IR 05000413/2006001

Annual Assessment Letter - Catawba Nuclear Station (NRC IR 05000413-06-001 & 05000414-06-001)

ML060610740
Person / Time
Site:	Catawba
Issue date:	03/02/2006
From:	Ernstes M NRC/RGN-II/DRP/RPB1
To:	Jamil D Duke Energy Corp
Shared Package
ML060610733	List: IR 05000413/2006001
References
IR-06-001
Download: ML060610740 (4)

Text

rch 2, 2006

SUBJECT:

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER - CATAWBA NUCLEAR STATION (NRC INSPECTION REPORT 05000413/2006001 AND 05000414/2006001)

Dear Mr. Jamil:

On February 7, 2006, the NRC staff completed its performance review of the Catawba Nuclear Station. Our technical staff reviewed performance indicators (PIs) for the most recent quarter and inspection results for the period from January 1 through December 31, 2005. The purpose of this letter is to inform you of our assessment of your safety performance during this period and our plans for future inspections at your facility.

This performance review and enclosed inspection plan do not include physical protection information. A separate letter, designated and marked as Official Use Only - Security-Related Information, will include the physical protection performance review and resultant inspection plan.

Overall, Catawba Units 1 and 2 operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives. Plant performance for the most recent quarter, as well as for the first three quarters of the assessment cycle, was within the Licensee Response column of the NRCs Action Matrix. We base this conclusion on the fact that all inspection findings were classified as having very low safety significance (Green) and all PIs indicated performance at a level requiring no additional NRC oversight (Green). Therefore, we plan to conduct reactor oversight process (ROP) baseline inspections at your facility. We also plan on conducting several non-ROP inspections which include the independent spent fuel storage facility, reactor vessel head and head penetrations, containment emergency recirculation sump blockage, and initial reactor operator licensing examinations.

The enclosed inspection plan details the inspections, less those related to physical protection, scheduled through September 30, 2007. The inspection plan is provided to allow for the resolution of any scheduling conflicts and personnel availability issues well in advance of inspector arrival onsite. Routine resident inspections are not listed due to their ongoing and continuous nature. The inspections in the last nine months of the inspection plan are tentative and may be revised at the mid-cycle review. Although our intent is to maintain the enclosed inspection plan fixed for the first nine months, a need may arise to conduct one or more

DEC 2 unanticipated inspections prior to issuing an updated inspection plan with the 2006 assessment cycle mid-cycle letter. If an inspection of this type becomes necessary, we will notify you of the planned inspection dates as soon as possible to resolve, as much as we can, any scheduling and personnel availability conflicts you may have.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Rules of Practice, a copy of this letter and its enclosure will be made 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 Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

If circumstances arise which cause us to change this inspection plan, we will contact you to discuss the change as soon as possible. Please contact me at (404) 562-4540 with any questions you may have regarding this letter or the inspection plan.

Sincerely,

/RA/

Michael E. Ernstes, Chief Reactor Projects Branch 1 Division of Reactor Projects Docket Nos.: 50-413, 50-414, 72-45 License Nos.: NPF-35, NPF-52 Enclosure: Catawba Inspection/Activity Plan

DEC 3 cc w/encl:

Randy D. Hart Electronic Mail Distribution Regulatory Compliance Manager Duke Energy Corporation County Manager of York County, SC Electronic Mail Distribution Electronic Mail Distribution Lisa Vaughn Piedmont Municipal Power Agency Associate General Counsel Electronic Mail Distribution Duke Energy Corporation R. L. Gill, Jr., Manager 526 South Church Street Nuclear Regulatory Issues Mail Code EC 07H and Industry Affairs Charlotte, NC 28201-1244 Duke Energy Corporation 526 S. Church Street Anne Cottingham Charlotte, NC 28201-0006 Winston & Strawn LLP Electronic Mail Distribution Distribution w/encl: (See page 4)

North Carolina MPA-1 Electronic Mail Distribution Henry J. Porter, Asst. Director Div. of Radioactive Waste Mgmt.

S. C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Electronic Mail Distribution R. Mike Gandy Division of Radioactive Waste Mgmt.

S. C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Electronic Mail Distribution Elizabeth McMahon Assistant Attorney General S. C. Attorney General's Office Electronic Mail Distribution Vanessa Quinn Federal Emergency Management Agency Electronic Mail Distribution North Carolina Electric Membership Corporation Electronic Mail Distribution Peggy Force Assistant Attorney General N. C. Department of Justice

_________________________

OFFICE RII:DRP SIGNATURE CWR1 NAME CRapp:rcm DATE 03/01/2006 3/ /2006 3/ /2006 3/ /2006 3/ /2006 3/ /2006 3/ /2006 E-MAIL COPY? YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO