United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Office of Public Affairs

Washington, DC 20555

Phone 301-415-8200 Fax 301-415-2234

Internet:opa@nrc.gov

No. 99-271

December 23, 1999

NOTE TO EDITORS: NRC STAFFING FOR MEDIA ASSISTANCE DURING

Y2K TRANSITION

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will have staff available to assist the news media

with its coverage of the millennium rollover, December 31st through New Year’s Day.

From 10 a.m. December 31 through 9 a.m. January 1, NRC Public Affairs staff and an

agency spokesperson will be available at the Joint Public Information Center (JPIC) in

Washington, D.C. The President’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion established the JPIC to

provide reporters with news about Y2K-related developments across the Federal Government,

State, local and tribal governments, critical areas of the private sector and countries around the

world. Only pre-badged reporters will be allowed into the JPIC. Any television interviews with

NRC will be conducted at the JPIC throughout the Y2K transition. NRC staff can be reached at

the JPIC for Y2K information on U.S. nuclear facilities by calling (202) 535-3009 or

(202) 456-7010.

Public Affairs staff also will be available at NRC headquarters in Rockville, Maryland,

from 9 p.m. December 31 to 5 p.m. New Year’s Day, to handle inquiries and to distribute

periodic press releases on the status of nuclear power plants across the country. Press releases

from headquarters will be issued as soon after midnight as possible corresponding to each of the

four U.S. time zones and will be available on the Web at www.nrc.gov/OPA/. Public affairs staff

can be reached at (301) 415-8200 and on the internet at opa@nrc.gov.

Public Affairs staff will be available at each of the NRC’s four regional incident response

centers from 10 p.m. New Year’s Eve through 9 a.m. New Year’s Day in order to respond to

events at plants in their regions, if the need arises. They will be located at centers in King of

Prussia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Lisle, Illinois; and Arlington, Texas.

The NRC plans to issue at least four cumulative press releases corresponding closely to

the four time zones in the U.S. The first news release will report on the status of 60 operating

nuclear power plants and one gaseous diffusion plant (GDP) in the Eastern Time Zone, the

second press release will add the status of 35 nuclear plants and one GDP in the Central Time

Zone, the next one will add the three nuclear plants in the Mountain Time Zone, and the fourth
press release will cover all plants, adding the five nuclear plants in the Pacific Time Zone. Other

news releases will be issued as the need arises.

A map showing the location of all 103 operating nuclear power plants is attached, along

with a list of the plants in each time zone.

All operating nuclear plants areY2K-ready. Based on our review of responses from the

nuclear power industry concerning Y2K readiness, our independent inspections at all plants, and

our ongoing regulatory oversight activities, we believe that Y2K problems will not adversely

affect the continued safe operation of U.S. nuclear power plants through the Y2K transition and

beyond, and should contribute to electric grid stability. Although the need for NRC action during

the Y2K transition is considered unlikely, the NRC will have an inspector stationed at each

nuclear power plant site and gaseous diffusion plant site to augment staff in headquarters and

regional incident response centers.

##