IR 05000255/2013007

IR 05000255-13-007, 01/07/2013 - 01/24/2013, Palisades Nuclear Plant; Evaluations of Changes, Tests, or Experiments and Permanent Plant Modifications

ML13036A150
Person / Time
Site:	Palisades
Issue date:	02/04/2013
From:	Robert Daley Engineering Branch 3
To:	Vitale A Entergy Nuclear Operations
Alan Dahbur
References
IR-13-007
Download: ML13036A150 (13)

Text

February 4, 2013

SUBJECT:

PALISADES NUCLEAR PLANT EVALUATIONS OF CHANGES, TESTS, OR EXPERIMENTS AND PERMANENT PLANT MODIFICATIONS BASELINE INSPECTION REPORT 05000255/2013007

Dear Mr. Vitale:

On January 24, 2013, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) completed an Evaluations of Changes, Tests, or Experiments and Permanent Plant Modifications inspection at your Palisades Nuclear Plant. The enclosed inspection report documents the inspection results which were discussed on January 24, 2013, with you and other members of your staff.

The inspection examined activities conducted under your license as they relate to safety and compliance with the Commissions rules and regulations and with the conditions of your license.

The inspectors reviewed selected procedures and records, observed activities, and interviewed personnel.

No findings were identified during this inspection.

In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRC's "Rules of Practice," a copy of this letter, its enclosure, will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records System (PARS) component of NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS), accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html (the Public Electronic Reading Room).

Sincerely,

/RA/

Robert C. Daley, Chief Engineering Branch 3 Division of Reactor Safety Docket Nos. 50-255 License Nos. DPR-20

Enclosure:

Inspection Report 05000255/2013007 w/Attachment: Supplemental Information

REGION III==

Docket No.:

50-255 License No.:

DPR-20 Report No.:

05000255/2013007 Licensee:

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc.

Facility:

Palisades Nuclear Plant Location:

Covert, MI Dates:

January 7, 2013 - January 24, 2013 Inspectors:

A. Dahbur, Senior Reactor Inspector, Lead

D. Szwarc, Reactor Inspector

I. Hafeez, Reactor Inspector Approved by:

Robert C. Daley, Chief Engineering Branch 3 Division of Reactor Safety

Enclosure

SUMMARY

IR 05000255/2013007, 01/07/2013 - 01/24/2013; Palisades Nuclear Plant; Evaluations of

Changes, Tests, or Experiments and Permanent Plant Modifications.

This report covers a two-week announced baseline inspection on evaluations of changes, tests, or experiments and permanent plant modifications. The inspection was conducted by Region III based engineering inspectors. The NRCs program for overseeing the safe operation of commercial nuclear power reactors is described in NUREG-1649, Reactor Oversight Process,

Revision 4, dated December 2006.

A.

No findings of significance were identified.

NRC-Identified

and Self-Revealed Findings B.

No violations of significance were identified.

Licensee-Identified Violations

1.

REACTOR SAFETY

REPORT DETAILS

Cornerstone: Initiating Events, Mitigating Systems, and Barrier Integrity

==1R17 Evaluations of Changes, Tests, or Experiments and Permanent Plant Modifications

==

.1

a.

Evaluation of Changes, Tests, or Experiments From January 7, 2013 through January 24, 2013, the inspectors reviewed five safety evaluations performed pursuant to Title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 50.59 to determine whether the evaluations were adequate and that prior NRC-approval was obtained as appropriate. The minimum sample size of six safety evaluations was not achieved, because the licensee had only performed five safety evaluations during the sample period. The inspectors also reviewed fourteen screenings where licensee personnel had determined that a 10 CFR 50.59 evaluation was not necessary. The inspectors reviewed these documents to determine if:

Inspection Scope

• the changes, tests, or experiments performed were evaluated in accordance with 10 CFR 50.59 and that sufficient documentation existed to confirm that a license amendment was not required;

• the safety issue requiring the change, tests or experiment was resolved;

• the licensee conclusions for evaluations of changes, tests, or experiments were correct and consistent with 10 CFR 50.59; and

• the design and licensing basis documentation was updated to reflect the change.

The inspectors used, in part, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 96-07, Guidelines for 10 CFR 50.59 Implementation, Revision 1, to determine acceptability of the completed evaluations, and screenings. The NEI document was endorsed by the NRC in Regulatory Guide 1.187, Guidance for Implementation of 10 CFR 50.59, Changes, Tests, and Experiments, dated November 2000. The inspectors also consulted Part 9900 of the NRC Inspection Manual, 10 CFR Guidance for 10 CFR 50.59, Changes, Tests, and Experiments.

This inspection constituted five samples of evaluations and fourteen samples of changes as defined in IP 71111.17-04.

b.

No findings of significance were identified.

Findings

.2 a.

Permanent Plant Modifications From January 7, 2013 through January 24, 2013, the inspectors reviewed eight permanent plant modifications including two design basis calculations that had been installed in the plant or modified during the last three years. This review included in-plant walkdowns for portions of the modified Containment Spray, Station Battery Charger and Emergency Diesel Generator starting air systems. The modifications were selected based upon risk-significance, safety significance, and complexity. The inspectors reviewed the modifications selected to determine if:

Inspection Scope

• the supporting design and licensing basis documentation was updated;

• the changes were in accordance with the specified design requirements;

• the procedures and training plans affected by the modification have been adequately updated;

• the test documentation as required by the applicable test programs has been updated; and

• post-modification testing adequately verified system operability and/or functionality.

The inspectors also used applicable industry standards to evaluate acceptability of the modifications. The list of modifications and other documents reviewed by the inspectors is included as an Attachment to this report.

This inspection constituted eight permanent plant modification samples as defined in IP 71111.17-04.

b.

No findings were identified.

Findings

OTHER ACTIVITIES (OA)

4OA2

.1 Problem Identification and Resolution

a.

Routine Review of Condition Reports From January 7, 2013 through January 24, 2013, the inspectors reviewed several corrective action process documents that identified or were related to 10 CFR 50.59 evaluations and permanent plant modifications. The inspectors reviewed these documents to evaluate the effectiveness of corrective actions related to permanent plant modifications and evaluations of changes, tests, or experiments. In addition, corrective action documents written on issues identified during the inspection were reviewed to verify adequate problem identification and incorporation of the problems into the Inspection Scope corrective action system. The specific corrective action documents that were sampled and reviewed by the inspectors are listed in the attachment to this report.

b.

No findings of significance were identified.

Findings 4OA6

.1 Meetings

On January 24, 2013, the inspectors presented the inspection results to Mr. A. Vitale and other members of the licensee staff. The licensee personnel acknowledged the inspection results presented and did not identify any proprietary content. The inspectors confirmed that all proprietary material reviewed during the inspection was returned to the licensee staff.

Exit Meeting Summary

ATTACHMENT:

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

KEY POINTS OF CONTACT

A. Vitale, Site Vice-President

Licensee

A. Bono, Design Engineer

D. Fitzgibbon, Design Engineering Manager

O. Gustafson, Licensing Manager

J. Haumersen, System Engineering Manager

J. Dills, Operations Manager

C. Plachta, Quality Assurance Manager

R. White, Assistant Operations Manager

B. Dotson, Licensing Specialist

T. Williams, General Manager, Plant Operations

C. Arnone, Nuclear Safety Assurance Director

C. Sherman, Radiation Protection Manager

D. Kennedy, Senior Engineer

G. Heisterman, Maintenance Manager

M. Mlynarek, Chemistry Manager

N. Trela, System Engineer

P. Russel, Production Manager

T. Taylor, Senior Resident Inspector, Palisades

Nuclear Regulatory Commission

LIST OF ITEMS

OPENED, CLOSED AND DISCUSSED

None