ML20287A352

Letter Re Termination of Reactor Oversight Process for Duane Arnold Energy Center and Commencement of Decommissioning Inspection Program

ML20287A352
Person / Time
Site:	Duane Arnold
Issue date:	10/13/2020
From:	Dave Hills Division of Nuclear Materials Safety III
To:	Dean Curtland NextEra Energy Duane Arnold
Edwards R
References
Download: ML20287A352 (3)

Text

October 13, 2020 Mr. Dean Curtland Director of Site Operations NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC 3277 DAEC Road Palo, IA 52324-9785

SUBJECT:

TERMINATION OF REACTOR OVERSIGHT PROCESS FOR DUANE ARNOLD ENERGY CENTER AND COMMENCEMENT OF DECOMMISSIONING INSPECTION PROGRAM

Dear Mr. Curtland:

This letter is to inform you that oversight activities by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) at the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC) will no longer be performed in accordance with our operating power reactor inspection program. The NRCs oversight of your future activities at the DAEC will be conducted in accordance with our decommissioning power reactor inspection program.

On January 18, 2019, NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC, notified the NRC of their intent to permanently shut down DAEC (ADAMS Accession Number: ML19023A196) and updated their notification on March 2, 2020 (ML20062E489), and on August 27, 2020 (ML20240A067). On October 12, 2020, NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC, certified cessation of power operations and the permanent removal of fuel from the DAEC reactor vessel (ML20286A317). The NRC will no longer use Inspection Manual Chapter (IMC) 0305, Operating Reactor Assessment Program, IMC 0608, Performance Indicator Program, and IMC 2515, Light-Water Reactor Inspection Program, when conducting oversight activities and assessing site performance.

Therefore, it is also no longer necessary to report Reactor Oversight Process performance indicator data for DAEC. The results of inspection activities completed under IMC 2515 will be provided in future correspondence. Although the inspection program for NRC oversight at your facility has changed, all license commitments remain in effect until altered by formal action from the NRC.

The NRCs oversight of your licensed activities as you progress through decommissioning will be conducted under the provisions in IMC 2561, Decommissioning Power Reactor Inspection Program. The objectives of the decommissioning inspection program are to verify that decommissioning activities are being conducted safely, that spent fuel is safely being stored and protected, and that site operations and license termination activities are in conformance with applicable regulatory requirements, licensee commitments, and management controls.

As defined in IMC 2561, DAEC is currently in the "Post-Operation Transition Phase" of decommissioning and the inspections as detailed in IMC 2561, Appendix A, Core Inspection Procedures, for that phase will be conducted at your facility. In addition, the inspection

D. Curtland 2 procedures listed in IMC 2561, Appendix B, Discretionary Procedures for Decommissioning Power Reactors, could be performed based on site activities and conditions.

In accordance with Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 2.390 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRCs Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management 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 630-829-9733 with any questions you may have regarding this letter.

Sincerely, Digitally signed by Michael A.

Michael A. Kunowski Kunowski Date: 2020.10.13 14:00:38 -05'00' David E. Hills, Chief Materials Control, ISFSI, and Decommissioning Branch Division of Nuclear Materials Safety Docket No. 05000331 License No. DPR-49 cc: Distribution via LISTSERV

D. Curtland 3 Letter to D. Curtland from D. Hills dated October 13, 2020.

DISTRIBUTION:

Jessie Quichocho Elise Burket Bruce Watson Ted Carter RidsNrrDorlLpl3 RidsNrrPMDuaneArnold Resource RidsNrrDroIrib Resource Jack Giessner Kenneth OBrien Jamnes Cameron Allan Barker Harral Logaras DNMSIII DRPIII DRSIII ADAMS Accession Number: ML20287A352 OFFICE RIII DNMS RIII DRP RIII DNMS NAME RAEdwards:brt RAE BCDickson DEHills DATE 10/13/2020 10/13/2020 10/13/2020 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY