IR 05000263/2011006

Mid-Cycle Performance Review and Inspection Plant for Monticello Nuclear Plant 05000263-11-006

ML11244A009
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	09/01/2011
From:	Riemer K R NRC/RGN-III/DRP/B2
To:	O'Connor T J Northern States Power Co
References
IR-11-006
Download: ML11244A009 (5)

Text

September 1, 2011

Mr. Timothy Site Vice President Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Northern States Power Company, Minnesota 2807 West County Road 75 Monticello, MN 55362-9637

SUBJECT: MID-CYCLE LETTER FOR MONTICELLO NUCLEAR GENERATING PLANT; 05000263/2011-006

Dear Mr. O'Connor:

On August 10, 2011, the NRC completed its mid-cycle performance review of the Monticello Nuclear 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 the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant 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 normal, expected range (i.e.,green). Therefore, the NRC plans to conduct ROP baseline inspections at your facility. The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections, less those related to physical protection, scheduled through December 31, 2012. Routine resident inspections are not included in the inspection plan. In addition to the ROP baseline inspections, the NRC will be conducting the following additional inspection at your facility: IP 60855.1, "Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) at Operating Plants." 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 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 Temporary Instruction (TI) 183, "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 21st Century: The Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Daiichi Accident." The NRC is currently reviewing the Task Force's recommendations to determine what additional actions may be warranted. In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 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 (PARS) component of NRC's document system (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Website at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room). Please contact me at (630) 829-9628 with any questions you may have regarding this letter.

Sincerely,/RA/

Kenneth Riemer, Branch Chief Branch 2 Division of Reactor Projects Docket No. 50-263 License No. DPR-22

Enclosure:

Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant Inspection/Activity Plan cc w/encl: Distribution via ListServe