Press Release-II-05-005, NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference to Discuss Summer Nuclear Plant Concern

Press Release-II-05-005: NRC Schedules Regulatory Conference to Discuss Summer Nuclear Plant Concern

ML050320142
Person / Time
Site:	Summer
Issue date:	02/01/2005
From:	Office of Public Affairs Region II
To:
Category:Press Release
References
Press Release-II-05-005
Download: ML050320142 (1)

Text

NRC NEWS UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II 61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303 Web Site: www.nrc.gov No. II-05-005 February 1, 2005 CONTACT: Ken Clark (404)562-4416 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov Roger Hannah (404)562-4417 NRC SCHEDULES REGULATORY CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS SUMMER NUCLEAR PLANT CONCERN The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled a regulatory conference with officials of South Carolina Electric & Gas Company on February 17 in Atlanta to discuss the risk significance of an inspection finding at the companys Summer nuclear power plant, located near Jenkinsville, S.C.

NRC and SCE&G officials will discuss the significance of concerns associated with the companys corrective actions for a design control issue involving the emergency feedwater system, a system used to provide additional cooling water during an emergency. Specifically, the NRC inspection identified a deficiency in the design of the emergency feedwater system flow control valves, which could have resulted in a failure of the system if debris clogged the valves.

This finding only affected the alternate source of water for the system and did not impact normal operation. Other methods of cooling the reactor were also not affected, and there is no immediate safety concern because SCE&G instituted compensatory measures including operator actions to install temporary hoses to bypass the valves if they become clogged.

The NRC evaluates regulatory performance at commercial nuclear power plants with a color-coded system which classifies findings as either green, white, yellow or red, in increasing order of safety significance. The NRCs preliminary evaluation determined that the safety significance of this issue at Summer is white, meaning that it is considered to be of low to moderate safety significance.

The meeting is open to public observation and is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. in the NRCs Region II office, located on the 24th floor of the Atlanta Federal Center at 61 Forsyth Street SW in Atlanta.

No decisions on the final safety significance, any apparent violation or any possible enforcement action will be made during the conference. Those decisions will be made by NRC officials at a later time.