NRC TO DISCUSS 2007 PERFORMANCE OF
HARRIS NUCLEAR PLANT MAY 20
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The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday, May 20, with representatives of Progress Energy to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance during 2007 at the Shearon Harris nuclear plant, located about 20 miles southwest of Raleigh, N.C.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m. in the New Horizons Fellowship, 820 E. Williams Street (Highway 55) in Apex. The formal presentation at 6:45 will be preceded by an open house and poster session from 5 until 6:30 p.m. NRC staff will be available during the open house and after the presentation to answer questions from the public on the safety performance of the Harris plant, as well as the NRC’s role in ensuring safe plant operation.

“The NRC continually inspects and reviews the performance of Harris and all commercial nuclear plants, issuing inspection reports throughout the year and an overall assessment at year’s end,” NRC Region II Administrator Luis Reyes said. “This meeting is an opportunity to discuss our assessment with the company, local officials and people living near the plant, and to answer any questions they may have.”

The NRC said the Harris plant operated safely during the 2007 assessment period, from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. All inspection findings were “green” and of very low safety significance. All performance indicators showed the plant operating at a level that does not require additional NRC oversight. Therefore, the NRC is conducting only its regular, baseline inspections at the plant during 2008.

When assessing nuclear plant performance, the NRC uses color-coded performance indicators and inspection findings. The colors start with “green” and then increase to “white,” “yellow” or “red” based on the safety significance of the issues involved.

A letter sent from the NRC Region II 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: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/har_2007q4.pdf .

Current performance information for the Harris plant is available on the NRC web site at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/HAR1/har1_chart.html .

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008