Press Release-I-13-009, NRC to Hold Open House on April 4th in Ontario, N.Y., to Discuss Ginna Nuclear Power Plant Annual Assessment

Press Release-I-13-009: NRC to Hold Open House on April 4th in Ontario, N.Y., to Discuss Ginna Nuclear Power Plant Annual Assessment

ML13086A195
Person / Time
Site:	Ginna
Issue date:	03/26/2013
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-13-009
Download: ML13086A195 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 2100 Renaissance Blvd., King of Prussia, Pa. 19406-2713 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No. I-13-009 March 26, 2013

Contact:

Diane Screnci, (610) 337-5330 Email: opa1.resource@nrc.gov Neil Sheehan, (610) 337-5331 NRC TO HOLD OPEN HOUSE ON APRIL 4th IN ONTARIO, N.Y.,

TO DISCUSS GINNA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ANNUAL ASSESSMENT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public open house on Thursday, April 4, to discuss the agencys annual review of safety performance at the R.E. Ginna nuclear power plant.

During the open house, which is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. at Ontario Town Hall, at 1850 Ridge Road in Ontario, N.Y., attendees will have an opportunity to hold one-on-one discussions with NRC staff members about the plants 2012 performance and the agencys oversight of the facility. NRC staff on hand will include the inspectors assigned to the plant on a full-time basis and their supervisor.

Overall, the Ginna plant -- a pressurized-water reactor located in Ontario, N.Y., and operated by Constellation Energy Nuclear Group, LLC -- operated safely during 2012. At the conclusion of last year, as assessed by the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process, there were no performance indicators for the facility that were other than green (very low risk) and no inspection findings that were greater than green (that is, none of the findings exceeded very low safety significance). As a result, Ginna will continue to receive the NRCs normal level of oversight during 2013, barring any changes.

Plants that meet criteria set out by the NRC will receive the normal level of oversight, which consists of a detailed regime involving thousands of hours of inspection. In 2012, the agency devoted approximately 6,000 hours0 days <br />0 hours <br />0 weeks <br />0 months <br /> of inspection to the Ginna plant.

When the time comes to evaluate a plants performance for the previous year, we take a fresh look at any and all issues that might be of concern. We then adjust our plans for assessing the facility accordingly, NRC Region I Administrator Bill Dean said. As we map out our inspection plans for the remainder of 2013, we remain focused on ensuring that safety is the foremost objective for all plant operators.

The NRC utilizes a combination of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess plant performance. The colors begin with green and then increase to white, yellow or red, commensurate with the risk significance of the issues involved. The agency issues

reports on performance at each plant twice a year: during the mid-cycle, or mid-point, of the year, and at the conclusion of the year. Inspection findings and performance indicators are also updated on the NRCs web site, www.nrc.gov , each quarter. Following the release of the annual reports every March, the NRC meets with the public in the vicinity of each plant to discuss the results. The sessions are in keeping with the agencys commitment to transparency with respect to its activities.

The Annual Assessment Letter for the Ginna plant is available on the NRC web site at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/ginn_2012q4.pdf . The notice for the open house is available in the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML13078A054. ADAMS is available at:

http://adams.nrc.gov/wba/ . Help in using ADAMS can be obtained via the NRCs Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at:

PDR.Resource@NRC.GOV .

Routine inspections are carried out by the two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the agencys Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa.

Among the areas of performance to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with radiological safety, emergency preparedness, component design basis, problem identification and resolution, and underground pipes and tanks.

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

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/GINN/ginn_chart.html .

News releases are available through a free listserv subscription or by clicking on the EMAIL UPDATES link on the NRC homepage (www.nrc.gov). E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's website. For the latest news, follow the NRC on www.twitter.com/NRCgov.