No. III-08-018 

Contacts: 

Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662 

Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663 

 May 5, 2008 

 E-Mail: opa3@nrc.gov 

Web site: www.nrc.gov

 

NRC TO DISCUSS 2007 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 

FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR POWER PLANT 

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Entergy 

Nuclear Operations on Monday, May 12, to discuss the agency’s assessment of the safety 

performance during 2007 at the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located in Covert, 

Mich. 

 The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. EDT at 

Lake Michigan College, 125 Veteran Boulevard, in South Haven. The NRC staff will present the 

results of the assessment, talk about the NRC and its range of activities, and be available to 

respond to questions or comments from the public about the NRC’s oversight before the close of 

the meeting. 

 “The NRC continually reviews the performance of the Palisades plant and the nation’s 

other commercial nuclear power facilities,” NRC Region III Administrator James Caldwell said. 

“This meeting allows us to discuss our annual assessment of safety performance with the 

company and with local officials and area residents. Our goal is to explain how the NRC works 

and make sure as much information as possible is available on our regulation of these facilities.” 

 A letter sent from the NRC Region III Office to plant officials addresses Palisades’ 

performance and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the NRC 

web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/listofasmrpt.html. 

 The NRC’s assessment concluded that the Palisades plant operated safely during the 

period. The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess 

nuclear plant performance. The colors start with “green” and then increase to “white,” “yellow” 

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

 All performance indicators for Palisades during 2007 were determined to be “green.” 

Performance indicators are a statistical measurement of plant and equipment performance. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Region III 

2443 Warrenville Road 

Lisle IL 60532 
 There was one finding in the area of plant security which was greater than “green,” 

meaning it had greater than very low significance to safety. The details of this finding, as is the 

case with all findings in the area of plant security, cannot be publically discussed because of 

national security considerations. 

 

 The NRC letter addressed a substantive cross-cutting issue in the area of human 

performance at the Palisades plant. The NRC refers to performance deficiencies that affect 

multiple areas of plant operations as “substantive cross-cutting issues.” Examples of crosscutting issues include weaknesses with a plant staff’s ability to identify and correct problems and 

the staff’s ability to develop effective procedures and adhere to these procedures. These issues 

cannot be quantified and are not assigned safety significance. When a substantive cross-cutting 

issue is identified at a nuclear power plant, the NRC expects the problem to be corrected. 

 At Palisades, the substantive cross-cutting issue relates to the utility’s failure to use 

proper error prevention techniques. The plant has initiated actions to improve performance. This 

cross-cutting issue will remain open until the number of findings associated with human 

performance decreases or the NRC develops confidence that the utility has effectively addressed 

the issue. 

 Based on this performance, the NRC will conduct the normal, baseline level of 

inspections during the upcoming year. In addition, the NRC will conduct a supplemental 

inspection in the area of plant security. 

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

and by inspection specialists from the Region III Office in Lisle, Ill. Among the areas of plant 

operations to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are problem identification and resolution, 

radiation protection, and engineering design. 

 Current performance information for Palisades is available on the NRC’s web site at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/PALI/pali_chart.html. 

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