NRC SCHEDULES PUBLIC MEETING FOR JUNE 21

TO DISCUSS PERFORMANCE OF BRUNSWICK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT 

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

21, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance during 2011 at the Brunswick nuclear 

power plant. The plant, operated by Progress Energy, is located near Southport, N.C.

The meeting, in the Brunswick Media Center Auditorium, 8520 River Road SE in 

Southport, will begin at 6 p.m. EDT with a brief presentation followed by a question and answer 

session.

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

Brunswick plant, as well as the NRC role in ensuring safe plant operation.

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

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

Region II Administrator Victor McCree. 

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

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

reviews found that the units continued to operate safely.

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

the plant during 2011 and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the 

NRC website at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/bru_2011q4.pdf.

Both Brunswick units are currently subject to increased NRC oversight and inspection based 

on a “white” inspection finding in late 2011 associated with the fuel oil tank rooms for emergency 

diesel generators. The NRC plans to conduct a supplemental inspection this year to review the 

company’s actions to address those issues. 

An emergency response staffing issue identified in September 2010 led to increased 

oversight in the first half of 2011, but an NRC inspection found the company had addressed that 

issue and the plant was returned to normal oversight until the diesel generator issue was identified. 

That finding led the NRC to again increase inspection and oversight of the plant. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II

245 Peachtree Center Ave., NE, Suite 1200

Atlanta, GA 30303-1257

Site: www.nrc.gov

Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov

No: II-12-040

CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 997-4417

 Joey Ledford (404) 997-4416

 June 11, 2012 

E-mail: OPA2.Resource@nrc.gov
The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess plant 

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

which means low to moderate safety significance, to “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. 

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

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BRU1/bru1_chart.html. Current performance 

information for Unit 2 is at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BRU2/bru2_chart.html.

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