NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 Office of Public Affairs, Region I

 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa.

 Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA

No. I-05-006 February 2, 2005

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

Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331

NRC FINALIZES ‘WHITE’ FINDING FOR VERMONT YANKEE NUCLEAR PLANT

 OVER TONE ALERT RADIOS

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has finalized a “white” inspection finding for the

Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant because a portion of the facility’s emergency notification system

– namely tone alert radios – was degraded. Under the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process, such a finding

represents an issue of low to moderate safety significance and will most likely result in additional

inspections by the agency.

 The NRC uses a color-coded system to categorize inspection findings. It ranges from “green,”

for a very low safety issue, to “red,” for a high safety issue.

 During a review at the Entergy-operated plant in Vernon, Vt., that began on July 26, an NRC

inspector determined that Vermont Yankee did not have the means to ensure early notification of an

emergency to a portion of the population within the plant’s 10-mile-radius Emergency Planning Zone

(EPZ), as required by the facility’s emergency plan. Specifically, it was determined that Entergy could

not ensure that there was proper distribution and maintenance of tone alert radios that would be used to

alert individuals in portions of the EPZ who would not hear sirens due to the terrain.

 On Nov. 12, Entergy was notified that the finding had been preliminarily classified as “white”

and was offered an opportunity to request a regulatory conference to discuss the matter or to explain its

position in writing. Entergy opted to provide a written reply, which was submitted on Dec. 15. In the

response, Entergy acknowledged that sirens and tone alert radios are the two primary means it uses to

notify those living within the EPZ of an emergency. It also concurred with the NRC’s assessment that

Vermont Yankee did not provide adequate and active measures to ensure proper distribution of the tone

alert radios. However, the company also stated its belief that the safety significance of the condition

was substantially mitigated by the fact that there are other means of notification available, including

radio and TV broadcasts, the use of automatic telephone dialing/notification systems, pagers and cell

phones.

 “The NRC recognizes that some of the individuals who were not issued tone alert radios may

be notified via other various informal and unplanned methods,” NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J.

Collins wrote in a letter to Entergy regarding the finalized enforcement action. “However, as described
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in your response dated December 15, 2004, you do not take credit for these other methods of

notification in your Alert and Notification System design. Therefore, the NRC cannot assume that these

methods would be successful.”

 Entergy has implemented appropriate compensatory measures and therefore the finding does

not present an immediate safety concern. In addition, it is continuing with long-term corrective

measures.

 The company has 30 days to respond to the finalized inspection finding.

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