NRC TO DISCUSS 2007 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FOR
PALO VERDE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet in Avondale, Az., on March 20,   with representatives of Arizona Public Service Co., to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance during 2007 at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.  The plant, operated by APS, is located 55 miles west of Phoenix.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m at Estrella Mountain Community College, in the Community Room, second floor of Estrella Hall, 3000 N. Dysart Road, Avondale.

In addition to the performance assessment, the NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of Palo Verde, as well as the NRC’s role in ensuring safe plant operation.

“Palo Verde is being operated safely but has received additional NRC oversight since the fall of 2004 because of declining performance,” NRC Region IV Administrator Elmo E. Collins said.   “Based on extensive NRC inspections and the licensee’s self-assessment activities, the causes for the performance problems at Palo Verde are understood and a performance improvement plan has been developed.  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.”

A letter sent from the NRC Region IV office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during 2007 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/palo_2007q4.pdf .

The NRC plans to maintain a high level of inspection oversight at Palo Verde until the plant has demonstrated a sustained period of performance improvement.
                       
Current performance information for Palo Verde Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/PALO1/palo1_chart.html .  Current performance information for Unit 2 is available at:  http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/PALO2/palo2_chart.html .  Current performance information for Unit 3 is available at:  http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/PALO3/palo3_chart.html .

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008