Press Release-08-163, NRC Issues Mid-Cycle Assessments for Nations Nuclear Plants
| ML082480460 | |
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| Issue date: | 09/04/2008 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
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| Category:Press Release | |
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| Press Release-08-163 | |
| Download: ML082480460 (1) | |
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NRC ISSUES MID-CYCLE ASSESSMENTS FOR NATIONS NUCLEAR PLANTS The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued mid-cycle assessment letters to the nations 104 operating commercial nuclear power plants. The agencys most recent assessments show all the plants continue to operate safely.
We ensure nuclear power plants are safe, inspecting them and rating their performance regularly, as part of our mission to protect people and the environment, said Fred Brown, Director of the Division of Inspection and Regional Support in the NRCs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. The latest round of assessments shows that 90 percent of the nations commercial nuclear power plants require only the basic level of attention by the agency. This is an improvement from a year ago, when only 72 percent of the plants required this lower level of oversight.
If a nuclear power plants performance declines, the NRC assigns additional resources 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, which will include additional inspections this fall to confirm the plants performance issues are being addressed.
Five plants require significantly increased NRC attention, and another five plants get some additional attention. These numbers are significantly lower than last years mid-cycle assessments.
A list of each plants current performance rating is available on the NRC Web site at:
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/actionmatrix_summary.html.
Updated information on plant performance is posted to the NRC Web site every quarter.
In addition to the mid-cycle assessment letters, the plants will also receive annual assessment letters in March 2009. The mid-cycle assessment letters sent to each licensee are available on the NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/index.html.
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.08-163 September 4, 2008