Press Release-I-14-015, NRC Schedules Open House for April 17th to Discuss Performance of Three Mile Island 1 Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-I-14-015: NRC Schedules Open House for April 17th to Discuss Performance of Three Mile Island 1 Nuclear Power Plant

ML14098A367
Person / Time
Site:	Three Mile Island
Issue date:	04/08/2014
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-14-015
Download: ML14098A367 (1)

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No. I-14-015 April 8, 2014 CONTACT: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 NRC Schedules Open House for April 17th to Discuss Performance of Three Mile Island 1 Nuclear Power Plant The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct an open house on Thursday, April 17, to discuss the agencys annual review of safety performance at the Three Mile Island 1 nuclear power plant.

During the open house, scheduled for 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Londonderry Township Municipal Building, at 738 South Geyers Church Road in Middletown, Pa., members of the public will be able to hold one-on-one discussions with NRC staff regarding the plants performance in 2013, as well as the agencys oversight plans for the facility this year. NRC staff in attendance will include the NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant on a full-time basis and their supervisor.

Under the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process, color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators are used to assess plant performance. (Performance indicators are statistical measurements of plant and equipment performance which, if exceeded, trigger additional NRC oversight.) The colors range from green, connoting very low safety or security significance, to white, yellow or red, for an issue of high significance.

Overall, Three Mile Island 1 performed safely during 2013. At the conclusion of last year, as assessed by the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process, there were no performance indicators for the plant 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, Three Mile Island 1, which is a single pressurized-water reactor located in Middletown (Dauphin County) and owned and operated by Exelon Generation Co. LLC, will continue to receive the NRCs normal level of oversight during 2013, barring any changes.

The normal level of oversight consists of a detailed regime entailing thousands of hours of inspection. In 2013, the NRC devoted approximately 5,360 hours0.00417 days <br />0.1 hours <br />5.952381e-4 weeks <br />1.3698e-4 months <br /> of inspection at Three Mile Island 1.

We take very seriously the task of stepping back on a regular basis to size up plant performance. These comprehensive evaluations help guide our reviews for the year ahead, though we maintain flexibility to adjust what we plan to inspect should conditions change, NRC Region I Administrator Bill Dean said. Three Mile Island 1, by virtue of its performance in 2013, will receive our routine - though still substantial - battery of inspections.

The NRC 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 a quarterly basis on the agencys website. Following the release of the Annual Assessment letters each March, the NRC meets with the public in the vicinity of each plant to discuss the results.

Normal inspections are carried out by the two Resident Inspectors assigned to Three Mile Island

1. Reviews are also performed at the site by specialist inspectors assigned to the agencys Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. Among the areas to be inspected this year at Three Mile Island 1 are the plants problem identification and resolution program, its radiological safety program and the implementation of an industry initiative to monitor the condition of underground piping at the site. In addition, the NRC staff will conduct a post-approval site inspection for license renewal. The NRC approved a 20-year license extension for the plant in 2009.

The annual assessment letter for Three Mile Island 1, as well as the meeting notice for the April 17th open house, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Three Mile Island 1.

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