View source for Press Release-I-12-010, NRC to Hold Open House on March 28 in Stafford Township, N.J., to Discuss Annual Assessment of Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant

{{Adams
| number = ML120800451
| issue date = 03/20/2012
| title = Press Release-I-12-010: NRC to Hold Open House on March 28 in Stafford Township, N.J., to Discuss Annual Assessment of Oyster Creek Nuclear Plant
| author name = 
| author affiliation = NRC/OPA/RGN-I/FO
| addressee name = 
| addressee affiliation = 
| docket = 05000219
| license number = 
| contact person = 
| document report number = Press Release-I-12-010
| document type = Press Release
| page count = 2
| newsletter region = NRC Region I
| newsletter year = 2012
| newsletter integer = 10
}}

=Text=
{{#Wiki_filter:NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs, Region I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No. I-12-010                                                                             March 20, 2012

==Contact:==
Diane Screnci, (610) 337-5330                                  Email: opa1.resource@nrc.gov Neil Sheehan, (610) 337-5331 NRC TO HOLD OPEN HOUSE ON MARCH 28 IN STAFFORD TOWNSHIP, N.J.,
TO DISCUSS ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF OYSTER CREEK NUCLEAR PLANT Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will conduct an open house on Wednesday, March 28, regarding the agencys annual assessment of safety performance for the Oyster Creek nuclear power plant.
The open house will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 151 Route 72 West in Stafford Township, N.J. Members of the public will have an opportunity to learn first-hand from NRC staff members about the plants safety performance during 2011 and the NRCs oversight of the facility. The meeting format will allow citizens to discuss plant-related topics on a one-on-one basis with NRC inspectors assigned to the plant and their NRC Region I supervisor.
Oyster Creek is located in Lacey Township (Ocean County), N.J. It is the site of a single boiling-water reactor, which is owned and operated by Exelon Generation Co., LLC.
Overall, Oyster Creek operated safely during 2011. At the conclusion of last year, as assessed by the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process, there were no performance indicators for the plant that were other than Green (very low safety significance) and no inspection findings that were Greater than Green. Therefore, for the rest of 2012 Oyster Creek will receive the very detailed inspection regime used by the NRC for plants that are operating well. In 2011, the NRC devoted approximately 5,200 hours of inspection to the Oyster Creek facility.
Throughout 2011, our inspectors kept close watch on a daily basis to ensure there were no safety issues of significance. The Oyster Creek plant was among those to meet our clearly defined performance criteria last year, NRC Region I Administrator Bill Dean said. In addition, our inspectors spent time in 2011 checking on whether there were any immediate safety

concerns at U.S. nuclear power plants following the March events at the Fukushima Daiichi facility in Japan. Those reviews indicated the plants remained safe for continued operation.
The NRC utilizes a combination of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to measure plant performance. The colors start with Green and then increase to White, Yellow or Red, commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved.
The agency issues reports on performance at specific plants twice a year: during the mid-cycle, or mid-point, of the year, and at the conclusion of the year. Inspection findings and performance indicators are also updated on the NRCs website each quarter. Following the release of the annual reports every March, the NRC meets with the public in the vicinity of each plant to discuss the results. The meetings are in keeping with the agencys commitment to transparency with regard to its activities.
The annual assessment for the Oyster Creek plant is available on the NRC website. The notice for the open house is available in the NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML12072A260. Help in using ADAMS can be obtained via the NRCs Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at PDR.Resource@nrc.gov.
Routine inspections are carried out by the two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the agencys Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa.
Among the areas of performance at Oyster Creek to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with permanent plant modifications, radiological waste processing and handling, emergency preparedness and the plants implementation of a voluntary industry initiative to address potential degradation of underground piping.
Current performance information for Oyster Creek 1 is available on the NRC website.
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.}}