Press Release-III-08-005, NRC to Discuss 2007 Performance Assessment for Monticello Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-III-08-005: NRC to Discuss 2007 Performance Assessment for Monticello Nuclear Power Plant

ML080810299
Person / Time
Site:	Monticello
Issue date:	03/21/2008
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-III-08-005
Download: ML080810299 (2)

Text

No. III 005 Contacts:

Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662

Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663 March 21, 2008 E-Mail: opa3@nrc.gov Web site: www.nrc.gov NRC TO DISCUSS 2007 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FOR MONTICELLO NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Nuclear Management Co. on Tuesday, April 1, to discuss the agency's assessment of safety performance for last year at the Monticello Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located in Monticello, Minn.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the Monticello Training Center, Classroom 2, 2100 W. River St., Monticello. The NRC staff will present the results of the assessment, talk a bout the NRC and its rang e of activities, and be available to respond to questions or comments from the public before the close of the meeting. The public may listen to the discussion between the NRC and plant officials on a special telephone conference line and then pa rticipate in the subsequent di scussion or raise questions of the NRC before the close of the meeting. To obtain the conference call phone number, interested persons should contact Ke nneth Riemer at 630/829-9628.

"The NRC continually reviews the performance of the Monticello plant and the nation's other commercial nuclear power facilities," NRC Region III Administrator James Caldwell said. "This 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. Our goal is to explain the NRC oversight process and make as much informati on as possible available to the public regarding our regulation of these facilities." A letter sent from the NRC Region III Office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during the period 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/mont_2007q4.pdf. The NRC's assessment concluded that the Monticello plant operated safely during the period. The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear plant performance. The colors start with "green" and then increase to "white," "yellow" or "red," commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved.

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region III 2443 Warrenville Road Lisle IL 60532

All of the inspection findings and performance indicators for Monticello during 2007 were determined to be "gree n." As a result of this perfo rmance, the NRC will conduct the normal, baseline level of inspections during the upcoming year. Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region III Office in Lisle, Ill., and the agency's headquarters in Rockville, Md. Among the areas of plant operations to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are emergency preparedness, spent fuel storage installa tion, radiation protection, and problem identification. Current performance information for Monticello is available on the NRC's web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSI GHT/ASSESS/MONT/mont_chart.html. ###

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