NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 801 Warrenville Road

 Lisle IL 60532

 Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov

No. III-04-006 January 30, 2004

CONTACT: Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663 

Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 

NRC TO CONDUCT RESTART READINESS INSPECTION AT DAVIS-BESSE;

MEETINGS SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY 12 IN OAK HARBOR, OHIO

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will begin a followup Restart Readiness Assessment

Team Inspection on Monday, February 2, at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station. 

The agency has also scheduled two public meetings with FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating

Company officials on February 12. The first will discuss the preliminary results of two inspections –

the Restart Readiness Inspection and the ongoing followup Management and Human Performance

Inspection which began January 12. 

In the second meeting, the NRC Davis-Besse Oversight Panel will discuss the possible restart

of the plant with FirstEnergy officials. The Davis-Besse plant, located near Oak Harbor, Ohio, has

been shut down since February 2002 to repair a damaged reactor vessel head and make other safety

improvements.

The followup restart readiness inspection will evaluate the performance of the plant staff and

equipment to determine if the plant is ready to resume operation. In addition, the inspectors will assess

the effectiveness of corrective actions taken by FirstEnergy as a result of issues identified by NRC

inspectors during a previous restart readiness inspection in December.

The inspection team includes experienced NRC inspectors from across the country, all of

whom were part of the team that identified the performance and operational issues in the December

inspection. Rick Skokowski, NRC senior resident inspector at the Byron Nuclear Power Station in

Illinois, is the team leader.

Both meetings will be at the Camp Perry Clubhouse, 1000 Lawrence Road, Bldg. 600, on

Highway 2 west of Port Clinton. A picture identification is required to enter Camp Perry; the guards

will provide visitors with directions to the meeting site.

The public is invited to observe the business portion of each meeting and will have an

opportunity to make comments and ask questions of the NRC staff before the meetings are adjourned.

The two meetings will be: 
 2 p.m. - Meeting to discuss the preliminary findings of the followup Restart Readiness

Inspection and the followup Management and Human Performance Inspection, which

has been evaluating the actions taken by the utility to improve the "safety culture" at

Davis-Besse. This second inspection began January 12.

 6 p.m. - Meeting between the NRC Davis-Besse Oversight Panel and FirstEnergy

officials to discuss the basis for the utility’s request for authorization to restart reactor

operations.

There will be no decision on possible restart during the 6 p.m. meeting. In evaluating

FirstEnergy’s request for restart, the NRC’s Davis-Besse Oversight Panel will review the information

presented by the company, along with the results of NRC inspections over the past two years.

The panel will submit its recommendation to James Caldwell, Regional Administrator for NRC

Region III. Mr. Caldwell will make a decision on the possible restart after conferring with other senior

NRC officials. The decision will be based on the agency’s assessment of the ability of FirstEnergy to

start up and operate the plant safely.

Extensive information on the NRC’s regulatory activities at Davis-Besse is available on the

agency’s web site: http://www.nrc.gov - select “Davis-Besse” from the key topics menu.

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