NRC: News Release - Region II - 2008-049 - NRC Schedules Meeting In Lynchburg to Discuss BWXT Nuclear Fuel Plant Performance

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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-08-049		September 24, 2008
CONTACT:	Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417 Joey Ledford (404) 562-4487	E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov
NRC SCHEDULES MEETING IN LYNCHBURG TO DISCUSS BWXT NUCLEAR FUEL PLANT PERFORMANCE Printable Version
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting with officials of BWX Technologies, Inc. in Lynchburg, Va., to discuss performance at the company’s nuclear fuel facility near Lynchburg. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sept. 30 in the Lynchburg City Hall Council Chambers, located on the first floor of City Hall at 900 Church Street. The meeting is open to the public, and NRC officials will be available to answer questions from interested observers. At 5:30 p.m., the NRC will also host an informal information session for members of the public interested in learning more about the NRC’s oversight. The review covers the period from May 20, 2007 to June 21, 2008. This is the first public NRC licensee performance review meeting on BWXT since some restrictions on information for facilities of this type were lifted late last year. The last meeting before those restrictions took effect was in 2004. The Licensee Performance Review meeting will include discussion of previous and current BWXT performance in the areas of safety operations, safeguards, radiological controls, facility support and licensing. In a Sept. 5, 2008 letter to BWXT officials, the NRC noted that “BWXT continued to conduct its activities safely; protecting public health and the environment.” The letter, however, also identified four areas needing improvement. In the Safety Operations area, the NRC found a need for improved management oversight, better coordination between nuclear criticality analyses and the plant’s overall safety analysis, and additional management attention to nuclear criticality analyses during routine operations. In the Special Topics area, the NRC identified the quality and completeness of licensing document submissions as another area needing improvement.
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