ML18059A273
| ML18059A273 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Vogtle  |
| Issue date: | 03/12/2018 |
| From: | Frederick Brown, Catherine Haney Office of New Reactors, Region 2 Administrator |
| To: | Frank Akstulewicz, James Anderson, William Jones, Mcginty T, Chris Miller, Michael Scott, Susan Vrahoretis Division of Construction Inspection and Operational Programs, NRC/NRO/DNRL, Division of Inspection and Regional Support, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, NRC/OGC, NRC Region 1 |
| Andrea Johnson 415-2890 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML18059A273 (10) | |
Text
March 12, 2018 MEMORANDUM TO: Timothy J. McGinty, Director, NRO/DCIP William B. Jones, Director, RI/DCIP Frank M. Akstulewicz, Director, NRO/DCIP Christopher G. Miller, Director, NRR/DIRS James R. Andersen, Director, NSIR/DPCP Michael L. Scott, Director, NSIR/DPR Susan H Vrahoretis, Assistant General Counsel, OGC FROM: Frederick D. Brown, Director (Acting) /RA/
Office of New Reactors Catherine Haney, Regional Administrator /RA/
Region II
SUBJECT:
CHARTER FOR INSTITUTING THE VOGTLE READINESS GROUP TO OVERSEE THE VOGTLE UNITS 3 AND 4 TRANSITION TO OPERATIONS This memorandum forwards the charter for the Vogtle Readiness Group (VRG). The VRG will provide the necessary oversight and coordination of U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) activities up to and including the transition to operations at the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle) Units 3 and 4. The NRC is instituting the VRG consistent with the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 2 Construction Lessons Learned report, dated December 20, 2017 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML17356A269), and Recommendation 10 of the inspections, tests, analyses, and acceptance criteria (ITAAC) Closure and Verification Demonstration Final Report, dated June 1, 2017 (ADAMS Accession No. ML17135A415). Members of the VRG will include the Office of New Reactors (NRO), Region II, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR), and Office of the General Counsel (OGC).
The VRGs responsibilities include project plan review, NRC office coordination, and communications during construction; preoperational, hot functional, and startup testing; and transition to the Reactor Oversight Process after fuel load of Vogtle Units 3 and 4. The VRG will develop a project plan that identifies the critical activities, their organizational leads, and their schedules and milestones. It will serve as the focal point to ensure the effective communication of status and issues across NRC offices and to NRC management, the Commission, the licensee, and other external stakeholders.
CONTACT: Andrea Johnson, NRO/DCIP 301-415-2890
T. McGinty, et al. The VRG will continue until the second Vogtle unit under construction reaches commercial operation or until such time as mutually agreed upon by the Directors of NRO and NRR, and the Regional Administrator, Region II. The VRG will ensure the development of a VRG lessons learned report prior to disbanding.
Docket No.: 52-025 and 52-026
Enclosure:
VRG Charter
ML18059A273 *Via E-Mail NRO-002 NRR: D*
OFFICE NRO/DCIP:PM* NRO/DCIP:D* NRO/DNRL:D* RII/DCO: D* QTE*
(Acting)
NAME AJohnson TMcGinty FAkstulewicz WJones JDougherty BHolian DATE 03/06/2018 03/06/2018 03/06/2018 03/06/2018 03/02//2018 03/08/2018 NSIR: D* NRO: D OFFICE OGC RII: RA*
(Acting) (Acting)
BMcDermott NAME MDoane* CHaney FBrown (JLubinski for)
DATE 03/06/2018 03/08/2018 03/08/2018 03/06/2018 CHARTER VOGTLE READINESS GROUP FRAMEWORK This charter establishes and defines the responsibilities for the Vogtle Readiness Group (VRG) as it relates to inspection and licensing activities for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle),
Units 3 and 4.
The VRG is an assessment and oversight group with the following members:
- Office of New Reactors (NRO)
- Division of New Reactor Licensing (DNRL) (Co-Chair)
- Division of Construction Inspection and Operational Programs (DCIP) (Co-Chair)
- Region II
- Division of Construction Oversight (DCO) (Co-Chair)
- Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)
- Division of Inspection and Regional Support (DIRS)
- Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR)
- Division of Physical and Cyber Security Policy (DPCP)
- Division of Preparedness and Response (DPR)
- Office of the General Counsel (OGC)
Other U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) divisions, including the following, will support the VRG as necessary to oversee project completion:
- Region II
- Division of Reactor Safety (DRS)
- Division of Reactor Projects (DRP)
In its oversight role, the VRG will serve as the focal point for project status and for coordination among Region II, NRO, NRR, NSIR, and OGC through commercial operation of Vogtle Units 3 and 4. In addition, the VRG will serve as the hub for communications with the Commission, the Executive Director for Operations and its office direct reports, the licensee, and other external stakeholders.
OBJECTIVES The VRGs primary objective is to identify and resolve any licensing, inspection, or regulatory challenges or gaps that could impact the schedule for completion of Vogtle Units 3 and 4. To accomplish this objective, the VRG will provide high-level assessments, coordination, oversight, and management direction of NRC activities associated with the licensing, inspection, testing, and operation of Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Each of the NRC offices/region and associated staff retains responsibility for the activities related to licensing, inspection, and assessment of Vogtle Units 3 and 4 under their purview.
Enclosure
The VRG will provide periodic status updates to the Directors of NRO and NRR and the Regional Administrator, Region II. These periodic updates will include information on topics such as license reviews; inspections, tests, analyses, and acceptance criteria (ITAAC) inspections; ITAAC closure notifications (ICNs); operational programs; initial test programs; and startup activities. The updates will also include the status of hearings, contentions, late-filed allegations, inspection issues, and licensing activities that could impact the project, as applicable. The Directors of NRO and NRR, Region II Regional Administrator, and VRG co-chairs will determine the frequency of the updates.
SCOPE OF ACTIVITIES The VRG will meet its objectives by prioritizing resource management, project planning and execution, communications, and oversight.
Resource Management The VRG will facilitate resource prioritization across organizational boundaries to meet inspection and licensing objectives as needed, including resources for the following:
- inspection
- licensing
- ICN review
- staff training
- transition to operations oversight The integrated project schedule and the license amendment request (LAR) tracking database will be used to assess whether adequate resources are available for the scheduled activities.
Project Planning and Execution The VRG provides oversight for overall project planning among the NRC offices participating in construction oversight, operational program, and preoperational and startup testing oversight; license amendment reviews; and ITAAC closure verification. The scope of VRG activities in this area will include the following:
- Determine that licensing activities and inspections are conducted in a timely manner and integrated with the licensees schedule to support construction and operational activities, the transition to operations, and the implementation of the Reactor Oversight Process.
- Determine that project leads from each of the responsible offices are established and have the authority to commit the organizations resources to meet due dates.
- Determine that the integrated project plan is maintained to support the project through commercial operations.
- Facilitate expedited changes to inspection support documents (e.g., procedures, inspection planning documents) as needed, to support timely inspection activities.
- Identify for resolution by the appropriate office any inspection, licensing, and startup challenges before they unnecessarily impact project schedules.
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- Identify areas for which regulatory gaps exist and need to be addressed.
- Provide support to the ITAAC Hearing process Communications The VRG serves as the focal point for project status and coordination among the NRCs regional and headquarters offices, including periodic status briefings to the Directors of NRO and NRR and the Regional Administrator, Region II. The scope of VRG communications activities will include the following:
- Develop and maintain a communication plan with input from each of the offices/region.
Oversee plan implementation to ensure key stakeholders are informed of the review status. Coordinate with the Office of Public Affairs and the Critical Communications Team.
- Maintain and periodically issue talking points on the status of the Vogtle project to be used for senior NRC management briefings, bringing attention to special issues as necessary.
- Review the inspection and ICN integrated dashboards for timeliness and effectiveness and ensure effective communications among the NRC staff and with the licensee and stakeholders.
- Communicate licensing and technical issues that could impact the project timeline to the Commission, NRC management, and internal and external stakeholders, as appropriate.
- Conduct periodic meetings with the licensee to discuss progress of construction oversight, preoperation and startup oversight, license amendments, and ITAAC closure verification and help identify ways to enhance NRC oversight of the project.
- Conduct periodic public meetings with external stakeholders as appropriate for effectiveness, openness, and transparency.
- Ensure that meeting summaries are provided, commitments are tracked, and organizations are accountable for assigned actions.
Oversight The scope of VRG activities in the area of oversight will include the following:
- Maintain cognizance of the construction process and conduct periodic meetings among VRG members to assess ongoing NRC inspections and to resolve technical and regulatory issues that may arise.
- Provide up-to-date information on the schedule associated with the Integrated Project Plan to all relevant offices.
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- Oversee coordination of safety, security, and emergency planning interfaces between the units under construction and the operating units on the same site and ensure that issues in these areas are communicated to affected NRC staff.
- Maintain cognizance of construction project performance. Review NRO and DCO metrics to monitor division consistency and effectiveness of inspection, ICN actions, and other activities, using the following tools:
- LAR database
- inspection of submitted and upcoming ICNs
- ICN closure tracking (VOICES)
- inspection issues metrics (technical assistance requests (TARs)/violations/allegations, etc.)
- Develop and maintain an integrated project plan to track and monitor adherence to the project schedule, including all interim milestones.
- Facilitate interactions such that the NRC staff is adequately prepared to support meetings.
- Identify issues that affect any of these oversight functions and facilitate their timely resolution.
- Provide support to the ITAAC Hearing Process.
VRG MEETING FREQUENCY VRG meetings will occur twice per quarter to ensure the integrated project plan schedules are met and new and existing activities are identified and tracked through completion. The VRG will meet more frequently if the VRG deems it necessary based on pending activities and other stakeholder interest. The VRG will leverage its meetings with existing management meetings as practical. The meetings will take place near Vogtle Units 3 and 4, the Region II office, or NRC Headquarters. Members may attend the meetings in person or through teleconference, video teleconference, or Go-To-Meeting.
VRG DURATION The VRG will be in effect until Vogtle Units 3 and 4 achieve commercial operation or until such time as mutually agreed upon by the Directors of NRO and NRR and the Regional Administrator, Region II.
REPORTING RESPONSIBILITY The VRG will report to the Directors of NRO and NRR and the Regional Administrator, Region II.
VRG MEMBERSHIP Director, DCIP, NRO or designee (Co-Chair)
Director, DCO, RII or designee (Co-Chair)
Director, DNRL, NRO or designee (Co-Chair)
Director, DPR, NSIR or designee 4
Director, DPCP, NSIR or designee Director, DIRS, NRR or designee OGC, Assistant General Counsel for New Reactor Programs, or designee Associated Staff Supporting the VRG DNRL Licensing Branch Chief, NRO or designee DCIP Branch Chief, NRO or designee ITAAC Branch Chief, NRO or designee DCO Branch Chief, Region II or designee Senior Resident Inspector, Vogtle Units 3 and 4 or designee OGC Senior Attorney or designee DPR Branch Chief, NSIR or designee DPCP Branch Chief, NSIR or designee DIRS Branch Chief, NRR or designee Director, DRP, Region II or designee DRP Branch Chief, Region II or designee Director, DRS, Region II or designee DRS Branch Chief, Region II or designee Director, DORL, NRR or designee DORL Branch Chief, NRR or designee Designees shall be empowered to act for the members and to allocate resources.
A quorum for the acceptance of decisions will consist of two of the co-chairs and three other members or their alternates.
Other supporting staff members may include representative NRC staff from other parts of the agency who may assist the VRG in its activities.
INTEGRATED PROJECT PLAN SCOPE AND EXECUTION An integrated project plan will be used to inform the VRG and other NRC senior leadership and staff of the ongoing and scheduled activities related to the completion of construction, initial testing, implementation of operational programs, and transition to operations for Vogtle Units 3 and 4.
Region II will maintain the integrated project plan with the Primavera program currently being used for planning and scheduling. The plan will reference, but not duplicate other tracking means in existence for activities such as LARs.
The integrated project plan will identify key activities leading up to and following the decision under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 52.103(g). The plan will also include key activities and interfaces between the NRC and the licensee and the numerous stakeholders.
The plan will include activities related to cybersecurity, emergency preparedness, security transition (nonsafeguards), reactor construction oversight program to the reactor oversight process, transition milestones, support of the ITAAC hearing process, and key communications with stakeholders. It will also include the development of inspection and licensing support documents.
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ESTIMATED NUMBER AND FREQUENCY OF PUBLIC MEETINGS Starting in approximately the third quarter of fiscal year 2018, the VRG will hold public meetings with the licensee to discuss the status of the construction program, significant inspection and licensing issues, and the transition to operations. These meetings will take place semiannually, and the VRG may adjust the frequency based on pending activities and other stakeholder interest. The VRG will coordinate these meetings with existing public meetings as practical.
REVISIONS TO THE CHARTER The co-chairs are jointly authorized to make changes to this charter that do not reduce its overall effectiveness in meeting the objectives delineated in the project priorities, such as changes in membership, with notification of all changes being communicated to the undersigned Office Directors, OGC, and the Regional Administrator, RII.
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APPROVAL This charter is approved for implementation by:
/RA/
Frederick Brown, Acting Director Office of New Reactors
/RA/
Catherine Haney, Regional Administrator Region II
/RA/
Brian E. Holian, Acting Director Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
/RA/
Brian J. McDermott, Acting, Director Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response
/RA/
Margaret M. Doane, General Counsel Office of the General Counsel 7