No. III-08-010 

Contacts: 

Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662 

Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663 

 April 1, 2008 

 E-Mail: opa3@nrc.gov 

Web site: www.nrc.gov

 

NRC TO DISCUSS 2007 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 

FOR DUANE ARNOLD NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of FPL Energy 

Duane Arnold, Thursday, April 10, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for 

last year at the Duane Arnold Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located in Palo, Iowa. 

 The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CDT at 

Palo Community Center, 1006 1st St., Palo. 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 Duane Arnold 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 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/duan_2007q4.pdf. 

 The NRC’s assessment concluded that the Duane Arnold 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 of the inspection findings and performance indicators for Duane Arnold during 2007 

were determined to be “green.” As a result of this performance, the NRC will conduct the 

normal, baseline level of inspections during the upcoming year. 

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., and the agency’s 

headquarters in Rockville, Md. Among the areas of plant operations to be inspected this year by 

NRC specialists are emergency preparedness, spent fuel storage installation, and radiation 

protection. 

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

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/DUAN/duan_chart.html. 

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