No. III-09-023 

Contacts: 

Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662 

Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663 

 July 16, 2009 

 E-Mail: opa3@nrc.gov

Web site: www.nrc.gov

NRC TO DISCUSS 2008 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 

FOR PERRY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT JULY 21

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of FENOC 

Nuclear Operating Company on Wednesday, July 21, to discuss the agency’s assessment of 

safety performance last year at the Perry Nuclear Power Station. The plant is located in Perry, 

Ohio, roughly 35 miles northeast of Cleveland. 

 The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EDT at the 

Holiday Inn Express Hotel and Suites LaMalfa, 5783 Heisley Road, in Mentor, Ohio. 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 Perry plant and the nation’s other 

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

meeting allows us to discuss our annual assessment of safety performance with the company and 

area residents. One of the NRC’s main goals is to explain to people in the community how the 

agency regulates nuclear power plants.” 

 A March 14 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/perr_2008q4.pdf. 

The NRC’s assessment concluded that Perry operated safely in 2008. All of the inspection 

findings and performance indicators for Perry during 2008 were determined to be “green.” The agency 

uses a combination of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to measure 

plant performance. The colors go from “green” to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” commensurate 

with the safety significance of the issues involved. 

 

 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Region III 

2443 Warrenville Road 

Lisle IL 60532 
 The NRC letter identifies a substantive cross-cutting issue in the area of human 

performance. This kind of issue refers performance deficiencies that cut across multiple areas of 

plant operation. Although these issues are not assigned safety significance, the NRC expects the 

problem to be corrected. 

 At Perry, the substantive cross-cutting issue is associated with work control, quality and 

adherence to procedures and the quality of documentation. The NRC letter also notes indications 

of an emerging weakness in the area of human error prevention techniques. 

 FENOC took steps to address these issues. “However, the effectiveness and sustainability 

of your corrective actions continue to be of concern,” states the NRC letter. 

 At the NRC’s request, FENOC will discuss the general measures it has taken to address 

the cross-cutting issue. A detailed written account describing FENOC’S specific actions to 

address this issue will follow. The cross-cutting issue in the area of human performance will 

remain open until the NRC gains confidence in the effectiveness and sustainability of the 

company’s corrective actions. 

 The NRC will continue to conduct very detailed routine inspections at the plant. NRC 

inspectors will also continue to evaluate FENOC’s efforts to correct human performance issues. 

Inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant, and 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 emergency 

preparedness. 

 Current performance information for Perry is available on the NRC’s Web site at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/PERR1/perr1_chart.html. 

 

### 

 NRC news releases are available through a free list serve subscription at the following Web address: 

http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/listserver.html . The NRC homepage at www.nrc.gov also offers a SUBSCRIBE 

link. E-mail notifications are sent to subscribers when news releases are posted to NRC's Web site.