Press Release-II-09-031, NRC Schedules Meeting to Discuss 2008 Performance of Harris Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-II-09-031: NRC Schedules Meeting to Discuss 2008 Performance of Harris Nuclear Power Plant

ML091470327
Person / Time
Site:	Harris
Issue date:	05/27/2009
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-09-031
Download: ML091470327 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303 Web Site: www.nrc.gov No. II-09-031 May 27, 2009 CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov Joey Ledford (404) 562-4416 NRC SCHEDULES MEETING TO DISCUSS 2008 PERFORMANCE OF HARRIS NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, June 2, to discuss the agencys assessment of safety performance during 2008 at the Harris nuclear power plant. The plant, operated by Progress Energy, is near New Hill, N.C. about 20 miles southwest of Raleigh.

The meeting will begin with an informal open house at 5 p.m. During the open house, NRC staff will be available to answer questions on the safety performance of the Harris plant, as well as the NRC role in ensuring safe plant operation.

The open house is scheduled to run from 5-6:45 and will be followed by a brief presentation at 7 p.m. After the presentation, there will also be a question and answer session.

The open house and presentation will be in the Holly Springs Cultural Center, 300 West Ballentine Street in Holly Springs.

Throughout the year, we inspect and review the performance of the Harris plant and all commercial nuclear plants, NRC Region II Administrator Luis Reyes said. We issue several inspection reports during the year and an overall annual assessment. This open house allows us to discuss that assessment with local officials and people near the plant, and answer any questions they may have.

A letter sent from the NRC Region II office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during 2008 and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the NRC web site at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/har_2008q4.pdf.

The NRC found that the Harris plant met all NRC safety objectives during 2008, and performance was at a level that resulted in no additional NRC oversight. So far in 2009 and for the remainder of this year, the NRC continues to conduct the very detailed inspections required at those plants operating well. Those inspections are conducted by NRC resident inspectors

assigned to the site supplemented by more specific inspections completed by region-based NRC inspectors. In addition to the detailed routine inspections, the agency will complete some generic inspections including operator licensing examinations, emergency response, fire protection and ground water protection at Harris in 2009.

Current performance information for the Harris plant is available on the NRC web site at:

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/HAR1/har1_chart.html.

News releases are available through a free listserv subscription at the following Web address:

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html. The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.