No. II-12-022 April 16, 2012

CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 997-4417 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov

 Joey Ledford (404) 997-4416

NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE TO DISCUSS ANNUAL 

ASSESSMENT OF McGUIRE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled an open house for 

Wednesday, April 25 to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance during 2011 for 

the McGuire nuclear power plant. The plant, operated by Duke Energy, is located near 

Huntersville, N.C., about 17 miles north of Charlotte.

The session, which will be open to the public, is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. EDT in the 

McGuire Energy Explorium, 13339 Hagers Ferry Road in Huntersville. A formal presentation 

will begin at 6:30 p.m.

NRC staff will be available to answer questions on the safety performance of the 

McGuire plant, as well as the NRC role in ensuring safe plant operations. 

Overall, the NRC staff concluded that the McGuire plant operated safely in 2011 and will 

receive normal detailed baseline oversight and inspection efforts. All inspection findings and

performance indicators at the plant were “green,” meaning they had very low safety significance.

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

performance. The colors start with “green,” and escalate 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. 

“During 2011, our inspectors spent many hours ensuring that the McGuire plant met 

NRC safety requirements and protected both people living near the plant and the environment,” 

NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree said.

NRC inspectors also looked at whether there were immediate safety concerns at 

McGuire and other U.S. plants after the March 2011 events at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 

Japan. Those reviews found that the plants remained safe.

The annual assessment letter for the McGuire plant is available on the NRC web site at 

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/mcg_2011q4.pdf. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II

245 Peachtree Center Ave. NE, Suite 1200

Atlanta, GA 30303-1257

Web Site: www.nrc.gov
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 the 

McGuire plant to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are component design basis, 

emergency preparedness and operator licensing examinations.

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

at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/MCG1/mcg1_chart.html. Current performance 

information for McGuire Unit 2 is available on the NRC web site at 

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/MCG2/mcg2_chart.html.

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