NRC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON MAY 10th IN SALEM, N.J., TO DISCUSS

ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF SALEM, HOPE CREEK NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, May 10, 

regarding the agency’s annual assessment of safety performance for the Salem and Hope Creek 

nuclear power plants during 2010.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the PSEG Energy & Environmental 

Resource Center, at 244 Chestnut St. in Salem, N.J. Prior to the session’s conclusion, there will 

be an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions of the NRC staff regarding the 

plants’ performance, as well as the agency’s oversight of the units.

Salem, which is the site of two pressurized-water reactors, and Hope Creek, which is a 

single boiling-water reactor, are located adjacent to each other in Hancocks Bridge (Salem 

County), N.J. The units are operated by PSEG Nuclear, LLC.

“Our Annual Assessment reviews allow us to step back and gauge whether the nuclear 

power plants we regulate are on the right track in terms of performance and adhering to the 

highest levels of safety,” NRC Region I Administrator Bill Dean said. “Once we’ve completed 

these evaluations, we reach out to the public to share that information and to receive their 

feedback at a location near each plant. We welcome and value these exchanges.”

The NRC utilizes a combination of color-coded inspection findings and performance 

indicators to measure plant performance. The colors start with “green”, representing very low 

safety significance, and increase to “white”, “yellow” or “red”, commensurate with the 

significance of the issues involved.

Overall, the Salem 1 and 2 reactors and the Hope Creek reactor operated safely during 

2010. At the conclusion of last year, as assessed through the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process, 

there were no inspection findings that were other than “Green” or any performance indicators 

that were “Greater than Green” for the Salem and Hope Creek units. Therefore, for the rest of 

2011, the plants will receive the normal, very detailed inspection regime used by the NRC for 

plants that are operating well.

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region I 

475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406

E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov 

Site: www.nrc.gov

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

No. I-11-009

Contact: Diane Screnci, (610) 337-5330

 Neil Sheehan, (610) 337-5331

April 29, 2011

Email: OPA1.RESOURCE@nrc.gov
Routine inspections are carried out by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to each 

plant and by inspection specialists from the agency’s Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. In 

2010, the NRC devoted about 6,900 hours to inspection of the Salem units and about 5,300 hours 

to inspection of Hope Creek, including three major team inspections for Salem and two major 

team inspections for Hope Creek. Among the areas at Salem being inspected this year are 

radioactive waste processing and handling, the plant’s radiological environmental monitoring 

program and its problem identification and resolution program. Among the areas at Hope Creek 

being inspected this year are emergency preparedness, permanent plant modifications and 

radiological safety.

The agency issues its review of performance at specific plants twice a year. Inspection 

findings and performance indicators are also updated on the NRC’s website, www.nrc.gov, each 

quarter. Following the release of the annual performance reviews every March, the public is 

provided with an opportunity to discuss the results. The meetings, which are held in the vicinity 

of the plant, are in keeping with the NRC’s commitment to transparency and openness with 

regard to its activities.

The annual assessment letter for Salem 1 and 2 is available on the NRC website at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/salm_2010q4.pdf. The annual 

assessment letter for Hope Creek is available on the NRC web site at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/hope_2010q4.pdf. The notice for 

the public meeting is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and

Management System (ADAMS) under accession number MLML111170317. ADAMS is 

available at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Help in using ADAMS can be obtained 

via the NRC’s Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at: 

PDR.Resources@NRC.GOV.

Current performance information for Salem Unit 1 is available on the NRC website at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SALM1/salm1_chart.html. Current 

performance information for Salem Unit 2 is available on the NRC website at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/SALM2/salm2_chart.html. Current 

performance information for Hope Creek is available on the NRC website at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/HOPE/hope_chart.html.

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