Press Release-II-12-042, NRC Schedules Public Meeting for June 21 to Discuss Performance of Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-II-12-042: NRC Schedules Public Meeting for June 21 to Discuss Performance of Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant

ML12164A292
Person / Time
Site:	Crystal River
Issue date:	06/12/2012
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-12-042
Download: ML12164A292 (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-12-042 June 12, 2012 CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 997-4417 E-mail: OPA2.Resource@nrc.gov Joey Ledford (404) 997-4416 NRC SCHEDULES PUBLIC MEETING FOR JUNE 21 TO DISCUSS PERFORMANCE OF CRYSTAL RIVER NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, June 21, to discuss the agencys assessment of the Crystal River nuclear plant during 2011. The plant, operated by Progress Energy, is located near Crystal River, Fla., about 80 miles north of Tampa.

The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. EDT with a presentation on the safety of activities at the Crystal River plant during 2011, as well as a brief discussion of the NRCs oversight and inspection program. After the presentation, there will be a question and answer session. The meeting will be at the plants training center, 8200 West Venable Street in Crystal River.

During 2011, our inspectors spent many hours ensuring that the Crystal River plant met NRC safety requirements and protected both people living near the plant and the environment, NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree said.

NRC inspectors also looked at whether there were immediate safety concerns at Crystal River 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.

A letter sent from the NRC Region II office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during 2011 and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the NRC website at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/cr_2011q4.pdf.

The NRC found that the companys activities at the Crystal River plant during 2011 were conducted in a manner that preserved public health and safety. The plant is subject to additional oversight, however, due to a white inspection finding in the third quarter of 2011 related to emergency preparedness for failure to follow and maintain proper emergency plans.

The Crystal River plant remains in an extended shutdown while the company evaluates repair options for a separation in the concrete wall of the containment building. NRC inspectors will review information provided by the company and inspect any planned repairs when decisions are made.

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 website (www.nrc.gov) each quarter.

Current performance information for the Crystal River plant is available on the NRC website at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CR3/cr3_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.