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

No. II-05-022 April 22, 2005

CONTACT: Ken Clark (404)562-4416 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov

Roger Hannah (404)562-4417

NRC TO DISCUSS 2004 PERFORMANCE AT OCONEE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is scheduled to meet with Duke Energy officials

April 27 to discuss the NRC’s annual assessment of safety performance at the Oconee nuclear power

plant, located near Seneca, S.C. The period covered is the calendar year 2004.

The 3:00 p.m. meeting at the Oconee Complex Building Auditorium, 155 East Pickens

Highway (Hwy. 183) in Seneca is open to public observation. Before the meeting ends, NRC staff will

be available to answer public questions on the plant’s safety performance, as well as the agency’s role

in ensuring safe operation of the facility.

“Each year the NRC staff rates the performance of the Oconee plant and all of the nation’s

other commercial nuclear power plants,” NRC Region II Administrator William Travers said. “This

meeting gives us a chance to discuss our assessment with the company, with local officials and with

residents near the plant. Our aim is to make this information available to the public and answer any

questions people may have about our oversight.”

Overall, the Oconee plant operated safely during 2004, but the NRC said the plant did have a

“moderate degradation in safety performance.” The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and

performance indicators to assess performance. The colors start with “green” and increase to “white,”

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

During the assessment period, the NRC had two “white” (low to moderate safety significance)

inspection findings related to mitigating systems at the plant. These findings mean the NRC staff will

conduct an additional inspection next month. The NRC continues to review several issues that may

also result in additional inspections beyond the normal level if any of these issues are found to be of

greater than very low risk significance.

In addition to routine inspections at the plant in 2005, the NRC plans operator licensing

examinations, inspections of the plant’s dry cask spent fuel storage, and inspections of pressurizer

penetration nozzles and steam space piping connections. 

The Oconee plant also received a $60,000 fine during 2004 for the failure to obtain NRC

approval before making a change to the plant involving unreviewed safety questions. 

A letter sent from the NRC Region II 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
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NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/oco_2004q4.pdf .

Routine inspections are performed by NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by

specialists from the Region II Office in Atlanta, and the agency’s headquarters in Rockville, Md. 

Current information for the Oconee plant is available on the NRC web site at:

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/OCO1/oco1_chart.html ,

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/OCO2/oco2_chart.html and

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/OCO3/oco3_chart.html .

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