Press Release-I-15-017, NRC to Conduct Open House April 21 in Ontario, N.Y., to Discuss 2014 Performance of R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-I-15-017: NRC to Conduct Open House April 21 in Ontario, N.Y., to Discuss 2014 Performance of R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant

ML15104A621
Person / Time
Site:	Ginna
Issue date:	04/14/2015
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region I
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-I-15-017
Download: ML15104A621 (2)

Text

No: I-15-017 April 14, 2015 CONTACT: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 NRC to Conduct Open House April 21 in Ontario, N.Y.,

to Discuss 2014 Performance of R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold an open house on April 21 in Ontario, N.Y., to discuss the agencys annual review of safety performance at the R.E. Ginna nuclear power plant. The pressurized-water reactor in Ontario.

NRC staff will be on hand from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Ontario Town Hall, located at 1850 Ridge Road. Agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, including the Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant on a full-time basis, will be available to discuss the facilitys performance in 2014 and the agencys oversight plans for 2015.

Under the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process, the agency gauges plant performance through the use of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators, which are statistical measurements of plant performance that can trigger additional oversight if exceeded.

On an overall basis, Ginna, which is owned by Exelon, operated safely in 2014. As of the end of last year, the plant had no inspection findings or performance indicators that were greater than green (very low safety significance). Therefore, Ginna is currently under the NRCs normal level of oversight. In addition, the NRC will perform an inspection to follow up Ginnas corrective actions for a Severity Level III Notice of Violation issued on Feb. 24. The violation involved the submittal of medical qualification information for a control room operator.

The NRCs normal level of oversight at each U.S. nuclear power plant involves thousands of hours of inspection. In 2014, the agency devoted approximately 6,060 hours6.944444e-4 days <br />0.0167 hours <br />9.920635e-5 weeks <br />2.283e-5 months <br /> of review at Ginna.

By assessing each plants performance in a comprehensive manner, we are able to focus our inspection resources on those areas most in need of attention, NRC Region I Administrator Dan Dorman said. Because Ginna did not have any safety or security issues rising above very low significance as of the conclusion of 2014, we are not currently planning any inspections above and beyond our normal reviews.

The NRC issues reports on performance at each plant 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 quarterly on the agencys website. Following the release of the Annual Assessment letters each March, the NRC meets with the public in the vicinity of each plant to discuss the results.

Normal inspections are performed by two Resident Inspectors assigned to Ginna. Reviews are also carried out at the sites by specialist inspectors assigned to the agencys Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. Among the areas to be inspected this year at Ginna are emergency planning, radiological safety, fire protection and the security of the plants dry cask storage facility.

The Annual Assessment letter for Ginna, as well as the notice for the April 21st open house, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Ginna.

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