NRC: News Release - Region II - 2006-010 - NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance at St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant

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NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II
61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
www.nrc.gov

No. II-06-010		March 28, 2006
CONTACT:	Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417	E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov
NRC TO DISCUSS 2005 PERFORMANCE AT ST. LUCIE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT Printable Version
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is scheduled to meet with Florida Power & Light officials April 18 to discuss the NRC’s annual assessment of safety performance for 2005 at the St. Lucie nuclear power plant, located at Jensen Beach, Fla, near Ft. Pierce. The 2:00 p.m. meeting at the St. Lucie Plant Visitor’s Center is open to public observation. Before the meeting ends, NRC staff will be available to answer public questions on the plant’s safety performance, as well as the agency’s role in ensuring safe operation of the facility. "Each year the NRC staff rates the performance of the St. Lucie plant and all of the nation’s other commercial nuclear power plants," NRC Region II Administrator William Travers said. "This meeting gives us a chance to discuss our assessment with the company, local officials and residents near the plant. Our aim is to make this information available to the public and answer any questions people may have about our oversight." The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess performance. The colors start with "green" and increase to "white," "yellow" or "red," commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. The NRC said the St. Lucie plant operated safely during 2005 with all inspection findings being of very low safety significance and all performance indicators indicating performance at levels requiring no additional NRC oversight. As a result, the NRC plans to conduct only routine baseline inspections at the plant during 2006. The NRC staff will also perform a non-routine inspection of a generic concern at pressurized water reactors related to possible blockage of containment building sumps. A letter sent from the NRC Region II Office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during the period and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/stl_2005q4.pdf . Routine inspections are performed by NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by specialists from the Region II Office in Atlanta, and the agency’s headquarters in Rockville, Md. Current information for the St. Lucie plant is available on the NRC web site at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/STL1/stl1_chart.html and www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/STL2/stl2_chart.html.