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

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 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 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.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