NRC ISSUES ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTERS FOR

NATION’S NUCLEAR PLANTS

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued annual assessment letters to the nation’s 

104 operating commercial nuclear power reactors. As of December 31, 2010, 98 of 104 nuclear 

reactors were in the two highest performance categories.

“We ensure nuclear power plants are safe, continually inspecting them and rating their 

performance on a regular basis, as part of our mission to protect people and the environment,” 

said Eric Leeds, director of the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

There are five levels of plant performance based on a detailed assessment of performance 

indicators (e.g., safety system availability and reliability, control of radiation exposure and 

unplanned shutdowns) and inspection findings. Levels range from “fully meeting all safety 

cornerstone objectives” (highest level) to “unacceptable performance” (lowest level). 

All nuclear plants are inspected daily by the NRC. If a plant’s performance declines, the 

NRC increases the level of inspection and oversight to ensure the plant operator is taking the 

steps necessary to correct the situation. The additional amount of inspection is commensurate 

with the level of plant performance. Additional information on the Reactor Oversight Process is 

available at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1649/r4/.

Eighty-nine nuclear reactors performed at the highest level and were inspected by NRC 

using the normal detailed level inspection program.

Nine nuclear reactors performed at the next highest level, needing to resolve one or two 

items of low safety significance. For this performance level, regulatory oversight includes 

additional inspection and attention to follow up on corrective actions. These plants were: 

Brunswick 1 and 2 (N.C.); Calvert Cliffs 2 (Md.); Farley 1 (Ala.); Ginna (N.Y.); North Anna 2 

(Va.); Susquehanna 1 (Pa.); Turkey Point 3 and 4 (Fla.)

Six nuclear reactors were at the third level of performance with one degraded safety 

cornerstone. For this performance level, regulatory oversight includes more NRC inspections, 

senior management attention and oversight focused on the cause of the degraded performance. 

These plants were: Oconee 1, 2, 3 (S.C.); Fort Calhoun (Neb.); H. B. Robinson 2 (S.C.); and 

Wolf Creek 1 (Kan.)

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001

E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.gov

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

No. 11-036 March 8, 2011
Later this spring and summer, the NRC will host a public meeting or other event in the

vicinity of each plant to discuss the details of the annual assessment results. A separate 

announcement will be issued for each plant meeting. In addition to the annual assessment letters, 

plants also receive an NRC inspection plan for the coming year. 

Note that since the end of 2010, the NRC routinely provides changes to information on 

plant performance and posts the latest information as it becomes available to the NRC website at:

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/actionmatrix_summary.html.

Each plant receives either a mid-cycle review letter or an annual assessment letter every 

six months, along with an NRC inspection plan. The next mid-cycle assessment letters will be 

issued in September 2011. The annual assessment letters sent to each licensee are available on 

the NRC website at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/listofasmrpt.html.

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