Press Release-III-17-020, NRC to Conduct Open House to Discuss 2016 Performance of Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant

Press Release-III-17-020: NRC to Conduct Open House to Discuss 2016 Performance of Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant

ML17192A322
Person / Time
Site:	Prairie Island
Issue date:	06/30/2017
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-III-17-020
Download: ML17192A322 (1)

Text

No: III-17-020 June 30, 2017 CONTACT: Viktoria Mitlyng, 630-829-9662 Prema Chandrathil, 630-829-9663 NRC to Conduct Open House to Discuss 2016 Performance of Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will be available to discuss the 2016 safety performance of the Prairie Island nuclear plant operated by Northern States Power Company, Minnesota, during an open house planned for July 12 in Red Wing, Minn. The two-unit facility is located in Welch, Minn.,

about 28 miles southeast of Minneapolis.

The open house will be held from 5-7 p.m. at Red Wing Public Library, The Foot Room, 225 East Ave., in Red Wing. On hand to discuss the plants performance and the NRCs oversight of the facility will be agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, including the resident inspectors based at the site on a full-time basis.

The Prairie Island plant operated safely during 2016. At the end of the year, all inspection findings and performance indicators for Unit 1 were green, or of very low safety significance. As a result, it is currently under the NRCs normal level of oversight, which entails thousands of hours of inspection each year.

Unit 2 received increased NRC oversight during the first three quarters of the year due to a white (low to moderate safety significance) performance indicator related to the number of unplanned scrams. After completing a supplemental inspection in September, the NRC determined that the issue had been resolved. As a result, Unit 2 returned to normal level of NRCs oversight in the last quarter of 2016.

Under the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process, the agency gauges plant performance through the use of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators, which are statistical measurements of plant performance. Any inspection findings or performance indicators that are greater than green (very low safety significance) trigger increased NRC oversight.

Day-to-day inspections are performed by two resident inspectors assigned to the plant. Reviews are also carried out at the sites by specialist inspectors assigned to the agencys Region III office in Lisle, Ill.

The annual assessment letter for Prairie Island, as well as the notice for the meeting are available on the NRC website. Current performance information for Unit 1 and Unit 2 is also available.