No. IV-08-010 

Contact: Victor Dricks 

Phone: (817) 860-8128 

 

 April 2, 2008 

 E-Mail: opa4@nrc.gov

NRC TO DISCUSS 2007 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT 

FOR FORT CALHOUN STATION NUCLEAR PLANT APRIL 10 

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with Omaha Public Power District 

representatives on April 10, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for last 

year at the Fort Calhoun Station nuclear plant. The plant is located near Omaha, Neb. 

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

Embassy Suites Hotel Omaha – Downtown, 555 S. 10th St., Omaha, Neb. 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 safety performance of Fort Calhoun and each of the 

nation’s commercial nuclear power plants,” said Region IV Administrator Elmo E. Collins. “The 

meeting provides an opportunity for us to discuss our annual assessment of safety performance 

with the company, local officials and members of the public. We look forward to meeting with 

members of the community and answering any questions they may have about our oversight.” 

 A letter sent from the NRC Region IV office to plant officials 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/fcs_2007q4.pdf . 

 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,” 

and “red,” commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. 

 The NRC’s assessment concluded that Fort Calhoun operated safely during 2007, but will 

receive additional oversight because of two “white” findings. One white finding involved the 

improper installation of a valve in the containment spray system. The second white finding 

consisted of two violations associated with inadequate corrective actions and improper 

maintenance on the plant’s emergency diesel generators. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Region IV 

611 Ryan Plaza Drive – Suite 400 

Arlington, Texas 76011-4005 

Telephone: (817) 860-8128 
 As a result, the NRC staff performed a comprehensive inspection in March to provide 

assurance that the root and contributing causes for the performance issues are understood and 

appropriate measure are in place to prevent recurrence. 

 While there have been some improvements in human performance work practices, 

corrective actions have not yet proven fully effective in addressing deficiencies. The NRC staff 

will continue to monitor progress in this area, as well as continue to perform the normal, baseline 

level of inspections. 

 Routine inspections are performed by inspectors assigned to the plant and by specialists 

from the Region IV office in Arlington, Texas. Among the areas of plant operations to be 

inspected this year by NRC specialists are emergency preparedness, spent fuel storage, radiation 

protection, and problem identification. 

 Current performance information for Fort Calhoun Station is available on the NRC web 

site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/FCS/fcs_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.