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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION I 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406
	CONTACT:	Diane Screnci (610)337-5330/ e-mail: dps@nrc.gov Neil A. Sheehan (610)337-5331/e-mail: nas@nrc.gov

I-98-63

May 28, 1998

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has rated performance at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant as good in two areas, superior in one area and adequate in the fourth area of the latest Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance. Calvert Cliffs is located in Lusby, Md., and operated by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company.

Covered by the Systematic Assessment of Licensee Performance, or SALP, report is the period from October 20, 1996, through April 18 of this year.

NRC staff and Baltimore Gas and Electric officials will discuss the evaluation during a meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9, at the Calvert Cliff's Visitor's Center at the site. The session will be open to the public for observation.

Four functional areas of nuclear power plant performance are rated in NRC SALP reports: plant operations, maintenance, engineering and plant support. Ratings of Category 1 ("superior"), Category 2 ("good") and Category 3 ("acceptable") are assigned. The reports are issued roughly once every 18 months.

Calvert Cliffs received a "superior" rating in operations, a "good" rating in engineering and maintenance, and an "adequate" rating in plant support.

In a letter to the company, NRC Region I Administrator Hubert J. Miller said, the overall performance at the facility was mixed. "Management attention and involvement in operations resulted in a superior level of performance that was characterized by a conservative operating philosophy and effective use of risk-assessments in preparation for operational and maintenance evolutions," he wrote. He also noted improvements in maintenance.

But Mr. Miller further said that the plant's good operational performance "was contrasted...by performance declines in both the engineering and plant support areas. The repetitive nature of radiological work problems was indicative of a programmatic breakdown in the area of radiological safety."