Press Release-IV-10-020, NRC to Discuss 2009 Performance Assessment for Columbia Generating Station

Press Release-IV-10-020: NRC to Discuss 2009 Performance Assessment for Columbia Generating Station

ML101170725
Person / Time
Site:	Columbia
Issue date:	04/27/2010
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region IV
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-IV-10-020
Download: ML101170725 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region IV 612 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4125 Telephone: (817) 860-8128 No. IV-10-020 April 27, 2010

Contact:

Victor Dricks: (817) 860-8128 E-Mail: opa4@nrc.gov Lara Uselding: (817) 276-6519 NRC TO DISCUSS 2009 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FOR COLUMBIA GENERATING STATION The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet in Richland, Wash., on May 25, with representatives of Energy Northwest, to discuss the agency=s 2009 assessment of safety performance for the Columbia Generating Station.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at Energy Northwests Business Services Center, 3000 George Washington Way, Richland.

In addition to the performance assessment, the NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of Columbia Generating Station, as well as the NRC=s role in ensuring safe plant operation.

AThe NRC continually reviews the performance of Columbia Generating Station and the nation=s other commercial nuclear power facilities,@ NRC Region IV Administrator Elmo E.

Collins said. AThis 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.@

The NRC said the Columbia Generating Station operated safely during 2009 and will receive the detailed inspection regime during 2010 used by the NRC for plants that are operating safely. But it also noted the number of reactor scrams and unplanned transients last year indicated an adverse trend that must be addressed by the licensee.

Inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region IV Office in Arlington, Texas.

A letter sent from the NRC Region IV office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during 2009 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/wnp_2009q4.pdf .

NRC news releases are available through a free list serve 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.