Press Release-III-11-009, NRC Schedules Open House for April 28 to Discuss Clinton Nuclear Power Plant Performance and NRC Oversight

Press Release-III-11-009: NRC Schedules Open House for April 28 to Discuss Clinton Nuclear Power Plant Performance and NRC Oversight

ML111040604
Person / Time
Site:	Clinton
Issue date:	04/14/2011
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-III-11-009
Download: ML111040604 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region III 2443 Warrenville Road Lisle IL 60532 Site: http://www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No. III-11-009 April 14, 2011

Contact:

Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 E-Mail: OPA3.RegionIII@nrc.gov Prema Chandrathil (630) 829-9663 NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE FOR APRIL 28 TO DISCUSS CLINTON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PERFORMANCE AND NRC OVERSIGHT Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials have scheduled an open house for Thursday, April 28, to discuss with local residents the agencys assessment of safety performance for last year at the Clinton Nuclear Power Station and other NRC oversight activities.

The open house is informal and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. CDT at the Clinton Elks Lodge, 1520 E. South St. (just off Ill. Route 54), Clinton, Ill.

The Clinton plant is operated by Exelon Generation Company and is located near Clinton, Ill., about 23 miles southeast of Bloomington, Ill.

The NRC continually reviews the performance of the Clinton facility and the nations other commercial nuclear power facilities, said NRC Region III Administrator Mark Satorius.

This meeting allows us to discuss our annual assessment of safety performance with members of the local community. The goal of this open house is to explain how the NRC works to protect people and the environment and answer questions from residents about nuclear regulation.

A letter sent from the NRC Region III office to plant officials addressed the performance of the plant during 2010 and will serve as the basis for the discussion. It is available on the NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/clin_2010q4.pdf.

Overall, the NRC found that the Clinton facility operated safely in 2010.

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 performance indicators and inspection findings for Clinton during 2010 were determined to be green. Performance indicators are statistical measurements of plant and equipment performance.

Clinton will continue to receive the detailed inspection regime required for plants that are operating well and require no additional oversight. 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. In addition to the day-to-day inspections performed by the resident inspectors, specific areas of plant operations to be inspected include radiation protection, in-service inspection activities for safety systems, fire protection, and emergency preparedness. The agency is also conducting an inspection to review several instances where the plant staff failed to follow NRC requirements which affected the agencys ability to perform its oversight functions.

The most current performance information for Clinton is available on the NRC website at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CLIN/clin_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 Web site.