No. II-09-020 April 15, 2009 

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

 Joey Ledford (404) 562-4416 

NRC TO DISCUSS 2008 PERFORMANCE OF 

BROWNS FERRY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT 

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting for Thursday, April 

23, with representatives of the Tennessee Valley Authority to discuss the agency’s assessment of 

the Browns Ferry nuclear plant’s safety performance during 2008. The plant, operated by TVA, is 

on the Tennessee River about 10 miles southwest of Athens, Ala. 

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. (CDT) in the 

Browns Ferry Training Center Auditorium at the Browns Ferry site, 15900 Shaw Road in Athens. 

After the formal presentation, NRC staff will be available to answer questions on the safety 

performance of the Browns Ferry plant, as well as the NRC role in ensuring safe plant operation. 

“Throughout the year, we inspect and review the performance of the Browns Ferry 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 meeting allows us to 

discuss that assessment with the company, local officials and people near the plant.” 

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/bf_2008q4.pdf. 

The NRC found that Browns Ferry’s 2008 performance met all NRC safety objectives. 

During 2008, Units 2 and 3 performed at a level that required no additional NRC oversight. Unit 1 

performed at this level for the last three quarters of the year. However, during the first quarter of 

2008, Unit 1 was at an increased oversight level based on the number of unplanned scrams, or 

shutdowns in 2007. A supplemental NRC inspection in late 2008 found that the plant staff had 

determined the areas needing improvement and taken appropriate corrective actions. 

In the 2007 assessment, the NRC identified a substantive cross-cutting issue associated with 

inappropriate and untimely corrective actions. Although the 2008 assessment determined that TVA 

had made improvements in this area, the NRC plans to conduct an additional inspection later this 

year to assess whether the corrective action issue can be cleared. 

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 
Since all three units are not subject to additional oversight this year, the NRC plans to 

continue conducting the very detailed inspections required at those plants operating well. The 

agency will also complete some generic inspections in the areas of spent fuel storage, groundwater 

protection, problem identification and resolution, and operator licensing exams at the Browns Ferry 

plant in 2009. 

 

Current performance information for Browns Ferry Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site 

at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF1/bf1_chart.html. Current performance 

information for Unit 2 is at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF2/bf2_chart.html and 

Unit 3 is at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BF3/bf3_chart.html. 

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