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	CONTACT:	Diane Screnci (610)337-5330/ e-mail: dps@nrc.gov Neil A. Sheehan (610)337-5331/e-mail: nas@nrc.gov

I-99-42

April 14, 1999

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has found that safety performance remains acceptable in the NRC's latest plant performance review at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear power plant, in Lusby, Md. The two-unit site is operated by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company (BG&E).

This latest assessment reviews performance at the plant from April 1998 through January 15, 1999.

In a letter to BG&E outlining the results of the review, NRC Region I official G. Scott Barber said, "Management and staff were effective in assuring safe plant operations."

Mr. Barber said, "The overall material condition of plant systems improved due to better preventive maintenance, although newly designed and installed service water heat exchangers and strainers continued to challenge the operations staff. Human performance in the maintenance and engineering areas improved."

He also said maintenance was conducted safely, and engineering support to the operations staff improved. Although radiation protection program implementation had been a problem area, "intensive management oversight has resulted in observable performance improvements."

In addition to the normal NRC inspection program, NRC will conduct a maintenance rule follow-up inspection, and an inspection to review Unit 2 outage radiological activities.

The text of the plant performance review letter is available from the NRC Region I Office of Public Affairs and on 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, called plant performance reviews (PPRs), 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 oversight and 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 sites beginning in June and 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.