NRC TO DISCUSS 2008 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
FOR DRESDEN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT MAY 14
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Exelon Generation Company on Thursday, May 14, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance last year at the Dresden Nuclear Power Plant. The two-unit plant is located in Morris, Ill., roughly 60 miles southwest of Chicago.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. CDT at the Grundy County Administration Center, Grundy County Board Room, 1320 Union Street, in Morris. The NRC staff will present the results of the assessment, talk about the NRC and its range of activities, and be available to respond to questions or comments from the public before the close of the meeting.

“The NRC continually reviews the performance of the Dresden plant and the nation’s other commercial nuclear power facilities,” NRC Region III Administrator Mark Satorius said. “This meeting allows us to discuss our annual assessment of safety performance with the company and area residents. One of NRC’s main goals is to explain to people in the community how the agency regulates nuclear power plants.”

A letter sent from the NRC Region III 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: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/dres_2008q4.pdf.

The NRC utilizes a combination of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to measure plant performance. The colors go from “green” to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved./p>

The NRC’s assessment concluded that Dresden Unit 1 and 2 operated safely in 2008. All of the inspection findings and performance indicators for Dresden during 2008 were determined to be “green.”

As a result of this performance, the NRC will continue to conduct the very detailed routine inspections for plants that are performing well. Inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant, and inspection specialists from the Region III Office in Lisle, Ill. Among the areas of plant operations to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are engineering modifications, emergency response and license renewal inspections.

Current performance information for Dresden is available on the NRC’s web site at:http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/DRES2/dres2_chart.html (Unit 2) and http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/DRES3/dres3_chart.html (Unit 3).

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Monday, May 11, 2009