No. I-08-011 

Contact: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330 

 Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331 

March 20, 2008

NRC TO DISCUSS BEAVER VALLEY NUCLEAR PLANT ANNUAL ASSESSMENT 

AT PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 25 IN MIDLAND, PA. 

The results of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s annual safety performance 

assessment for the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant will be discussed at a public meeting on 

Tuesday, March 25. 

Scheduled to begin at 7 p.m., the session will take place in the Studio Theatre 

Performance Area at the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center, 935 Ohio Ave. in Midland, Pa. 

Directions to the center are available at: http://www.lppac.org/directions.php . Prior to the 

conclusion of the meeting, NRC staff will be available to answer questions from the public on 

the plant’s performance, as well as the agency’s oversight of the facility. 

Beaver Valley is twin-reactor plant located in Shippingport (Beaver County), Pa., and 

owned by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. 

“Through a combination of inspection findings and performance indicators, we are able 

to develop a comprehensive picture of how nuclear power plants are performing with regard to 

safety,” said NRC Region I Administrator Samuel J. Collins. “As part of our commitment to 

make the findings of our reviews accessible to the public, we hold meetings near each plant once 

a year to share the details of those assessments. We look forward to the opportunity on March 

25th to present that information for the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant.” 

The annual assessment letter for Beaver Valley is available on the NRC web site at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/bv_2007q4.pdf . The notice for the 

meeting, with agenda attached, is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and 

Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML080700965. The meeting slides are 

available under accession number ML080700393. ADAMS is accessible at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams/web-based.html . Help in using ADAMS is available via 

the NRC’s Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at 

PDR@NRC.GOV . 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region I 

475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406 

E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov 

Site: http://www.nrc.gov
Overall, the Beaver Valley plant operated safely during 2007. When considering nuclear 

power plant performance, the NRC uses 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. 

During the first two quarters of 2007, the plant had a “white” (low to moderate safety 

significance) inspection finding in the area of emergency preparedness. The finding stemmed 

from a dose assessment procedure inadequacy that could have resulted in untimely protective 

action recommendations. In June of last year, the NRC completed a supplemental inspection to 

determine if FirstEnergy had taken the appropriate steps to address the issue and prevent 

recurrence. The NRC found that had occurred and therefore the finding was closed out as of the 

end of second quarter. 

At the conclusion of last year, there were no performance indicators for Beaver Valley 

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

Therefore, the plant will receive the baseline, or routine, level of inspections for the remainder of 

2008. 

Routine inspections are carried out by the two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the 

plant and by inspection specialists from the agency’s Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. 

Among the areas of performance at Beaver Valley to be inspected this year by NRC specialists 

are activities associated with emergency preparedness, radiological safety and control room 

operator licensing exams. In addition, the NRC will conduct inspections related to the plant’s 

license renewal application and an Extended Power Uprate for Unit 2. 

Current performance information for Beaver Valley Unit 1 is available on the NRC web 

site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BV1/bv1_chart.html . Current 

performance information for Beaver Valley Unit 2 is available on the NRC web site at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BV2/bv2_chart.html . 

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