No. II-10-020 April 7, 2010

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

 Joey Ledford (404) 562-4416 

NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE TO DISCUSS PERFORMANCE OF WATTS BAR 

UNIT 1 FOLLOWED BY MEETING TO DISCUSS UNIT 2 CONSTRUCTION 

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials have scheduled an open house Tuesday, 

April 20 to provide information on the agency’s annual assessment of safety performance for 

Unit 1 at the Watts Bar nuclear power plant during 2009. After that open house, the NRC will 

provide a brief presentation on the agency’s assessment of construction activities at Watts Bar 

Unit 2. 

The open house is scheduled to run from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Andrew Johnson Room at the 

Magnuson Hotel, 1421 Murray’s Chapel Rd. in Sweetwater, Tenn. and it will allow people to 

learn about Unit 1’s performance last year as well as NRC oversight and inspection. The 

presentation on Unit 2 will begin at 4 p.m. in the same room and will be followed by a question 

and answer session. 

The Watts Bar plant, which has one operating pressurized-water reactor and one unit 

currently completing construction, is located near Spring City, Tenn., about 60 miles southwest 

of Knoxville. It is owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority. 

Overall, the NRC staff concluded that Watts Bar Unit 1 operated safely in 2009, and 

there were no inspection findings or performance indicators that would cause the NRC to 

increase its level of oversight and inspection. Based on the plant’s performance, the NRC staff 

plans to continue the detailed routine or baseline inspections all nuclear power plants receive. 

“Every year, the NRC evaluates the safety performance of nuclear plants in a systematic 

and detailed way. These reviews allow us to respond to ongoing issues, if needed, and to plan our 

future inspections,” NRC Region II Administrator Luis Reyes said. “This open house gives local 

officials and citizens an opportunity to learn more about our oversight and is consistent with our 

commitment to openness and transparency.” 

The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess 

operating plant performance. The colors start with “green,” which has very low safety 

significance, to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” based on the significance of the issues. Inspection 

findings and performance indicators are updated on the NRC’s web site ( www.nrc.gov ) each 

quarter. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II 

61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303 

Web Site: www.nrc.gov 
The annual assessment letter for Watts Bar Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site at 

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/wb_2009q4.pdf. 

Routine inspections are carried out by the NRC resident inspectors assigned to the plant 

and by inspection specialists from the Region II office in Atlanta. Among the areas at Watts Bar 

Unit 1 to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are dissimilar metal welds and operator 

licensing exams. 

Current performance information for Watts Bar Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site 

at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/WB1/wb1_chart.html. 

The NRC assessment of Unit 2 found that TVA conducted construction activities in 

compliance with NRC regulations and the conditions of the plant’s construction permit. Based on 

that assessment, the NRC will not expand its activities beyond the detailed inspections currently 

being conducted. 

Information on Watts Bar Unit 2 can be found at: www.nrc.gov/reactors/plant-specificitems/watts-bar.html. 

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