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RIV: 99-17 April 5, 1999
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has found that safety performance remains acceptable in the NRC's latest plant performance review at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station located near Port Gibson, Mississippi.
Officials of NRC and Entergy Operations, Inc. will discuss the review during a meeting set for Thursday, April 15, at 9 a.m. in the Energy Service Center at Grand Gulf. The meeting will be open for public observation. NRC officials will be available afterwards to speak with reporters, state and local officials, and members of the public.
In a letter to Entergy Vice President, Operations William A. Eaton NRC Branch Chief Joseph I. Tapia said, "Overall, performance at Grand Gulf Nuclear Station was acceptable," and operators performed well during routine and transient operations. Overall effective maintenance practices continued to be demonstrated and the quality of engineering work was high. The plant support area was characterized by a performance decline in the implementation of radiation protection practices. Core inspections will be performed in all areas during the next eight months; a follow-up inspection for previously identified fire protection deficiencies will also be conducted.
The text of the plant performance review letter is available from the NRC Region IV Office of Public Affairs and the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/ppr.
NRC reviews safety performance twice a year at every licensed nuclear power plant in the nation. These reviews give the agency staff an integrated assessment of plant performance and provide a basis for planning inspection activities.
Plant performance reviews are an interim measure NRC is utilizing to monitor nuclear power plant safety. The agency began using it for this purpose after suspending the Systematic Assessment of License Performance (SALP) process until a new assessment program is developed. Previously, SALP reports were issued every 12 to 24 months.
The new reactor oversight and assessment program being developed will provide quarterly performance reports, based on a number of performance indicators and on inspection findings. This program will be tested at eight plants beginning in June and, if found acceptable, will be extended to all plants next January. A full description of the new program is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA/primer.htm.
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