Press Release-II-13-009, NRC Schedules Meeting for April 10 in Fort Pierce to Discuss St. Lucie Nuclear Plant Safety Performance

Press Release-II-13-009: NRC Schedules Meeting for April 10 in Fort Pierce to Discuss St. Lucie Nuclear Plant Safety Performance

ML13092A449
Person / Time
Site:	Saint Lucie
Issue date:	04/02/2013
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-13-009
Download: ML13092A449 (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-13-009 April 2, 2013 CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 997-4417 E-mail: OPA2.Resource@nrc.gov Joey Ledford (404) 997-4416 NRC SCHEDULES MEETING FOR APRIL 10 IN FORT PIERCE TO DISCUSS ST. LUCIE NUCLEAR PLANT SAFETY PERFORMANCE The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, April 10 to discuss the agencys inspections and assessment of the St. Lucie nuclear power plant during 2012. The St. Lucie plant, operated by Florida Power & Light Co., is located in Jensen Beach, Fla., about 10 miles southeast of Fort Pierce.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in the Havert L. Fenn Center, Room 6, 2000 Virginia Ave. in Fort Pierce. After a brief presentation, the NRC staff will be available to answer questions about the safety performance of the St. Lucie plant as well as overall NRC oversight and inspection.

Overall, the NRC staff concluded that both units at the St. Lucie plant operated safely in 2012. St. Lucie Unit 2 was subject to normal NRC oversight during 2012, but Unit 1 had increased oversight and inspection during the first three quarters of 2012 due to some unplanned shutdowns of the unit. NRC inspectors evaluated the plants corrective actions and Unit 1 returned to normal oversight in late 2012.

There were no additional inspection findings or performance indicators that would cause the NRC to increase its level of oversight and inspection. During 2013, the NRC staff will continue the detailed routine inspections at St. Lucie that all nuclear power plants receive.

In addition to those inspections, the NRC staff also plans to conduct an inspection related to underground piping.

Inspections are carried out by the NRC resident inspectors assigned to the plant and by specialized inspectors from the Region II office in Atlanta.

The NRC inspects nuclear plants and monitors their performance on an ongoing basis, said NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree. We issue inspection reports throughout the year and we hold these annual meetings near each plant to discuss our oversight and answer any questions local residents may have.

Inspection findings and performance indicators for St. Lucie and other nuclear plants are updated on the NRCs website (www.nrc.gov) each quarter.

The annual assessment letter for St. Lucie Units 1 and 2 is available on the NRC website at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/stl_2012q4.pdf prior to the meeting or can be obtained by contacting the Region II Office of Public Affairs with the information above.

Current performance information for St. Lucie Unit 1 is available on the NRC website at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/STL1/stl1_chart.html and Unit 2 is at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/STL2/stl2_chart.html .

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