NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 

 Office of Public Affairs, Region I

 475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa.

www.nrc.gov

 

No. I-07-026 May 4, 2007

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

Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331

 R.E. GINNA NUCLEAR PLANT TO RECEIVE ADDITIONAL NRC OVERSIGHT

 The R.E. Ginna nuclear power plant will receive additional oversight from the Nuclear

Regulatory Commission as a result of a change in one of the indicators used by the agency to assess

plant performance. The indicator is in the area of emergency response organization drill participation. 

When considering nuclear power plant performance, the NRC utilizes color-coded performance

indicators and inspection findings. The colors start with “green” and then increase to “white,”

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

performance indicators, they are updated on a quarterly basis, with any changes reflected on the NRC’s

web site, at www.nrc.gov.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2007, the performance indicator for emergency response

organization drill participation changed from “green” to “yellow” for the Ginna plant, which is located

in Ontario, N.Y., and operated by Constellation Energy. The indicator measures the percentage of

emergency response organization members assigned to fill key positions who have participated in a

drill, exercise or actual event during the previous eight quarters. It is designed to ensure that members

of the emergency response organization have adequate opportunities to practice their respective

assignments and keep current with procedures and the emergency plan in preparation for response to an

actual event.

Constellation did not recognize that a group of newly qualified control room communicators – a

key emergency response organization position – although qualified during the first quarter of 2007 did

not take part in a subsequent drill in the same quarter. This caused the drill participation rate to drop

below 60 percent, which in turn has resulted in the performance indicator transitioning from “green” to

“yellow.”

The company has reported to the NRC that it has enough control room communicators who are

sufficiently trained to meet the minimum staffing requirement for the emergency plan staffing. 

Therefore, the NRC believes there is no immediate concern with regard to the plant’s ability to

properly respond to an emergency at the facility.

With this change, the plant will move from the Licensee Response column of the NRC’s Action

Matrix to the Degraded Cornerstone column. The Action Matrix, which is available at
http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/actionmatrix_summary.html, is used by the agency

to determine the appropriate level of oversight for plants. The change will result in a corresponding

increase in the NRC’s inspection and assessment oversight at Ginna. This increased oversight will

include a supplemental inspection to provide assurance that the problem has been adequately

addressed.

“Our Reactor Oversight Process utilizes performance indicators with clearly established

thresholds,” NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins said. “The program is designed so that

when those thresholds are crossed, additional NRC oversight is implemented. That is what is

happening in this case.”

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