Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Nuclear
LLC reports
This report is issued as part of the Health and Safety Executive's commitment to make information about inspection and regulatory activities relating to the above site available to the public. It is for distribution to members of the Bradwell Power Stations Local Community Liaison Council (LCLC) and covers activities associated with the regulation of safety at Bradwell Power Station. These reports are distributed quarterly. Site Inspectors of HM Nuclear Installations Inspectorate attend LCLC meetings and will be happy to respond to any questions raised there by members of the LCLC. Any other persons wishing to inquire about matters covered in this report should contact HSE, Nuclear Directorate Information Centre on 0151 - 951 - 4103.
Bradwell was visited for site inspections on four occasions during this quarter, the visits having both a routine element and reactive element, the dates were as follows:
22 - 24 October 2002
12 - 14 November 2002
20 November 2002
2 - 6 December 2002
The first visit covered planned inspections as per my inspection programme and a meeting on the Nuclear Reactors (Environmental Impact Assessment for Decommissioning) Regulations 1999 (EIAD 99) regulations which was attended by two of my colleagues. The second visit was used to carry out further planned inspections. The LCLC was attended on the 20 November visit. The last visit was used to carry out a readiness inspection for defuelling and a Defuelling Start-up meeting was held.
- During these visits the site inspector carried out planned inspections of the licensee's compliance with: (i) the conditions attached to the Site Licence; (ii) the Ionising Radiations Regulations; and (iii) other relevant health and safety legislation. Where these inspections revealed that improvements to the site's arrangements were required the site inspector raised them with the Station Manager and is regularly monitoring the Station's response
- The Level 1 emergency demonstration is planned to take place in April 2003.
- As part of planned inspections the site inspector examined the licensee's arrangements for the recording and investigation of events on the station, and where appropriate undertook independent investigations to the extent that was warranted by the significance of the event. No formal investigations were carried out during this quarter. In general the site inspector is content with how these matters have been progressed by the Company.
The Superintending Inspector, Miss F Taylor and the Site Inspector attended a Defuelling Start-up meeting at which the station presented their case to defuel the reactors. An agreed position was reached regarding the out standing actions that were necessary to be completed before agreement will be given.
NII attended the LCLC which was held on 20 November 2002.
- Bradwell applied for consent to decommission and submitted the Environmental Statement on 8 April 2002. The public consultation period ended 30 September 2003 and twenty four responses were received. NII are now considering the Environmental Statement together with the public responses. It is perhaps worth noting that Hinkley Point A ended its public consultation period on 30 June 2002 and we requested the station to provide further information under Regulation 10. Since the Bradwell Environmental Statement is similar to the Hinkley one, we could take a similar line of requesting further information.
- Two NII Inspectors carried out a team inspection of the station's defuelling verification arrangements. The conclusion reached was that the proposals put forward by Bradwell to verify that all fuel is removed from the reactor are comprehensive and contain defence in depth.
The EIAD specialist and the Hinkley Point A Site Inspector attended a meeting at site on the Bradwell Environmental Statement.
The Inspectorate has powers under the License to issue Consents, Approvals and Directions. In addition the Inspectorate uses Licence Instruments to issue Specifications and Agreements under the conditions attached to the Licence. During the period the following formal regulatory documentation was issued:-
was issued on 11 November 2002 agreeing to the Paper NS/SC 4633 Issue 1 Revisions to the Station Safety Case and Proposed Operating Rules for Final Defuelling: Stage Submission 6 Electrical Systems and Minor Variation 1.
was issued on 19 December 2002 specifying that the licensee shall submit to the Executive for approval the set of operating rules made under Condition 23(1) that is known as the 'Bradwell Power Station Operating Rules'.
was issued on 20 December 2002 approving the new set of defuelling Operating Rules.
was issued on 20 December 2002 agreeing to the Paper NS/SC 4633 Issue 1 Revisions to the Station Safety Case and Proposed Operating Rules for Final Defuelling: Stage Submission 7 Addendum 2 Maintenance Schedule and Minimum Safety Related Plant Review
Published on the HSE web site 20 May 2003