2013 Emergency Preparedness Findings
Plant
Prairie Island
Palo Verde
Type
White
Green
Fort Calhoun
Ginna
Fort Calhoun
Millstone
Green
Green
Green
Green
Palo Verde
Green
Peach Bottom
Green
Susquehanna
Green
Pilgrim
Green
Cooper
Green
Cooper
Susquehanna
Green
Green
Perry
Green
Short Title
Degraded EAL Scheme
Failure to Identify non RSPS Weak Performance in
an Exercise
Non Conservative Value in EAL scheme
Failure to Critique
Failure to Perform Siren Maintenance
Failure to make a 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(v) report for a
major loss of emergency assessment capability
Failure to Maintain an Effective Emergency Plan for
a Seismic Event
Failure to Maintain Adequate EAL Classification and
Assessment Capabilities for Effluents
Inadequate and untimely Actions to Address a Failed
Instrument Necessary for Diagnosis of Emergency
Conditions
Failure to Maintain an Adequate Meteorological
Tower
Lack of Alternative Facility description in the
Emergency Plan
Inadequate ERO staffing of the JIC
Untimely Restoration of an Alarm needed for
Classification
Failure to Classify a 2010 Event
Date
12/18/12
3/31/13
4/15/13
4/15/13
5/18/13
6/30/13
9/30/13
9/30/13
9/30/13
10/3/13
11/12/13
11/12/13
11/14/13
11/14/13
1
2013 Emergency Preparedness Findings
PRAIRIE ISLAND
Region: 3
Report Date: 12/18/2012
Color: White
Finding Summary:
Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant (PINGP) Unit 1 failed to follow and maintain in effect an
emergency plan that uses a standard emergency classification and action level scheme because adequate
emergency equipment to support the emergency response was not maintained.
PALO VERDE
Region: 4
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 3/30/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a Green NCV of 10 CFR 50.47(b)(14) for the licensee’s failure to identify and
correct a performance deficiency during an evaluated exercise. Specifically, the licensee failed to identify
that the Emergency Director in the Simulator Control Room did not evaluate emergency action level RS-1
when information was available indicating a need to upgrade the emergency classification because of
offsite radiation dose. The finding was assigned a cross-cutting aspect of Low Threshold, because the
licensee failed to completely and accurately recognize a performance deficiency
FORT CALHOUN
Region: 4
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 4/15/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The team identified a non-cited violation of 10 CFR 50.54(q)(2) for the licensee’s failure to maintain the
effectiveness of an emergency plan. Specifically, since May 14, 2009, the licensee failed to maintain a
proper value for low river level associated with the declaration of an emergency at the ALERT
classification level. the licensee did not maintain a standard emergency action level scheme in accordance
with the requirements of 10 CFR 50.47(b)(4), which states in part, that a standard emergency
classification and action level scheme is in use by the nuclear facility licensee.
GINNA
Region: 1
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 4/15/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a Green non-cited violation of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10
CFR) 50.47(b)(14) and 10 CFR 50, Appendix E, Emergency Planning and Preparedness for Production
and Utilization Facilities, Section IV.F.2.g. Specifically, Constellation Energy Nuclear Group, LLC
(CENG) did not identify and critique a weakness related to a risk-significant planning standard during
their critique following the March 11, 2014, emergency preparedness drill. CENG’s immediate corrective
actions included entering the issues associated with the drill critique into its corrective action plan.
The inspectors determined that CENG’s failure to identify and critique an emergency preparedness drill
performance weakness in the formal critique was a performance deficiency that was within CENG’s
ability to foresee and correct and should have been prevented. Specifically, CENG did not identify that
operators failed to notice the loss of annunciator panels for approximately 7 minutes, contrary to the
planned scenario summary and timeline, and that it took a computer alarm, not associated with the loss of
annunciator panels, to alert the operators to the loss of the annunciator panels. The inspectors determined
that the failure to identify the drill performance weakness was more than minor, because it was associated
with the emergency response organization performance attribute of the Emergency Preparedness
cornerstone and affected the cornerstone objective to ensure that the licensee is capable of implementing
adequate measures to protect the health and safety of the public in the event of a radiological emergency.
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2013 Emergency Preparedness Findings
FORT CALHOUN
Region: 4
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 5/18/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a noncited violation of 10 CFR 50.54(q)(2) for failure to follow an emergency
plan meeting the planning standards of 10 CFR 50.47(b). Specifically, the licensee did not meet
50.47(b)(5) because they failed to fully implement preventative maintenance requirements of Design
Report for the Outdoor Public Warning System, Revision 1, as determined by Federal Emergency
Management Agency Region VII.
MILLSTONE
Region: 1
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 6/30/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a Severity Level IV NCV of 10 CFR 50.72(b)(3)(xiii) for the failure to make the
required initial notification to the NRC within eight hours of a major loss of monitoring capability. On
April 16, Dominion declared the main station stack radiation monitor inoperable but did not report this to
the NRC until the inspectors questioned the control room operators on April 18. Dominion evaluated the
condition and made the required notification (NRC event report number 48941) on April 18, 2013, and
entered the issue into their corrective action program (CAP) as CR512007. The inspectors determined
that Dominion did not notify the NRC of a major loss of emergency assessment capabilities event in the
time required by 10 CFR 50.72.
PALO VERDE
Region: 4
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 9/30/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a non-cited violation of 10 CFR 50.54 (q)(2) for the failure to maintain an
effective emergency plan action level scheme in accordance with 50.47(b)(4). Specifically, the Alert
threshold for HA1.1, Natural or Destructive Phenomena Affecting VITAL AREAS, requires a declaration
of an Alert for a seismic event greater than operating basis earthquake as indicated by any force balance
accelerometer reading greater than 0.10g.
PEACH BOTTOM
Region: 1
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 9/30/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a Green non-cited violation (NCV) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulation
(CFR) 50.54(q)(2) associated with 50.47(b)(4) because PBAPS failed to control emergency planning (EP)
procedure changes in a manner that would ensure timely emergency action level (EAL) classification for
effluent parameters. On June 27, 2013, PBAPS issued Revision 27 to EP-AA-1007, Exelon Nuclear
Radiological Emergency Plan Annex for PBAPS. One of the plan changes involved removal of the 'A'
ventilation and main stack radiation monitors from radiological effluent EAL matrix Table 3-1, and
thereby rendered the B ventilation and main stack radiation monitors as the only means of EAL
classification for effluent releases. The inspectors determined that this finding had a cross-cutting aspect
in the area of Human Performance, Work Control, because PBAPS did not appropriately coordinate work
activities by incorporating actions to address the impact of work on different job activities, and the need
for work groups to communicate, coordinate, and cooperate with each other during activities in which
interdepartmental coordination is necessary to assure plant and human performance.
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2013 Emergency Preparedness Findings
SUSQUEHANNA
Region: 2
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 9/30/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a finding of very low safety significance (Green), and an associated NCV of 10
CFR 50.54(q) for failing to follow and maintain an emergency plan that meets the requirements of
emergency planning standard 10 CFR 50.47(b)(4). Specifically, the licensee failed to take timely
corrective actions to restore a degraded room flooded alarm in accordance with station procedures. The
finding is related to the cross-cutting area of PI&R, CAP, in that PPL did not take appropriate corrective
actions to address safety issues in a timely manner.
PILGRIM
Region: 1
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 10/3/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a Green non-cited violation of 10 CFR Part 50.54(q)(2) because Entergy did not
ensure that the Pilgrim Emergency Plan met the planning standards in 10 CFR 50.47(b). Specifically, on
various occasions in 2012 and 2013, Pilgrim failed to maintain both meteorological towers as necessary
to support emergency response. This finding has a crosscutting aspect in the area of Problem
Identification and Resolution, Corrective Action Program, because Pilgrim did not take appropriate
corrective actions to address safety issues and trends in a timely manner.
COOPER
Region: 4
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 11/12/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a Green non-cited violation for the licensee’s failure to implement an alternate
staging area for emergency response organization staff normally assigned to onsite emergency response
facilities, accessible when the site is under threat of, or experiencing, hostile action, as required by
Appendix E to 10 CFR Part 50, IV.E(8)(d).
COOPER
Region: 4
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 11/12/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
Between approximately May 1 and July 10, 2012, the Cooper Nuclear Station did not follow an
emergency plan that met the requirements of 10 CFR 50.47(b) and Appendix E to Part 50. Specifically,
it did not follow emergency plan Section 5.3.1 of the Cooper Nuclear Station Emergency Plan because
there were no qualified staff assigned to the position of Joint Information Center Facility Manager.
SUSQUEHANNA
Region: 1
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 11/14/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a finding of very low safety significance (Green), and an associated NCV of 10
CFR 50.54(q) for failing to follow and maintain an emergency plan that meets the requirements of
emergency planning standard 10 CFR 50.47(b)(4). Specifically, PPL failed to take timely corrective
actions to restore a degraded flood alarm in accordance with station procedures. The alarm was out-ofservice from December 21, 2012 until September 23, 2013 without adequate compensatory measures in
place.
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2013 Emergency Preparedness Findings
PILGRIM
Region: 1
Severity Level: NCV
Report Date: 10/3/2013
Color: Green
Finding Summary:
The inspectors identified a Green non-cited violation of 10 CFR Part 50.54(q)(2) because Entergy did not
ensure that the Pilgrim Emergency Plan met the planning standards in 10 CFR 50.47(b). Specifically, on
various occasions in 2012 and 2013, Pilgrim failed to maintain both meteorological towers as necessary
to support emergency response. Entergy entered this issue into their corrective action program as
condition report CR-PNP-2013-06829 for further evaluation. Additionally, as of the date of this
inspection, the 220 ft. meteorological tower was functional and the National Weather Service is still
available as an alternate data source.
The inspectors determined that failure to maintain the 160 ft. and 220 ft. meteorological towers resulting
in both towers being out of service concurrently for three separate periods in 2012 and 2013 was a
performance deficiency that was within Entergy’s ability to foresee and correct. This performance
deficiency is more than minor because it is associated with the facilities and equipment attribute of the
Emergency Preparedness cornerstone and adversely affected the cornerstone objective of ensuring the
licensee is capable of implementing adequate measures to protect the health and safety of the public in the
event of a radiological emergency. In accordance with IMC 0609, Appendix B, Emergency Preparedness
Significance Determination Process, Table 5.8-1, the inspectors determined the finding to be of very low
safety significance (Green) because the planning standard function was degraded. Specifically, a
significant amount of equipment necessary to implement the emergency plan was not functional to the
extent that an emergency response organization member could not perform assigned functions, in the
absence of compensatory measures. However, Pilgrim was able to make adequate dose assessments at all
times using the National Weather Service to obtain necessary data. This finding has a crosscutting aspect
in the area of Problem Identification and Resolution, Corrective Action Program, because Pilgrim did not
take appropriate corrective actions to address safety issues and trends in a timely manner. Specifically, the
station did not take timely corrective actions to correct deficiencies associated with both meteorological
towers resulting in both towers being simultaneously non-functional on multiple occasions.
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