NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 2443 Warrenville Road

 Lisle IL 60532

 Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov

No. III-07-016 April 12, 2007

CONTACT: Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 

NRC TO DISCUSS 2006 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

FOR QUAD CITIES NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Exelon Generation

Co. on Wednesday, Apr. 18, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for last year at

the Quad Cities Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located near Cordova, Ill..

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

Western Steeplegate Inn, 100 West 76th Street, in Davenport, Iowa. The NRC staff will present the

results of the assessment 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 Quad Cities plant and the nation’s other

commercial nuclear power facilities,” NRC Region III Administrator James Caldwell said. “This

meeting will provide an opportunity for a discussion of our annual assessment of safety performance

with the company and with local officials and residents who live near the plant. Our goal is to explain

the NRC oversight process and make as much information as possible available to the public regarding

our regulation of these facilities.”

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/quad_2006q4.pdf.

The NRC’s assessment concluded that the Quad Cities plant operated safely during the period. 

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” or “red,”

commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. 

During 2006, there was one white inspection finding of low-to-moderate safety significance at

Quad Cities, Unit 1. This finding was associated with the failure to verify that the design of the

electromatic relief valve actuators would not be damaged by increased vibrations produced by

operation at extended power uprate power levels. 

As a result, in addition to regular, baseline inspections during calendar year 2007, the NRC 

conducted a supplemental inspection on Unit 1 to review the plant’s corrective actions on this issue.
All of the inspection findings and performance indicators for Quad Cities, Unit 2, during 2006

were determined to be green.

As a result of this performance, the NRC will conduct the normal, baseline level of inspections

on Unit 2 during calendar year 2007.

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., and the agency’s headquarters in

Rockville, Md. Among the areas of plant operations to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are

modifications, maintenance effectiveness, radioactive material processing and transportation;

radiological environmental monitoring program and radioactive material control; performance

indicator verification; and operation of an independent spent fuel storage facility.

Current performance information for Quad Cities is available on the NRC’s web site at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/QUAD1/quad1_chart.html for Unit 1

and 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/QUAD2/quad2_chart.html for Unit 2.

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