NRC TO DISCUSS ANNUAL ASSESSMENT FOR GINNA NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
AT PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 25 IN ONTARIO, N.Y.
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The results of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual safety performance assessment for the R.E. Ginna nuclear power plant will be discussed at a public meeting on Tuesday, March 25. The session is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Ontario Town Hall, at 1850 Ridge Road in Ontario, N.Y.

Ginna is a pressurized-water reactor located in Ontario and operated by Constellation Energy, LLC.

In addition to the annual assessment, NRC staff will also discuss a “yellow” performance indicator received by Ginna last year in the area of emergency preparedness.

“Through a combination of inspection findings and performance indicators, we are able to develop a comprehensive picture of how nuclear power plants are performing with regard to safety,” said NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins. “As part of our commitment to make the findings of our reviews accessible to the public, we hold meetings near each plant once a year to share the details of those assessments. We look forward to the opportunity on
March 25th to present that information for the Ginna nuclear power plant.”

The annual assessment letter for Ginna is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/ginn_2007q4.pdf . The notice for the meeting, with agenda attached, is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML080701189. The meeting slides are available under accession number ML080701191. ADAMS is accessible at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html . Help in using ADAMS is available via the NRC’s Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at PDR@NRC.GOV .

Overall, the Ginna plant operated safely during 2007. When considering nuclear power 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,” commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved.

At the end of the first quarter of 2007, the performance indicator for Ginna with respect to emergency response organization changed from “green” to “yellow.”  The indicator measures the percentage of emergency response organization members assigned to fill key positions who have participated in a drill, exercise or actual event during the previous eight quarters. It is designed to ensure that members of the emergency response organization have adequate opportunities to practice their respective assignments and keep current with procedures and the emergency plan in preparation for response to an actual event. Following Ginna’s immediate corrective actions, the performance indicator returned to “green” in the second quarter of 2007.

The NRC conducted a supplemental inspection in early 2008 to ensure the company has taken appropriate steps to address the issue and prevent recurrence. The results of that inspection will be available in the near future.

At the conclusion of last year, there were no performance indicators for Ginna that were other than “green” and no inspection findings that were “greater than green.”  Therefore, the plant will receive the baseline, or routine, level of inspections for the remainder of 2008.

Routine inspections are carried out by the two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists from the agency’s Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. Among the areas of performance at Ginna to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are activities associated with dry cask storage, radiological safety, containment building sump modifications, license renewal commitments and problem identification and resolution.

Current performance information for Ginna is available on the NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/GINN/ginn_chart.html .

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008