Press Release-I-08-012, NRC to Discuss Seabrook Nuclear Plant Annual Assessment at Public Meeting Scheduled for March 25 in Seabrook, N.H

Press Release-I-08-012: NRC to Discuss Seabrook Nuclear Plant Annual Assessment at Public Meeting Scheduled for March 25 in Seabrook, N.H

ML080810129
Person / Time
Site:	Seabrook
Issue date:	03/21/2008
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-08-012
Download: ML080810129 (2)

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No. I-08-012 Contact: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331 March 21, 2008 NRC TO DISCUSS SEABROOK NUCLEAR PLANT ANNUAL ASSESSMENT AT PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 25 IN SEABROOK, N.H.

The results of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's annual safety performance assessment for the Seabrook nuclear power plant, in Seabrook, N.H., will be discussed at a public meeting on Tuesday, March 25.

Scheduled to begin at 4 p.m., the session will take place at Seabrook Town Hall, at 99 Lafayette Road, Seabrook. Prior to the conclusion of the meeting, NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the plant's performance, as well as the agency's oversight of the facility.

FPL Energy Seabrook, LLC, operates the pressurized-water reactor, and representatives of the company will be on hand to discuss the assessment with NRC staff.

"Through a combination of inspection findings and performance indicators, we are able to develop a comprehensive picture of how nuclear power plants are performing with regard to safety," said NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins. "As part of our commitment to make the findings of our reviews accessible to the public, we hold meetings near each plant once a year to share the details of those assessments. We look forward to the opportunity on March 25 th to present that information for the Seabrook nuclear power plant."

The annual assessment letter for Seabrook is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/seab_2007q4.pdf . The notice for the meeting, with agenda attached, is available in the NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML080720018. ADAMS is accessible at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html . Help in using ADAMS is available via the NRC's Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at PDR@NRC.GOV . Overall, the Seabrook plant operated safely during 2007. When considering nuclear power plant performance, the NRC uses color-coded performance indicators and inspection 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: http://www.nrc.gov

findings. The colors start with "green" and then increase to "white," "yellow" or "red," commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved.

At the conclusion of last year, there were no performance indicators for Seabrook that were other than "green" and no inspection findings that were "greater than green." Therefore, the plant will receive the baseline, or routine, level of inspections for the remainder of 2008.

Routine inspections are carried out by the two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the agency's Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa.

Among the areas of performance at Seabrook to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with containment building sump modifications, fire protection, emergency preparedness and the pre-operational testing and operation of a dry cask storage facility for spent nuclear fuel at the plant.

Current performance information for Seabrook is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SEAB1/seab1_chart.html .