Press Release-II-11-020, NRC Schedules Meeting to Discuss 2010 Performance Assessment for Hatch Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-II-11-020: NRC Schedules Meeting to Discuss 2010 Performance Assessment for Hatch Nuclear Power Plant

ML111040382
Person / Time
Site:	Hatch
Issue date:	04/14/2011
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
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Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-11-020
Download: ML111040382 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region II 245 Peachtree Center Ave., NE, Suite 1200 Atlanta, GA 30303-1257 Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No. II-11-020 April 14, 2011 CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 997-4417 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov Joey Ledford (404) 997-4416 NRC SCHEDULES MEETING TO DISCUSS 2010 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FOR HATCH NUCLEAR POWER PLANT U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials have scheduled a meeting for Thursday, April 21 to provide information on the agencys annual assessment of safety performance for the Hatch nuclear power plant during 2010.

The NRC will host an open house at 6 p.m., followed at 6:30 p.m. by a presentation and question and answer session in the executive conference room of the Southeastern Technical College, 3001 East 1st St., in Vidalia. The open house and meeting provide an opportunity for the public to learn about the plants performance last year as well as NRC oversight and inspection.

The Hatch plant, which has two boiling-water reactors, is located in south Georgia near Baxley, about 20 miles south of Vidalia. It is operated by Southern Nuclear Operating Co.

Overall, the NRC staff concluded that the Hatch plant operated safely in 2010 and will receive normal detailed baseline oversight and inspection efforts. Hatch Unit 2 was subject to increased oversight during the first three quarters of 2010, but was returned to normal oversight last October after a supplemental inspection found no significant issues.

The NRC evaluates nuclear power plants in a systemic and detailed way every year, said NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree. The inspections and oversight at Hatch ensure that the plant is operated in a way that protects people and the environment.

The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess plant performance. The colors start with green, which has very low safety significance, to white, yellow or red, based on the significance of the issues. Inspection findings and performance indicators are updated on the NRCs web site (www.nrc.gov) each quarter.

The annual assessment letter for the Hatch plant is available on the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/hat_2010q4.pdf.

Routine inspections are carried out by the NRC resident inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region II office in Atlanta. Among the areas at the Hatch plant to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are component design basis, managing gas accumulation in the plants emergency core cooling systems, and operator licensing examinations.

Current performance information for Hatch Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/HAT1/hat1_chart.html. Current performance information for Hatch Unit 2 is available on the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/HAT2/hat2_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 website.