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-12-034

Contact: Viktoria Mitlyng (630) 829-9662

 Prema Chandrathil (630) 829-9663

August 7, 2012

E-Mail: OPA3 @nrc.gov 

NRC SCHEDULES AUGUST 15 PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS BRAIDWOOD 

NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PERFORMANCE AND NRC OVERSIGHT

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, 

August 15, in Braidwood, Ill., to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance at the 

Braidwood nuclear power plant during the past year.

Overall, the NRC found that both Braidwood Unit 1 and Unit 2 operated safely in 2011. 

The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. CDT at the Braidwood City Hall, 141 W. Main St. in 

Braidwood. The two-unit plant is operated by Exelon Generation Company, LLC and is about 

60 miles southwest of Chicago.

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

other nuclear power facilities,” said Regional Administrator for NRC Region III Charles Casto. 

“This meeting will allow us to speak directly with the local community about the plant’s 

performance last year and the NRC’s actions to make sure the plant continues to operate safely. 

Those actions include additional inspections in response to the events at the Fukushima Daiichi 

facilities to evaluate the safety of US nuclear plants. The reviews showed that Braidwood and 

other U.S. plants continue to operate safely.” 

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

of the plant during 2011 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/brai_2011q4.pdf

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 Braidwood during 2011 were determined to be “green.” 

Performance indicators are statistical measurements of plant and equipment performance.
Braidwood will continue to receive the detailed inspection regime required for plants that 

are operating well and require no additional oversight. 

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. 

In addition to the day-to-day inspections performed by the resident inspectors, specific 

areas of plant operations to be inspected include radiation protection, plant modifications, and 

emergency preparedness.

The most current performance information for Braidwood is available on the NRC web

site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BRAI1/brai1_chart.html (Unit 1) and 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BRAI2/brai2_chart.html (Unit 2)

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