Press Release-I-16-004, NRC to Hold Open House on March 21 in Shippingport, Pa., to Discuss 2015 Performance of Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-I-16-004: NRC to Hold Open House on March 21 in Shippingport, Pa., to Discuss 2015 Performance of Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant

ML16074A345
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley
Issue date:	03/14/2016
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-16-004
Download: ML16074A345 (2)

Text

No: I-16-004 March 14, 2016

Contact:

Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 NRC to Hold Open House on March 21 in Shippingport, Pa.,

to Discuss 2015 Performance of Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a public open house on Monday, March 21, in Shippingport, Pa., to discuss the agencys annual review of safety performance at the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant.

NRC staff will be at the Shippingport Community and Municipal Building, located at 163 State Road 3016, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to discuss the plants performance in 2015 and the agencys oversight plans for the remainder of 2016. On hand will be agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, including the Resident Inspectors based at the Shippingport (Beaver County), Pa., site on a full-time basis.

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.

On an overall basis, Beaver Valley, a two-reactor facility owned and operated by FirstEnergy, operated safely during 2015. 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) and therefore it is 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 2015, the agency devoted approximately 6,850 hours0.00984 days <br />0.236 hours <br />0.00141 weeks <br />3.23425e-4 months <br /> of review at Beaver Valley.

Our Annual Assessments serve a valuable purpose in that they allow to step back and size up plant performance at specific intervals, but we view oversight of each facility as an ongoing responsibility, NRC Region I Administrator Dan Dorman said. In the case of Beaver Valley, the plants current performance merits our normal level of oversight.

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 Beaver Valley.

Reviews are also carried out at the sites by specialist inspectors assigned to the agencys Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa.

Among the areas to be inspected this year at Beaver Valley are emergency preparedness, permanent plant modifications and radiological safety. In addition, the NRC will perform an inspection of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at the plant.

The Annual Assessment letter for Beaver Valley, as well as the notice for the March 21 open house, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Beaver Valley Unit 1 and Unit 2.

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No: I-16-004 March 14, 2016

Contact:

Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 NRC to Hold Open House on March 21 in Shippingport, Pa.,

to Discuss 2015 Performance of Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a public open house on Monday, March 21, in Shippingport, Pa., to discuss the agencys annual review of safety performance at the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant.

NRC staff will be at the Shippingport Community and Municipal Building, located at 163 State Road 3016, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. to discuss the plants performance in 2015 and the agencys oversight plans for the remainder of 2016. On hand will be agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, including the Resident Inspectors based at the Shippingport (Beaver County), Pa., site on a full-time basis.

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.

On an overall basis, Beaver Valley, a two-reactor facility owned and operated by FirstEnergy, operated safely during 2015. 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) and therefore it is 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 2015, the agency devoted approximately 6,850 hours0.00984 days <br />0.236 hours <br />0.00141 weeks <br />3.23425e-4 months <br /> of review at Beaver Valley.

Our Annual Assessments serve a valuable purpose in that they allow to step back and size up plant performance at specific intervals, but we view oversight of each facility as an ongoing responsibility, NRC Region I Administrator Dan Dorman said. In the case of Beaver Valley, the plants current performance merits our normal level of oversight.

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 Beaver Valley.

Reviews are also carried out at the sites by specialist inspectors assigned to the agencys Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa.

Among the areas to be inspected this year at Beaver Valley are emergency preparedness, permanent plant modifications and radiological safety. In addition, the NRC will perform an inspection of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation at the plant.

The Annual Assessment letter for Beaver Valley, as well as the notice for the March 21 open house, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Beaver Valley Unit 1 and Unit 2.

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