Press Release-III-12-019, NRC Schedules Open House for May 31 to Discuss D. C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant Performance and NRC Oversight

Press Release-III-12-019: NRC Schedules Open House for May 31 to Discuss D. C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant Performance and NRC Oversight

ML16141B163
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Site:	Cook
Issue date:	05/24/2012
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
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Category:Press Release
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Press Release-III-12-019
Download: ML16141B163 (1)

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NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region III 2443 Warrenville Road Lisle IL 60532 Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No. III-12-019 May 24, 2012

Contact:

Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 E-Mail: OPA3 @nrc.gov Prema Chandrathil (630) 829-9663 NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE FOR MAY 31 TO DISCUSS D. C. COOK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PERFORMANCE AND NRC OVERSIGHT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will conduct an open house on Thursday, May 31, in Bridgman, Mich., to discuss the agencys assessment of safety performance for last year at the D.C. Cook nuclear power plant.

The open house is informal and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. EDT at the Lake Charter Township Hall, 3220 Shawnee Road, Bridgman. The two-unit D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Station is operated by Indiana Michigan Power Company and is located near Bridgman, about 13 miles south of Benton Harbor, Mich.

The NRC continually reviews the performance of the D.C. Cook plant and the nations other nuclear power facilities, said Regional Administrator for NRC Region III Charles Casto.

This meeting will allow us to speak directly with the local community about the plants performance last year and the NRCs actions to make sure the plant continues to operate safely.

Those actions include additional inspections in response to the events at the Fukushima Daiichi facilities to evaluate the safety of US nuclear plants. The reviews showed that D.C. Cook and other US plants continue to operate safely.

A letter sent from the NRC Region III office to plant officials addressed the performance of the plant during 2011 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/cook_2011q4.pdf.

Overall, the NRC found that the D.C. Cook facility operated safely in 2011.

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 D. C. Cook during 2010 were determined to be green.

Performance indicators are statistical measurements of plant and equipment performance.

D. C. Cook 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, plant modifications, problem identification and resolution, in-service inspection activities for safety systems, fire protection, spent reactor fuel storage, and emergency preparedness.

The most current performance information for D. C. Cook is available on the NRC website 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.

News releases are available through a free Listserv subscription or by clicking on the EMAIL UPDATES link on the NRC homepage (www.nrc.gov). E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's website. For the latest news, follow the NRC on www.twitter.com/NRCgov.

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region III 2443 Warrenville Road Lisle IL 60532 Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No. III-12-019 May 24, 2012

Contact:

Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 E-Mail: OPA3 @nrc.gov Prema Chandrathil (630) 829-9663 NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE FOR MAY 31 TO DISCUSS D. C. COOK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PERFORMANCE AND NRC OVERSIGHT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will conduct an open house on Thursday, May 31, in Bridgman, Mich., to discuss the agencys assessment of safety performance for last year at the D.C. Cook nuclear power plant.

The open house is informal and will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. EDT at the Lake Charter Township Hall, 3220 Shawnee Road, Bridgman. The two-unit D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Station is operated by Indiana Michigan Power Company and is located near Bridgman, about 13 miles south of Benton Harbor, Mich.

The NRC continually reviews the performance of the D.C. Cook plant and the nations other nuclear power facilities, said Regional Administrator for NRC Region III Charles Casto.

This meeting will allow us to speak directly with the local community about the plants performance last year and the NRCs actions to make sure the plant continues to operate safely.

Those actions include additional inspections in response to the events at the Fukushima Daiichi facilities to evaluate the safety of US nuclear plants. The reviews showed that D.C. Cook and other US plants continue to operate safely.

A letter sent from the NRC Region III office to plant officials addressed the performance of the plant during 2011 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/cook_2011q4.pdf.

Overall, the NRC found that the D.C. Cook facility operated safely in 2011.

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 D. C. Cook during 2010 were determined to be green.

Performance indicators are statistical measurements of plant and equipment performance.

D. C. Cook 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, plant modifications, problem identification and resolution, in-service inspection activities for safety systems, fire protection, spent reactor fuel storage, and emergency preparedness.

The most current performance information for D. C. Cook is available on the NRC website 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.

News releases are available through a free Listserv subscription or by clicking on the EMAIL UPDATES link on the NRC homepage (www.nrc.gov). E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's website. For the latest news, follow the NRC on www.twitter.com/NRCgov.