ML14223B139

Press Releasse-IV-14-020: NRC Schedules Public Meeting to Discuss Performance of Arkansas Nuclear One

ML14223B139
Person / Time
Site:	Arkansas Nuclear
Issue date:	08/11/2014
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region IV
To:
References
Press Releasse-IV-14-020
Download: ML14223B139 (2)

Text

No: IV-14-020 August 11, 2014 CONTACT: Victor Dricks 817-200-1128 Lara Uselding 817-200-1519 NRC Schedules Public Meeting To Discuss Performance of Arkansas Nuclear One The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting with representatives from Entergy Operations, Inc. on Sept. 3 to discuss the agency's safety assessment of Arkansas Nuclear One. The plant is located in Russellville, Ark. The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at the Lake Point Conference Center, 61 Lake Point Lane, Russellville. NRC staff will present their assessment of the plant's performance, talk about agency activities and programs and be available to respond to questions or comments from the public. "The NRC continually reviews the performance of Arkansas Nuclear One and the nation's other commercial nuclear plants," said Region IV Administrator Marc Dapas. "This meeting will provide an opportunity for a discussion of our assessment of safety performance with the company and with local officials and residents who live near the plant." Two letters issued by NRC will serve as the basis for discussion. A March 4 letter from the NRC Region IV office to plant officials addresses the 2013 performance of the plant during which the plant operated safely. A July 29 letter notified Entergy officials that that the plant will receive additional NRC oversight because of declining performance. The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear plant performance. The colors range from "green," to "white," "yellow," or "red" in order of increasing safety significance of the issues involved. Performance indicators are statistical measurements of plant and equipment performance. The NRC's action matrix reflects overall plant performance and agency response. There are five columns in the action matrix with Column 1 requiring a baseline level of inspections. A move to another column results in an increased level of NRC oversight and inspections. For all of 2013, the plant's performance indicators and inspection findings were "green" and the plant was in Column 1. On July 29 the NRC notified Entergy officials that both units had been moved to Column 3 of the action matrix for the first quarter of 2014 as a result of two "yellow" inspection findings that had substantial safety significance. These findings were issued in connection with a heavy equipment handling incident that occurred on March 31, 2013.

Page l 2 The most current performance information for Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1, is available on the NRC website. Information for Unit 2 is also available on the NRC website. The NRC plans to conduct a supplemental inspection to review the plant's actions to correct the performance issue. Routine inspections are conducted by NRC resident inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region IV office, and the agency's headquarters in Rockville, Md.