No. II-09-029 April 27, 2009 

CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 562-4417 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov

 Joey Ledford (404) 562-4416 

NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ON 

2008 PERFORMANCE OF OCONEE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled an open house for 

Thursday, May 7, and will be available to discuss and answer questions about the agency’s 

assessment of safety performance during 2008 at the Oconee nuclear power plant. The plant, 

operated by Duke Energy, is near Seneca, S.C. about 30 miles west of Greenville. 

The open house is informal and scheduled from 6-8 p.m. in the Oconee World of Energy, 

7812 Rochester Highway in Seneca. 

NRC staff will be available to answer questions on the safety performance of the Oconee 

plant, as well as the NRC role in ensuring safe plant operation. 

“Throughout the year, we inspect and review the performance of the Oconee plant and all 

commercial nuclear plants,” NRC Region II Administrator Luis Reyes said. “We issue several 

inspection reports during the year and an overall annual assessment. This open house allows us 

to discuss that assessment with local officials and people near the plant, and answer any 

questions they may have.” 

A letter sent from the NRC Region II office to plant officials addresses the performance 

of the plant during 2008 and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on 

the NRC web site at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/oco_2008q4.pdf. 

The NRC found that the Oconee plant met all NRC safety objectives during 2008, and 

performance for Units 2 and 3 was at a level that resulted in no additional NRC oversight. Unit 1 

performance was at that level for the first three quarters of the year, but an issue with a voltage 

regulator maintenance procedure identified in the fourth quarter placed Unit 1 under increased 

NRC oversight including a supplemental inspection currently planned for this summer. 

 

 In addition to the supplemental inspection, the NRC plans to continue to conduct the 

very detailed inspections required at those plants operating well. Those inspections are by NRC 

resident inspectors assigned to the site supplemented by more specific inspections completed by 

region-based NRC inspectors. In addition to the detailed routine inspections, the agency will 

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Office of Public Affairs, Region II 

61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303 

Web Site: www.nrc.gov 
complete some generic inspections including operator licensing examinations, emergency 

response, spent fuel storage and ground water protection at Oconee in 2009. The NRC staff will 

also continue its review of issues associated with fire, external flooding, tornado and high energy 

line break mitigation. 

Current performance information for Oconee Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site at: 

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/OCO1/oco1_chart.html. Current information for 

Units 2 and 3 is at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/OCO2/oco2_chart.html and 

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/OCO3/oco3_chart.html. 

 

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