IR 05000271/2014006

Mid-Cycle Assessment Letter and Inspection Plan 2014 (ROP-15) - Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Report 05000271-14-006)

ML14241A029
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	09/02/2014
From:	Raymond Mckinley NRC/RGN-I/DRP/PB5
To:	Wamser C Entergy Nuclear Operations
McKinley R
References
IR-2014-006
Download: ML14241A029 (5)

Text

ber 2, 2014

SUBJECT:

MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR POWER STATION (REPORT 05000271/2014006)

Dear Mr. Wamser:

On August 14, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed its mid-cycle performance review of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (Vermont Yankee). The NRC reviewed the most recent quarterly performance indicators (PIs) in addition to inspection results and enforcement actions from July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014. 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, Entergy operated Vermont Yankee in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. The NRC determined the performance at Vermont Yankee during the most recent quarter was within the Licensee Response Column of the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Action Matrix because all inspection findings had very low (i.e., green) safety significance, and all PIs demonstrated that your performance was within the nominal, expected range (i.e., green). Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct ROP 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 2014 reflect this revision to Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 0310.

Cross-cutting aspects identified in 2013 using the 2013 terminology were converted to the latest revision in accordance with the cross-reference in IMC 0310 during the mid-cycle assessment review and evaluated for cross-cutting themes and potential substantive cross-cutting issues in accordance with IMC 0305.

Due to the planned cessation of plant operations anticipated toward the end of 2014, NRC staff have begun conducting performance reviews for Vermont Yankee at the end of the first and third calendar year quarters, in addition to the traditional mid-cycle and end-of-cycle performance reviews. The purpose of these interim performance reviews is to perform an overall review and assessment of Vermont Yankee performance during the previous four calendar year quarters. Accordingly, the NRC conducted its first quarterly performance review of Vermont Yankee in April and determined that there were no issues associated with the plants safety performance in the first quarter 2014 that warranted additional attention by the NRC and that ROP baseline inspections would continue at your facility. This review was conducted using guidance contained in IMC 0305, Operating Reactor Assessment Program. A similar review will be conducted in the November 2014 timeframe for plant performance during the third quarter of 2014.

The enclosed inspection plan lists the inspections scheduled through December 31, 2015.

Routine inspections performed by resident inspectors are not included in the enclosed inspection plan. In addition to baseline inspections, the NRC will perform Inspection Procedure (IP) 60855, Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, and IP 60855.1, Operation of an ISFSI at Operating Plant. In a letter (ML13273A204)1 dated September 23, 2013, pursuant to Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 50.82(a)(1)(i), you notified the NRC of your intent to permanently cease power operations at Vermont Yankee in the fourth quarter of 2014. Therefore, inspections currently scheduled beyond 2014 are tentative. Once you formally notify the NRC in accordance with 10 CFR 50.82(a)(1)(ii) that Vermont Yankee is permanently shutdown and that all nuclear fuel has been removed from the reactor vessel, then Vermont Yankee will transition from 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.

In accordance with 10 CFR, Part 2.390 of the NRCs 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 component of the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and

The NRCs 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. 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: Vermont Yankee Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServ

ML14241A029 Non-Sensitive Publicly Available SUNSI Review Sensitive Non-Publicly Available OFFICE RI/DRP RI/DRP NAME SShaffer/SWS RMcKinley/RRM DATE 08/26/14 08/27/14

Page 1 of 1 Vermont Yankee 08/27/2014 15:28:26 Inspection / Activity Plan Report 22 07/01/2014 - 12/31/2015 Unit Planned Dates No. of Staff Number Start End Inspection Activity Title on Site EP PROG - EP PROGRAM INSPECTION 1 1 07/21/2014 07/25/2014 IP 7111402 Alert and Notification System Testing 1 07/21/2014 07/25/2014 IP 7111403 Emergency Preparedness Organization Staffing and Augmentation System 1 07/21/2014 07/25/2014 IP 7111405 Correction of Emergency Preparedness Weaknesses and Deficiencies 71151 - PI VERIFICATION 1 1 12/01/2014 12/02/2014 IP 71151-OR01 1 12/01/2014 12/02/2014 IP 71151-PR01 EP - EP EXERCISE 6 1 05/11/2015 05/15/2015 IP 7111407 Exercise Evaluation - Hostile Action (HA) Event 1 05/11/2015 05/15/2015 IP 7111408 Exercise Evaluation - Scenario Review ISFSI - ISFSI LOADING INSPECTION 1 1 06/01/2015 08/31/2015 IP 60855 Operation Of An ISFSI 1 06/01/2015 08/31/2015 IP 60855.1 Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at Operating Plants This report does not include INPO and OUTAGE activities.

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