Press Release-IV-05-014, NRC to Discuss 2004 Performance Assessment for San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

Press Release-IV-05-014: NRC to Discuss 2004 Performance Assessment for San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

ML051160071
Person / Time
Site:	San Onofre
Issue date:	04/26/2005
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region IV
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-IV-05-014
Download: ML051160071 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive - Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4005 No. IV-05-014 April 26, 2005

Contact:

Victor Dricks E-Mail: opa4@nrc.gov Phone: 817-860-8128 NRC TO DISCUSS 2004 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FOR SAN ONOFRE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Southern California Edison Co. on May 3 to discuss the results of the agencys assessment of safety performance at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The plant is located near San Clemente, Calif.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Country Plaza Inn, 35 Via Pico Plaza, San Clemente. Before the session is adjourned , NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the plants safety performance, as well as the agencys role in ensuring safe operation of the facility.

Each year the NRC staff evaluates the performance of each of the nations commercial nuclear plants, said Region IV Administrator Bruce S. Mallett. The meeting gives us a chance to discuss our assessment with the company, local officials and residents near the plant. We want to make this information available to the public and answer any questions people may have about the plant.

Overall, San Onofre operated safely during 2004. However, the number of unplanned reactor shutdowns exceeded a performance threshold during the second, third and fourth quarters of 2004. A supplemental inspection concluded that the company had successfully evaluated deficiencies contributing to the problems and taken corrective action. NRC plans to conduct routine inspections during 2005.

Routine inspections are performed by the NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region IV office in Arlington, Texas, and the agencys headquarters in Rockville, Md.

A letter from the Region IV office to plant officials will serve as the basis for the meeting. It is available on the NRC web site at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/sano_2004q4.pdf .

Current information for San Onofre is available on the NRC web site at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SANO2/sano2_chart.html and http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SANO3/sano3_chart.html .