NRC NEWS

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION II

61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303

Web Site: www.nrc.gov/OPA

No. II-00-38 June 13, 2000

CONTACT: Ken Clark (404)562-4416/e-mail: kmc2@nrc.gov

Roger D. Hannah (404)562-4417/e-mail: rdh1@nrc.gov

NRC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETINGS IN ALABAMA JUNE 27 ON CHANGES IN

REACTOR OVERSIGHT AND LATEST ASSESSMENT OF BROWNS FERRY PLANT

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has scheduled two public meetings for Tuesday, June 27

-- one on the latest performance review results for the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry

nuclear power plant, and the other meeting on the NRC's reactor oversight process.

The first meeting will be held at 2 p.m. CDT at the Browns Ferry Training Center at the site

near Athens, Alabama. During the meeting, NRC staff members will discuss Browns Ferry’s latest

plant performance review results, and will be available after the meeting to answer any questions from

media or members of the public.

The Plant Performance Reviews are used to evaluate safety performance information and

identify any changes in plant performance so the NRC can allocate inspection resources appropriately.

The text of each PPR letter, including the one on Browns Ferry, is available from the NRC Office of

Public Affairs and has been posted on the NRC web site at: www.nrc.gov/OPA/ppr.

Current performance information for the two operating units at the Browns Ferry plant is

available on the NRC web site at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF2/bf2_chart.html

and www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF3/bf3_chart.html.

The second meeting will begin at 7 p.m. CDT in the Athens/Limestone Emergency

Management Agency Building, 1011 Market Street in Athens, Alabama. NRC officials will describe

the new oversight process which began at the Browns Ferry plant in April. Members of the public will

have the opportunity to ask questions during the meeting.

The new oversight process uses more objective, timely, and safety-significant criteria in

assessing performance, while seeking to more effectively and efficiently regulate the industry. Under

the new process, inspections by NRC resident inspectors and regional office-based personnel are

supplemented by statistical measures of plant activities called performance indicators. These

performance indicators measure important safety aspects of plant operations, including the viability of

redundant safety systems, emergency planning, radiation protection, and security measures.

Inspection findings and performance indicators for each nuclear power plant are posted on the

NRC's web site every three months. The safety significance of each inspection finding or performance

indicator is characterized by a color -- green, white, yellow, or red.

The NRC response to the inspection findings and performance indicators will be based on the
significance of the items. A green finding receives normal NRC oversight, while white, yellow, or red

assessments receive increasing NRC involvement. Multiple red findings could result in a plant

shutdown.

A plain language summary of the reactor oversight process is available from the NRC Office of

Public Affairs or on the web site at: www.nrc.gov/OPA/primer.htm.

###