Press Release-I-17-020, NRC to Hold Public Meeting on May 25 in Stafford Township, N.J., to Discuss 2016 Performance of Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-I-17-020: NRC to Hold Public Meeting on May 25 in Stafford Township, N.J., to Discuss 2016 Performance of Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant

ML17139C280
Person / Time
Site:	Oyster Creek
Issue date:	05/19/2017
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-17-020
Download: ML17139C280 (1)

Text

No: I-17-020 May 18, 2017

Contact:

Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 NRC to Hold Public Meeting on May 25 in Stafford Township, N.J.,

to Discuss 2016 Performance of Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will discuss the 2016 safety performance of the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant, which is operated by Exelon, during a public meeting on May 25 in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township, N.J.

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Manahawkin, 151 Route 72 West. On hand to discuss the plants performance and the NRCs oversight of the facility will be agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, including the resident inspectors based at the site on a full-time basis.

Oyster Creek operated safely during 2016. As of the end of last year, the plant had no inspection findings or performance indicators outside the normal range. However, the NRC on April 14, 2017, finalized a white (low to moderate safety significance) inspection finding for Oyster Creek that resulted in an increase in NRC oversight of the facility. The finding involved deficient maintenance work on a safety-related relief valve.

Exelon will need to take steps to fix the underlying issues that contributed to this safety concern, said NRC Region I Administrator Dan Dorman. When those steps have been taken, we will send a team of inspectors to the plant to validate that the changes put in place are thorough, comprehensive and improve the plants safety posture.

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. Any inspection findings or performance indicators that are greater than green (very low safety significance) trigger increased NRC oversight.

Day-to-day inspections are performed by two resident inspectors assigned to the plant. Reviews are also carried out at the sites by specialist inspectors assigned to the agencys Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa.

The annual assessment letter for Oyster Creek, as well as the notice for the public meeting, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for the plant.