NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 Office of Public Affairs, Region I

 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406

 www.nrc.gov

No. I-04-028 May 10, 2004

CONTACT: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330 Email: opa1@nrc.gov

Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331

NRC TO DISCUSS ANNUAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

OF THREE MILE ISLAND 1 NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of AmerGen

Energy Company, LLC, on Thursday, May 20, to discuss the results of the agency’s annual

assessment of safety performance at the Three Mile Island 1 nuclear power plant. AmerGen

operates the plant, which is located in Middletown, Pa.

 The meeting, which will be open to the public for observation, is scheduled to begin at

7 p.m. in the Council Chamber at Middletown Borough Hall, 60 W. Emaus St. in Middletown.

Before the session is adjourned, NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public

on the plant’s safety performance, as well as the agency’s role in ensuring safe operation of the

facility.

 The period of performance to be discussed is January 1 to December 31, 2003. In

addition, NRC staff will provide a brief overview of how the agency’s Reactor Oversight Process

works.

 A letter sent from the NRC Region I 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:

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/tmi_2003q4.pdf .

 Overall, the Three Mile Island 1 plant operated safely and met all cornerstone

objectives during the period. (Cornerstones are program areas where NRC measures plant safety

performance.) The NRC uses color-coded inspections findings and performance indicators to

assess performance at nuclear power plants. The colors start with “green” and then increase to

“white,” “yellow” or “red,” commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. As

a result of having all “green” inspection findings and performance indicators, Three Mile Island 1

does not require NRC oversight beyond the normal inspection program. Routine inspections are

performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by inspection specialists

from the Region I office in King of Prussia, Pa.
-2-

 In addition, the NRC staff has identified a substantive cross-cutting issue in the area of

problem identification and resolution. Eight “green” inspection findings, or findings of very low

safety significance, at the plant involved instances in which the organization either did not

question or did not sufficiently evaluate plant equipment problems. The NRC will evaluate the

company’s progress in addressing this issue via the agency’s normal inspection program.

 With regard to security issues, the NRC has issued several orders and threat advisories

to enhance security capabilities and improve guard force readiness since the terrorist attacks on

September 11, 2001. The agency has also conducted inspections to review the implementation of

these requirements and has monitored the action of plant operators in response to changing threat

conditions. The NRC will continue security inspections during 2004.

 Current performance information for Three Mile Island 1 is available on the NRC web

site at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/TMI1/tmi1_chart.html .

 ###