Press Release-I-03-025, NRC to Discuss Annual Performance Assessment of Three Mile Island 1 Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-I-03-025: NRC to Discuss Annual Performance Assessment of Three Mile Island 1 Nuclear Power Plant

ML030930655
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	04/03/2003
From:	Diane Screnci, Neil Sheehan Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-03-025
Download: ML030930655 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS -- REGION I 475 Allendale Road King of Prussia, PA 19406 No. I-03-025 April 3, 2003 CONTACT: Diane Screnci, (610) 337-5330 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov Neil A. Sheehan, (610) 337-5331 NRC TO DISCUSS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF THREE MILE ISLAND 1 NUCLEAR POWER PLANT Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of AmerGen Energy Company, LLC, on Wednesday, April 9, to discuss the results of the agencys annual assessment of safety performance at the Three Mile Island (TMI) 1 nuclear power plant. The facility is located in Middletown, Pa., and operated by AmerGen.

The meeting, which will be open to the public for observation, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

at Middletown Borough Hall, 60 W. Emaus St. in Middletown. Before the session is adjourned, NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of Three Mile Island 1, as well as the role of the NRC in ensuring safe plant operation.

The performance period to be discussed is January 1 to December 31, 2002. In addition, NRC staff will provide an overview of how the agencys Reactor Oversight Process works.

A letter sent from the NRC Region I Office to plant officials addresses the performance of the facility during the period and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/tmi_2002q4.pdf Overall, TMI operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and fully met all cornerstone objectives, the letter states. As a result, the NRC plans to conduct baseline inspections at the plant through March 31, 2004. The agency also plans to conduct an inspection of the upcoming reactor vessel head replacement at TMI 1.

During the last assessment period, the NRC conducted a supplemental inspection at TMI in response to an issue of low to moderate safety significance (white) identified in 2001. This issue involved inadequate corrective actions and an inadequate operability assessment for an emergency feedwater pump oil leak. The inspection determined that the companys response was satisfactory and the issue was closed. In addition, the NRC reviewed a substantive cross-cutting issue in the area of human performance, involving duties related to equipment performance monitoring. The agency concluded that the issue had also been adequately addressed.

The letter also notes: As you are aware, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the NRC has issued several Orders and threat advisories to enhance security capabilities and improve guard force readiness. We have conducted inspections to review your implementation of these requirements and have monitored your actions in response to changing threat conditions. For calendar year 2003, we plan to continue these inspections, conduct portions of the security baseline inspection program, as well as perform additional inspections to evaluate your compliance with new requirements that may be ordered.

Current performance information for TMI 1 is available on the NRC web site at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/TMI1/tmi1_chart.html