Press Release-IV-21-005, NRC to Hold Virtual Meeting to Discuss 2020 Performance of 10 Region IV Nuclear Power Plants

Press Release-IV-21-005: NRC to Hold Virtual Meeting to Discuss 2020 Performance of 10 Region IV Nuclear Power Plants

ML21211A057
Person / Time
Site:	Palo Verde, Wolf Creek, Cooper, Arkansas Nuclear, Columbia, River Bend, Diablo Canyon, Waterford, South Texas, Comanche Peak
Issue date:	04/30/2021
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region IV
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-IV-21-005
Download: ML21211A057 (2)

Text

No: IV-21-005 April 30, 2021

Contact:

Victor Dricks, 817-200-1128 NRC to Hold Virtual Meeting to Discuss 2020 Performance of 10 Region IV Nuclear Power Plants Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will discuss the 2020 safety performance of 10 nuclear power plants in the western U.S. during a virtual meeting to be held May 13.

The session will begin at 5:30 p.m., Central time. Online registration will be required to participate. Following registration, a confirmation email will be sent with details on how to join the video webinar. To hear the audio presentation, those interested must call 800-369-1159 and enter passcode 6818485#. The meeting will be recorded and available on the NRC website.

This is an information meeting with a question and answer session. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions of the NRC staff or make comments about the issues discussed during the meeting, however the NRC is not actively soliciting comments towards regulatory decisions at this meeting.

NRC staff responsible for plant inspection and oversight will participate, including the resident inspectors based full-time at each of the sites. NRC staff will make a brief presentation regarding the agencys oversight process and then answer questions regarding any of the 10 plants in Region IV and our regulatory processes.

Arkansas Nuclear One, in Russellville, Arkansas; Comanche Peak in Glen Rose, Texas; Cooper Nuclear Station in Brownville, Nebraska; Columbia Generating Station, near Richland, Washington; Diablo Canyon in San Luis Obispo, California; Palo Verde, in Tonopah, Arizona; River Bend, in St. Francisville, Louisiana; South Texas Project, in Bay City, Texas; Waterford, in Killona, Louisiana; and Wolf Creek, near Burlington, Kansas, all operated safely during 2020. At the conclusion of the year, all inspection findings and performance indicators for the plants were green, or of very low safety significance. As a result, the plants in 2021 will receive the normal level of oversight, which entails thousands of hours of inspection each year.

The NRC Reactor Oversight Process uses color-coded inspection findings and indicators to measure plant performance. The colors start at green and increase to white, yellow or red, commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. Inspection findings or performance indicators with more than very low safety significance trigger increased NRC oversight.

Inspections are performed by at least two NRC resident inspectors assigned to each plant and specialist inspectors from the Region IV office in Arlington, Texas.

The annual assessment letters for each Region IV plant are available on the NRC website.

Current performance information for the plants is also available and is updated on a quarterly basis.

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