Press Release-I-13-012, NRC to Discuss Millstone Nuclear Plant Annual Assessment During April 9th Meeting with Nuclear Energy Advisory Council

Press Release-I-13-012: NRC to Discuss Millstone Nuclear Plant Annual Assessment During April 9th Meeting with Nuclear Energy Advisory Council

ML13091A330
Person / Time
Site:	Millstone
Issue date:	04/01/2013
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-13-012
Download: ML13091A330 (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-13-012 April 1, 2013

Contact:

Diane Screnci, (610) 337-5330 Email: opa1.resource@nrc.gov Neil Sheehan, (610) 337-5331 NRC TO DISCUSS MILLSTONE NUCLEAR PLANT ANNUAL ASSESSMENT DURING APRIL 9 MEETING WITH NUCLEAR ENERGY ADVISORY COUNCIL The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will meet with the Connecticut Nuclear Energy Advisory Council (NEAC) on Tuesday, April 9, to discuss the agencys annual review of safety performance at the Millstone nuclear power plant.

The meeting is scheduled for 7-8 p.m. at Waterford Town Hall, at 15 Rope Ferry Road in Waterford, Conn. Prior to the meetings adjournment, attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of NRC staff regarding the 2012 assessment.

Overall, the Millstone plant - two operating pressurized-water reactors located in Waterford and owned by Dominion Nuclear Connecticut, Inc. 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, Millstone will continue to receive the NRCs normal level of oversight during 2013, barring any changes.

Plants that meet the criteria set out by the NRC receive the normal level of oversight, which consists of a detailed regime involving thousands of hours of inspection. In 2012, the agency devoted approximately 7,300 hours0.00347 days <br />0.0833 hours <br />4.960317e-4 weeks <br />1.1415e-4 months <br /> of inspection to the Millstone plant.

The NRC issued a white (low to moderate safety significance) inspection finding to Millstone Unit 2 in August 2011 over the failure of plant personnel to carry out their assigned roles and responsibilities and for inadequate reactor power-level management during main turbine control valve testing on Feb. 12, 2011. This contributed to an unanticipated reactor power increase. However, that finding was closed in the fourth quarter of 2012 after an NRC team inspection performed at the plant determined that Dominion had satisfactorily evaluated the root causes of the event and put in place appropriate corrective actions.

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 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 website, 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.

Routine inspections are carried out by the three 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 at Millstone by NRC specialists are activities associated with radiological safety, the dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel, fire protection and emergency preparedness.

The annual assessment letter for the Millstone plant and the public notice for the April 9 meeting are available on the NRC website. Current performance information for Millstone Unit 2 and Unit 3 is also available on the NRC website.

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.