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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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Senior Managers Brief Commission on Nuclear Power Plant Performance

Senior managers of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission briefed the Commission today on the results of their May 10-11 meeting to review the safety performance of nuclear power plants.

The Commission concurred in the following recommendations made by NRC senior managers:

Three plants will be the subject of agency focus. They are:

• D.C. Cook Units 1 and 2, operated by American Electric Power Company, near Benton Harbor, Michigan. The licensee has made significant progress and has resolved the majority of the technical issues related to a prolonged shutdown. It has also made improvements to its corrective action program and the design control process. However, because all corrective actions necessary for restart and safe plant operation have not been demonstrated, D.C. Cook continues to warrant oversight as an agency focus plant.
• Indian Point 2, operated by the Consolidated Edison Co., near Buchanan, New York. NRC senior managers discussed plant performance associated with two recent events, an August 1999 reactor trip with electrical system complications and a steam generator tube failure in February that led to the declaration of an Alert. These events revealed several interrelated problems: (1) communication and coordination weaknesses; (2) engineering support shortcomings; (3) configuration management/control problems; (4) equipment reliability problems and large corrective action backlogs; and (5) operator knowledge, station training, and procedural weaknesses. Senior managers noted that the current Chief Nuclear Officer has set high standards and improvements are underway, but determined that Indian Point 2 warrants oversight as an agency focus plant.

Three plants discussed at last year's senior management meeting will receive routine oversight. They are:

Millstone Units 2 and 3, operated by Northeast Utilities of Waterford, Connecticut, and Clinton, operated by Illinois Power Company, near Clinton, Illinois. Millstone Unit 3 and Clinton were identified as requiring regional focus last year -- calling for special attention from the appropriate Regional Administrator. Millstone 2 was identified at last year's senior management meeting as requiring agency focus -- calling for the attention of the Executive Director for Operations and/or the Commission.

All the other nuclear power plants will have routine oversight.

No nuclear fuel facilities warranted discussion at the public meeting.

Texts of letters to utilities with plants warranting agency focus will be available at:

http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/assessment.htm on the NRC Internet home page.

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