Press Release-08-044, NRC Issues Annual Assessments for Nation’S Nuclear Plants
| ML080660041 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/06/2008 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
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| Category:Press Release | |
| References | |
| Press Release-08-044 | |
| Download: ML080660041 (1) | |
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NRC ISSUES ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS FOR NATIONS NUCLEAR PLANTS The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued annual assessment letters to the nations 104 operating commercial nuclear power plants. All the plants continue to operate safely.
Our ongoing assessment of nuclear power plant performance is at the heart of the agencys mission of protecting people and the environment, said Frederick Brown, director of the Division of Inspection and Regional Support in the NRCs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. The 2007 year-end results show that about 80 percent of the plants are performing strongly enough that were satisfied with our basic level of inspections at those locations.
If a nuclear power plants performance declines, the NRC assigns additional personnel to ensure the plant operator is taking the steps necessary to correct the situation. Only one plant, Palo Verde in Arizona, requires the NRCs highest level of attention. It will continue to undergo additional inspections this year to confirm the plants performance issues are being addressed.
Eight plants require significant NRC attention, and another eight plants will get some additional attention beyond the basic level.
Later this spring and summer, the NRC will meet publicly with the operators of every plant in nearby locations to discuss plant performance. A separate announcement will be issued for each plant meeting. In addition to the annual assessment letters, plants also receive an NRC inspection plan for the coming year. Updated information on plant performance is posted to the NRC Web site every quarter. The plants also receive a mid-cycle assessment letter during the year; the next mid-cycle letters will be issued in September.
The assessment letters sent to each licensee are available on the NRC Web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/index.html and through ADAMS, the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System. Help in using ADAMS is available from the NRC Public Document Room by calling (301) 415-4737 or (800) 397-4209.
News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address:
http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.
NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov Site: http://www.nrc.gov No.08-044 March 6, 2008