NRC NEWS

 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

 2443 Warrenville Road

 Lisle IL 60532

 Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov E-mail: opa3@nrc.gov

No. III-07-013 April 6, 2007

CONTACT: Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662 

NRC TO DISCUSS 2006 PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

FOR D.C. COOK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will meet with representatives of Indiana Michigan

Power Co. on Thursday, April 12, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for last

year at the D.C. Cook Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is located near Bridgman, Mich.

The meeting, which will be open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. at Lake Charter

Township Hall, 3220 Shawnee Rd, Bridgman, Mich.

The NRC staff will present the results of the assessment and be available to respond to

questions or comments from the public before the close of the meeting. 

“The NRC continually reviews the performance of the D.C. Cook plant and the nation’s other

commercial nuclear power facilities,” NRC Region III Administrator James Caldwell said. “This

meeting will provide an opportunity for a discussion of our annual assessment of safety performance

with the company and with local officials and residents who live near the plant. Our goal is to explain

the NRC oversight process and make as much information as possible available to the public regarding

our regulation of these facilities.”

A letter sent from the NRC Region III Office to plant officials addresses the performance of the

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

NRC web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/cook_2006q4.pdf .

The NRC’s assessment concluded that the D.C. Cook plant operated safely during the period. 

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

performance. The colors start with “green” and then increase to “white,” “yellow” or “red,”

commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. 

All of the inspection findings and performance indicators for D.C. Cook during 2006 were

determined to be “green.” As a result of this performance, the NRC will conduct the normal, baseline

level of inspections during the upcoming year.

On October 6, 2006, the NRC imposed a $60,000 fine against the facility for making changes in

their emergency preparedness procedures without prior NRC approval. The company removed the

changes and took extensive corrective action, including training of plant personnel.
Routine inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and

by inspection specialists from the Region III Office in Lisle, Ill., and the agency’s headquarters in

Rockville, Md. Among the areas of plant operations to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are

emergency preparedness, component design engineering, radiation protection, replacement of the Unit

2 reactor vessel head, and equipment inspection.

Current performance information for D.C. Cook is available on the NRC’s web site at: 

(Unit 1) http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/COOK1/cook1_chart.html and (Unit 2)

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/COOK2/cook2_chart.html.

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