Press Release-III-07-013, - NRC to Discuss 2006 Performance Assessment for D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-III-07-013 - NRC to Discuss 2006 Performance Assessment for D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant

ML070960376
Person / Time
Site:	Cook
Issue date:	04/06/2007
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
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Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-III-07-013
Download: ML070960376 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 2443 Warrenville Road Lisle IL 60532 Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov No. III-07-013 April 6, 2007 CONTACT: Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 NRC TO DISCUSS 2006 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FOR D.C. COOK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Indiana Michigan Power Co. on Thursday, April 12, to discuss the agencys assessment of safety performance for last year at the D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located near Bridgman, Mich.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at Lake Charter Township Hall, 3220 Shawnee Rd, Bridgman, Mich.

The NRC staff will present the results of the assessment and be available to respond to questions or comments from the public before the close of the meeting.

The NRC continually reviews the performance of the D.C. Cook plant and the nations other commercial nuclear power facilities, NRC Region III Administrator James Caldwell said. This meeting will provide an opportunity for a discussion of our annual assessment of safety performance with the company and with local officials and residents who live near the plant. Our goal is to explain the NRC oversight process and make as much information as possible available to the public regarding our regulation of these facilities.

A letter sent from the NRC Region III Office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during the period and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/cook_2006q4.pdf .

The NRCs assessment concluded that the D.C. Cook plant operated safely during the period.

The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear plant performance. The colors start with green and then increase to white, yellow or red, commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved.

All of the inspection findings and performance indicators for D.C. Cook during 2006 were determined to be green. As a result of this performance, the NRC will conduct the normal, baseline level of inspections during the upcoming year.

On October 6, 2006, the NRC imposed a $60,000 fine against the facility for making changes in their emergency preparedness procedures without prior NRC approval. The company removed the changes and took extensive corrective action, including training of plant personnel.

Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region III Office in Lisle, Ill., and the agencys headquarters in Rockville, Md. Among the areas of plant operations to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are emergency preparedness, component design engineering, radiation protection, replacement of the Unit 2 reactor vessel head, and equipment inspection.

Current performance information for D.C. Cook is available on the NRCs web site at:

(Unit 1) http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/COOK1/cook1_chart.html and (Unit 2) http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/COOK2/cook2_chart.html.

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