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NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION III 801 Warrenville Road, Lisle IL 60532

NRC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING OCTOBER 11 IN CLINTON, ILLINOIS ON REACTOR OVERSIGHT CHANGES

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public meeting on October 11 in Clinton, Illinois, to discuss the NRC's reactor oversight process and its impact on the Clinton Nuclear Power Plant. The plant, operated by AmerGen Energy Co., is located six miles east of Clinton on Route 54.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. CDT at the Vespasian Warner Public Library, 310 N. Quincy St., in Clinton. NRC officials will describe the new oversight program which began at the Clinton plant in April. Members of the public may ask questions during the meeting.

The new oversight process uses more objective, timely and safety-significant criteria in assessing performance, while seeking to more effectively and efficiently regulate the industry. It also takes into account improvements in the performance of the nuclear industry over the past twenty years.

Under the new program, inspections by NRC resident inspectors and regional office-based personnel are supplemented by statistical measures of plant activities called performance indicators. These performance indicators measure important safety aspects of plant operations, including the viability of redundant safety systems, emergency planning, radiation protection, and security measures.

Inspection findings and performance indicators for each nuclear power plant are posted on the NRC's internet web site every three months. The safety significance of each inspection finding or performance indicator is assessed with a color coding -- green, white, yellow, or red.

The NRC response to the inspection findings and performance indicators will be based on the assessment. A green finding would receive normal NRC oversight, while white, yellow, or red assessments would receive increasing NRC involvement. Multiple red findings could result in a plant shutdown.

Current performance information for the Clinton plant is available on the NRC web site at: <http://www.nrc.gov/ras>.

A plain language summary of the new reactor oversight process is available from the NRC Office of Public Affairs or on the web site at <http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/primer.htm>.

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