No. III-09-017 

Contacts: 

Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662 

Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663 

 May 18, 2009 

 E-Mail: opa3@nrc.gov 

Web site: www.nrc.gov

NRC TO DISCUSS 2008 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 

FOR PALISADES NUCLEAR POWER PLANT MAY 26

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting with representatives 

of Entergy Nuclear Operations on Monday, May 26, to discuss the agency’s assessment of the 

safety performance during 2008 at the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located in 

Covert, Mich., five miles south of South Haven. 

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

Lake Michigan College, 125 Veterans 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,” 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. We want to help people understand how the 

NRC works to protect the public and the environment 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/pali_2008q4.pdf 

The NRC’s assessment concluded that overall Palisades operated safely in 2008. The 

NRC utilizes 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. 

 

 In 2008, all performance indicators were determined to be “green,” or of very low safety 

significance. Performance indicators are a statistical measure of plant performance. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Region III 

2443 Warrenville Road 

Lisle IL 60532 
 NRC inspectors identified one “white” finding, meaning it was of low to moderate safety 

significance. This finding involved the failure to recognize and evaluate the impact of 

radiological hazards at the plant. The NRC plans to conduct a supplemental inspection to make 

sure that plant employees and management understand the causes of the problem and have 

addressed them to prevent recurrence. 

 The NRC letter talks of a newly identified substantive cross-cutting issue in the area of 

human performance. The NRC refers to performance deficiencies that cut across multiple areas 

of plant operation as “substantive cross-cutting issues.” These issues cannot be quantified and 

are not assigned safety significance. When such an issue is identified, the NRC expects the 

problem to be corrected. 

 At Palisades, the substantive cross-cutting issue relates to weaknesses in procedures and 

documentation practices. Of 17 findings with cross-cutting aspects in human performance 

identified in 2008, six shared a common weakness in the plant’s procedures and documentation 

practices. 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. 

 In 2009, in addition to the supplemental inspection, Palisades will continue to receive the 

very detailed inspection regime used by the NRC for all plants. 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 emergency preparedness, fire protection and engineering 

modifications. 

 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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