No. III-09-009 

Contacts: 

Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662 

Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663 

 April 10, 2009 

 E-Mail: opa3@nrc.gov 

Web site: www.nrc.gov

 

NRC TO DISCUSS 2008 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 

FOR LASALLE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT UNIT 1 AND 2

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Exelon 

Generation Co. Thursday, April 16, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for 

last year at the LaSalle Nuclear Power Plant. The plant has two reactor units in Marseilles, Ill. 

 The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m. CDT at 

the Brookfield Town Hall in Seneca. 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 before the close of the meeting. 

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

other commercial nuclear power facilities,” said NRC Region III Administrator Mark Satorius. 

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

company and members of the local community. The goal of this meeting is to explain how the 

NRC works and make sure as much information as possible is available on the NRC’s regulation 

of nuclear power plants.” 

 A letter sent from the NRC Region III 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: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/lasa_2008q4.pdf 

 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. 

Overall, LaSalle operated safely during 2008. At the conclusion of last year, as assessed 

by the NRC Reactor Oversight Process, there were no performance indicators for the plant that 

were other than “green” and no inspection findings that were “greater than green.” Therefore, for 

the rest of 2009, LaSalle will continue to receive the detailed inspection regime used by the NRC 

for plants that are operating well. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Region III 

2443 Warrenville Road 

Lisle IL 60532 
 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 radiation protection, fire protection, 

and licensed operator requalification program evaluation. 

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

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LASA1/lasa1_chart.html (Unit 1) and 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LASA2/lasa2_chart.html (Unit 2). 

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