NRC TO HOLD OPEN HOUSE ON APRIL 17th IN PRINCE FREDERICK, MD.,

TO DISCUSS CALVERT CLIFFS NUCLEAR PLANT ANNUAL ASSESSMENT

 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public open house on Wednesday, April 

17, to discuss the agency’s annual review of safety performance at the Calvert Cliffs nuclear 

power plant.

During the open house, which is scheduled for 5 to 7 p.m. at the Spring Hill Suites hotel, 

at 75 Sherry Lane in Prince Frederick, Md., attendees will have an opportunity to hold one-onone discussions with NRC staff members about the plant’s 2012 performance and the agency’s 

oversight of the facility. NRC staff on hand will include the inspectors assigned to the plant on a 

full-time basis and their supervisors.

Overall, the Calvert Cliffs plant -- consisting of two pressurized-water reactors located in 

Lusby (Calvert County), Md. -- operated safely during 2012. At the end of the fourth quarter of 

2012, Calvert Cliffs Units 1 and 2 did not have any inspection findings that were greater than green 

(rising to the level requiring additional NRC oversight) or any performance indicators that were other 

than green (exceeding the threshold for the indicator and requiring additional NRC oversight). As a 

result, Calvert Cliffs will continue to receive the NRC’s normal level of oversight during 2013.

Plants that meet criteria set out by the NRC receive the normal level of oversight, which 

still consists of a detailed regime involving thousands of hours of inspection. In 2012, the agency 

devoted approximately 6,400 hours of inspection to the Calvert Cliffs plant.

Calvert Cliffs had one or more “greater than green” inspection findings in the area of 

security, which were identified in July 2011 and caused both plants to receive increased NRC 

oversight. However, the issues were closed out at the end of the third quarter of 2012 after the 

agency concluded the concerns had been properly evaluated and appropriate corrective actions 

put in place.

“When the time comes to evaluate a plant’s performance for the previous year, we take a 

fresh look at any and all issues that might be of concern. We then adjust our plans for assessing 

the facility accordingly,” NRC Region I Administrator Bill Dean said. “As we map out our 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region I 

2100 Renaissance Blvd., King of Prussia, Pa. 19406-2713

E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov 

Site: www.nrc.gov

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

No. I-13-015

Contact: Diane Screnci, (610) 337-5330

 Neil Sheehan, (610) 337-5331

April 10, 2013

Email: opa1.resource@nrc.gov
inspection plans for the remainder of 2013, we remain focused on ensuring that safety is the 

foremost objective for all plant operators.”

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

indicators to assess plant performance. The colors begin with green and then increase to white, 

yellow or red, commensurate with the risk significance of the issues involved. The agency issues 

reports on performance at each plant twice a year: during the mid-cycle, or mid-point, of the 

year, and at the conclusion of the year. Inspection findings and performance indicators are also 

updated on the NRC’s web site, www.nrc.gov , each quarter. Following the release of the annual 

reports every March, the NRC meets with the public in the vicinity of each plant to discuss the 

results. The sessions are in keeping with the agency’s commitment to transparency with respect 

to its activities.

The annual assessment letter for the Calvert Cliffs plant and the notice for the open 

house, as well as current performance information for Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 and Calvert Cliffs 

Unit 2 can be found on the NRC website.

Routine inspections are carried out by the two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to each 

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

Among the areas of performance to be inspected at Calvert Cliffs this year by NRC specialists 

are activities associated with radiological safety, problem identification and resolution, 

emergency planning and underground piping and tanks.

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