Press Release-IV-05-011, NRC to Discuss 2004 Performance at Cooper Nuclear Power Plant

Press Release-IV-05-011: NRC to Discuss 2004 Performance at Cooper Nuclear Power Plant

ML050980373
Person / Time
Site:	Cooper
Issue date:	04/08/2005
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region IV
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-IV-05-011
Download: ML050980373 (2)

Text

NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Region IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive - Suite 400 Arlington, TX 76011-4005 No. IV-05-011 April 8, 2005

Contact:

Victor Dricks E-Mail: opa4@nrc.gov Phone: 817-860-8128 NRC TO DISCUSS 2004 PERFORMANCE AT COOPER NUCLEAR POWER PLANT The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Nebraska Public Power District on April 13 to discuss the results of the agencys assessment of safety performance at the Cooper Nuclear Station during 2004. The plant is located near Brownville, Neb.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Brownville Concert Hall, located at Atlantic Avenue and Second Street. Before the session is adjourned, members of the NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the plants safety performance, as well as the agencys role in ensuring safe operation of the facility.

Each year the NRC staff evaluates the performance of each of the nations commercial nuclear plants, said Region IV Administrator Bruce S. Mallett. This meeting gives us a chance to discuss our assessment with the district, local officials and residents near the plant. We want to make this information available to the public and answer any questions people may have about the plant.

Overall, Cooper operated safely during the period reviewed. However, the NRC said Cooper will receive additional regulatory oversight, beyond the baseline or normal level of inspection, during 2005 due to a finding of low to moderate safety significance involving operator requalification written examination failures. The NRC will perform focused inspections under the baseline inspection program to address human performance and problem identification and resolution program deficiencies.

A letter sent from the NRC Region IV office in Arlington, Tex., to plant officials will serve as the basis for the meeting. It is available from the NRC web site at http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/cns_2004q4.pdf Routine inspections are performed by the NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the Region IV office and the agencys headquarters in Rockville, Md.

Current information for Cooper is available on the NRC web site at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/CNS/cns_chart.html