Press Release-I-15-029, NRC to Hold Regulatory Performance Public Meeting Regarding Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant on June 18

Press Release-I-15-029: NRC to Hold Regulatory Performance Public Meeting Regarding Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant on June 18

ML15160A675
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	06/09/2015
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
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Category:Press Release
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Press Release-I-15-029
Download: ML15160A675 (2)

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No: I-15-029 June 9, 2015 CONTACT: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 E-mail: opa1.resource@nrc.gov Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 NRC to Hold Regulatory Performance Public Meeting Regarding Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant on June 18 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will discuss its annual assessment of safety performance at the Seabrook nuclear power plant during a public meeting on June 18th in Hampton, N.H.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Best Western Plus - The Inn at Hampton, at 815 Lafayette Road in Hampton. During the meeting, the NRC staff will provide a brief presentation on the plants performance and the agencys oversight activities at the Seabrook, N.H., facility. It will be followed by a question-and-answer session. There will also be an open house from 6 to 7 p.m. at the same location. During the open house, NRC staff will be available to informally discuss issues related to plant performance with members of the public.

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 colors range from green to white, yellow and red, which is the highest level of significance.

On an overall basis, Seabrook, a pressurized-water reactor owned by NextEra, operated safely in 2014. As of the end of last year, the plant had no inspection findings or performance indicators that were greater than green (very low safety significance). Therefore, the plant is currently under the NRCs lowest 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 6,400 hours0.00463 days <br />0.111 hours <br />6.613757e-4 weeks <br />1.522e-4 months <br /> of review at Seabrook.

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 Seabrook did not have any safety or security issues rising above 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 Seabrook. 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 Seabrook are the dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel, the plants Radiological Effluent Monitoring Program and emergency planning. In addition, the NRC will perform an audit at the plant in late July 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, the NRC is continuing with focused oversight of NextEras work to assess and address concrete degradation identified at the plant.

The Annual Assessment letter for Seabrook, as well as the notice for the June 18th meeting, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Seabrook.

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