Press Release-II-12-021, NRC Schedules Open House to Discuss Annual Assessment of Catawba Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-II-12-021: NRC Schedules Open House to Discuss Annual Assessment of Catawba Nuclear Power Plant

ML12118A081
Person / Time
Site:	Catawba
Issue date:	04/16/2012
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-12-021
Download: ML12118A081 (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 Web Site: www.nrc.gov No. II-12-021 April 16, 2012 CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 997-4417 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov Joey Ledford (404) 997-4416 NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE TO DISCUSS ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF CATAWBA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled an open house for Tuesday, April 24 to discuss the agencys assessment of safety performance during 2011 for the Catawba nuclear power plant. The plant, operated by Duke Energy, is located near York, S.C.,

about 18 miles south of Charlotte, N.C.

The session, which will be open to the public, is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. EDT in the Rock Hill City Hall Rotunda, 155 Johnston St. in Rock Hill. A formal presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m.

NRC staff will be available to answer questions on the safety performance of the Catawba plant, as well as the NRC role in ensuring safe plant operations.

Overall, the NRC staff concluded that the Catawba plant operated safely in 2011 and will receive normal detailed baseline oversight and inspection efforts. All inspection findings and performance indicators at the plant were green, meaning they had very low safety significance.

The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess plant performance. The colors start with green, and escalate 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.

Our inspectors have worked many hours ensuring that the Catawba plant met NRC safety requirements and protected people living near the plant as well as the environment, NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree said.

NRC inspectors also looked at whether there were immediate safety concerns at Catawba and other U.S. plants after the March 2011 events at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. Those reviews found that the plants remained safe.

The annual assessment letter for the Catawba plant is available on the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/cat_2011q4.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 Catawba plant to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are operator licensing examinations and underground piping and tanks.

Current performance information for Catawba Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CAT1/cat1_chart.html. Current performance information for Catawba Unit 2 is available on the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CAT2/cat2_chart.html.

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