NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Region III

2443 Warrenville Road

Lisle IL 60532

Site: www.nrc.gov

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

No. III-11-004

Contact: Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662

 Prema Chandrathil (630) 829-9663

March 28, 2011

E-Mail: OPA3.RegionIII@nrc.gov 

NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE FOR APRIL 5 TO DISCUSS MONTICELLO 

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PERFORMANCE AND NRC OVERSIGHT

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled an open house for Tuesday, 

April 5, to discuss with local residents the agency’s assessment of safety performance for last 

year at the Monticello nuclear power plant and other NRC oversight activities. The plant is 

operated by Northern States Power Company, Minnesota and is located in Monticello, Minn., 

about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

The open house is informal and will begin at 2:30 p.m. CDT at the Monticello Public 

Library, 2807 W. County Road 75, in Monticello. NRC staff will be available to answer 

questions on the safety performance of the Monticello plant, as well as areas of NRC’s 

regulatory activities not specifically associated with the Monticello station.

“The NRC continually reviews the performance of the Monticello plant and the nation’s 

other commercial nuclear power facilities,” said NRC Region III Administrator Mark Satorius. 

“This meeting allows us to discuss our annual assessment of safety performance with members 

of the local community. The goal of this open house is to explain how the NRC works and 

answer questions from residents about nuclear regulation.”

A letter sent from the NRC Region III office to plant officials addressed the performance 

of the plant during 2010 and will serve as the basis for the discussion. It is available on the NRC 

Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/mont_2010q4.pdf .

Overall, the NRC found that the Monticello plant operated safely in 2010. 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 performance indicators and inspection findings for Monticello during 2010 were 

determined to be “green.” Performance indicators are a statistical measurement of plant and 

equipment performance. 
Monticello will continue to receive the detailed inspection regime used by the NRC for 

plants that require no additional oversight. 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 being inspected are radiation protection, dry cask spent fuel storage security and 

emergency preparedness exercise.

Current performance information for Monticello is available on the NRC website at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/MONT/mont_chart.html.

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