No. II-11-010 March 23, 2011

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

 Joey Ledford (404) 562-4416

NRC TO DISCUSS 2010 PERFORMANCE OF

FARLEY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

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

March 31, with representatives of Southern Nuclear Operating Co. to discuss the agency’s 

assessment of safety performance during 2010 at the Farley nuclear power plant. The plant, 

operated by Southern Nuclear, is 18 miles southeast of Dothan in south Alabama.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin with an open house 

and poster session at 3 p.m. CDT, followed by a brief presentation. The meeting will be held at 

the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, 102 Jamestown Blvd., in Dothan.

Before and after the presentation, NRC staff will be available to answer questions on the 

safety performance of the Farley plant, as well as the NRC role in ensuring safe plant operation.

Overall, the NRC staff concluded that the Farley plant operated safely in 2010 and will 

receive normal baseline oversight and inspection efforts. Unit 1 remains in the Regulatory 

Response Column based on a performance indicator that crossed the threshold from green to 

white. That was due to failures of one emergency diesel generator. The NRC staff has completed 

a supplemental inspection on the issues that led to the white performance indicator. Unit 2 is in 

the Licensee Response column requiring no additional oversight or inspections.

“The NRC evaluates nuclear power plants in a systematic and detailed way each year,” 

said NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree. “The inspections and oversight at Farley 

ensure that the plant is operated in a way that protects people near the plant and the 

environment.”

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

performance. The colors start with “green,” which has very low safety significance, to “white,” 

“yellow” and “red,” based on increasing significance of the issues. Inspection findings and 

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

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

of the plant during 2010 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/far_2010q4.pdf.

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II

61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta GA 30303

Site: www.nrc.gov

Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov
Current performance information for Farley Unit 1 is available on the NRC web site at: 

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/FAR1/far1_chart.html. Current performance 

information for Unit 2 is at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/FAR2/far2_chart.html.

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