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NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION IV 611 Ryan Plaza Drive, Suite 400, Arlington TX 76011

NRC TO DISCUSS RESULTS OF ANO UNIT 1 LICENSE RENEWAL INSPECTION

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will meet with Entergy Operations, operator of Arkansas Nuclear One, Unit 1, to discuss the results of the first license renewal inspection. ANO is a nuclear power plant near Russellville, Arkansas, which has applied for a 20-year extension of its current operating license.

The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 20, in the Reeves E. Ritchie Training Center at the plant site. The public is invited to observe, and NRC officials will be available for questions after the meeting.

The first NRC license renewal inspection for the plant is being conducted December 11-15. The purpose of the inspection is to define the scope of plant equipment to be evaluated for the effects of aging. A second inspection, scheduled to begin January 22, 2001, will examine the effectiveness of the plant's program for managing aging of the equipment identified in the first inspection. A third inspection will follow-up on issues remaining from the first two.

One important aspect of the NRC license renewal process is to assure that the plant has and will continue to manage the effects of aging equipment through an effective monitoring and maintenance program. The NRC has found that a successful program will permit safe operation for an additional 20 years beyond the initial license period of 40 years. If approved, the extension would authorize ANO Unit 1 to operate until 2034. More information on license renewal in general and for ANO Unit 1 specifically, can be found at the NRC's website at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/REACTOR/LR/index.html .

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