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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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No. 99-146

July 13, 1999

PILOT PLANT EVALUATION PANEL TO MEET IN ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Pilot Plant Evaluation Panel will hold its first meeting on July 28 in Rockville, Maryland.

The NRC established the panel to independently evaluate and review its new inspection, assessment and enforcement processes now being phased in during a several-month pilot program at nine nuclear power plants throughout the country. It will meet periodically to review data being supplied by NRC licensees on plant performance, as well as the results of NRC's baseline inspection, assessment and enforcement activities.

The July 28 meeting, which is open to the public, will be held in conference room T-2B1 of the agency's Two White Flint North Building at 11545 Rockville Pike.

Here is the complete meeting agenda:

9:00 - 9:30 a.m. -- Introduction and opening remarks, discussion of release of information to the public, noticing requirements and public participation.

9:30 - 11:00 a.m. -- Discussion of conduct of panel and rules of operation, location and frequency of meetings, formation of subcommittees, distribution of transcripts and other information, approach to report generation and use of facilities.

11:00 a.m. - noon -- Staff presentation of how pilot data are being collected and analyzed.

1:00 - 2:00 p.m. -- Presentation by the Nuclear Energy Institute -- the nuclear industry's policy organization -- on industry evaluation efforts and what would be available to the panel.

2:00 - 3:00 p.m. -- Panel discussion on need for any additional data or analyses.

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. -- Discussion and public presentations, future invited speakers, public's oral presentations.

Transcripts of the Pilot Plant Evaluation Panel's meetings and reports will be available through the NRC's Public Document Room. Meeting transcripts also will be placed on the NRC's homepage when a special web site for the panel is created.

Formal procedures for the conduct of the panel meeting will be developed at the July 28 meeting. Pending their adoption, oral or written views may be presented by members of the public, including members of the nuclear industry, at this first session.

Those seeking information on opportunities to present oral statements or on schedule changes, should contact Frank Gillespie at (301) 415-1004, or Mohan Thadani at (301) 415-1476.

The panel includes NRC staff from headquarters and regional offices and a representative of NEI, as well as representatives from participating licensees, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety.

At the end of the pilot program, which began May 30, the panel will prepare a written report containing the consensus view of the panel, along with any dissenting views. The NRC staff will use the report to consider whether any changes to the new oversight program would be advisable before it is fully implemented next year.