP 71124.07 Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.

Page 2 of 2 Palo Verde 02/29/2016 15:46:06 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 04/01/2016 - 12/31/2017 Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site RS 5678 - RS TEAM 5 1, 2, 3 01/23/2017 01/27/2017 IP 71124.08 Radioactive Solid Waste Processing and Radioactive Material Handling, Storage, and Transportation EB1-17T - PV PERMANENT PLANT MODS & 50.59 3 1, 2, 3 02/27/2017 03/17/2017 IP 7111117T Evaluations of Changes, Tests, and Experiments and Permanent Plant Modifications EP-3 - EP PERFORMANCE INDICATOR VERIFICATION 1 1, 2, 3 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 IP 71151-EP01 Drill/Exercise Performance 1, 2, 3 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 IP 71151-EP02 ERO Readiness 1, 2, 3 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 IP 71151-EP03 Alert & Notification System Reliability EP2 - BIENNIAL EP EXERCISE INSPECTION 4 1, 2, 3 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 IP 7111401 Exercise Evaluation 1, 2, 3 03/06/2017 03/10/2017 IP 7111404 Emergency Action Level and Emergency Plan Changes ISFSI - LOADING INSPECTION (ONE WEEK IN MONTH) 1 1, 2, 3 04/01/2017 04/30/2017 IP 60855.1 Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Operating Plants 71111.08 - INSERVICE INSPECTION UNIT 2 1 2 04/17/2017 04/28/2017 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR RS 12 PI - RADIATION SAFETY 2 1, 2, 3 10/16/2017 10/20/2017 IP 71124.01 Radiological Hazard Assessment and Exposure Controls 1, 2, 3 10/16/2017 10/20/2017 IP 71124.02 Occupational ALARA Planning and Controls 1, 2, 3 10/16/2017 10/20/2017 IP 71151-OR01 Occupational Exposure Control Effectiveness 1, 2, 3 10/16/2017 10/20/2017 IP 71151-PR01 RETS/ODCM Radiological Effluent Occurrences 71111.08 - INSERVICE INSPECTION UNIT 1 1 1 10/16/2017 10/27/2017 IP 7111108P Inservice Inspection Activities - PWR This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

This report shows only on-site and announced inspection procedures.