Press Release-I-15-014, NRC to Conduct Open House April 16 in Delta, Pa., to Discuss 2014 Performance of Peach Bottom Nuclear Plant

Press Release-I-15-014: NRC to Conduct Open House April 16 in Delta, Pa., to Discuss 2014 Performance of Peach Bottom Nuclear Plant

ML15103A130
Person / Time
Site:	Peach Bottom
Issue date:	04/08/2015
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-15-014
Download: ML15103A130 (2)

Text

No: I-15-014 April 8, 2015 CONTACT: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 NRC to Conduct Open House April 16 in Delta, Pa.,

to Discuss 2014 Performance of Peach Bottom Nuclear Plant The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public open house April 16 in Delta, Pa., to discuss the agencys annual review of safety performance at the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant.

NRC staff will be on hand from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Peach Bottom Inn, located at 6085 Delta Road. Agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, including the Resident Inspectors based at the Delta (York County), Pa., site on a full-time basis, will be available to discuss the facilitys performance in 2014 and the agencys oversight plans for 2015.

Under the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process, the agency gauges plant performance through the use of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators, which are statistical measurements of plant performance that can trigger additional oversight if exceeded.

The twin-reactor Peach Bottom plant is owned and operated by Exelon. On an overall basis, the plant operated safely in 2014. As of the end of last year, both Peach Bottom Unit 2 and 3 had no inspection findings or performance indicators that were greater than green (very low safety significance). Therefore, those units are currently under the NRCs normal level of oversight.

The NRCs normal level of oversight at each U.S. nuclear power plant involves thousands of hours of inspection. In 2014, the agency devoted approximately 4,700 hours0.0081 days <br />0.194 hours <br />0.00116 weeks <br />2.6635e-4 months <br /> of review at Peach Bottom.

By assessing each plants performance in a comprehensive manner, we are able to focus our inspection resources on those areas most in need of attention, NRC Region I Administrator Dan Dorman said. Because Peach Bottom did not have any safety or security issues rising above very low significance in 2014, we are not currently planning any inspections above and beyond our normal reviews.

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 performed by two Resident Inspectors assigned to Peach Bottom.

Reviews are also carried out 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 Peach Bottom are the plants power uprates, its dry cask spent fuel storage facility, fire protection and radiological safety. In addition, the NRC will perform an audit at the plant in late June with respect to some of the agencys post-Fukushima requirements, namely Mitigation Strategies for Beyond-Design-Basis External Events and enhanced spent fuel pool instrumentation. Also, an inspection is planned to check on the companys follow-up actions in response to an escalated enforcement action finalized in November for a security-related issue at Peach Bottom.

The annual assessment letters for Peach Bottom, as well as the notice for the April 16 open house, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Peach Bottom 2 and Peach Bottom 3.

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