No: III-14-027 July 11, 2014

CONTACT: Viktoria Mitlyng 630-829-9662

 Prema Chandrathil 630-829-9663

NRC Schedules Open House July 17 to Discuss Performance of 

Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold a public open house July 17 to discuss the 

agency’s annual assessment of safety performance for the Prairie Island nuclear power plant. The twounit plant is operated by Northern States Power Co.-Minnesota., and is located in Welch, Minn., about 

28 miles southeast of Minneapolis.

The open house is scheduled for 6-9 p.m. CDT at the Red Wing Public Library, 225 East Ave., 

Community Room, in Red Wing. Attendees can have one-on-one discussions with NRC staff members 

about the plant’s 2013 performance and the agency’s oversight of the facility. 

“NRC inspectors spend a significant amount of time monitoring a wide range of plant activities 

to ensure the plant operates safely. Our hands-on approach is a key factor in protecting the public and 

environment,” said NRC Region III Administrator Cynthia D. Pederson. “We hold public meetings near 

the plant every year to make our inspectors available and accessible to answer questions and have open 

discussions about NRC oversight with those who live near the plant.”

The annual assessment letter sent from the NRC Region III office to the company addresses the 

performance of the plant during 2013 and will serve as the basis for the discussion.

Overall, the Prairie Island facility operated safely in 2013. 

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. Performance indicators are statistical 

measurements of plant and equipment performance. The NRC’s action matrix reflects overall plant 

performance and agency response. There are five columns in the matrix with Column 1 requiring a 

baseline level of inspections. A move to the other columns results in an increased level of NRC 

oversight and inspections.
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All performance indicators for Unit 1 were green or low safety significance, but the unit was in 

Column 2 for the first three quarters due to a “white” finding of low-to-moderate safety significance for 

the failure to maintain an effective emergency plan by not prioritizing the repair of a high range vent gas 

radiation detector. The unit returned to Column 1 at the end of the year. Unit 2 had no safety significant 

findings but the unit had one “white” performance indicator in the area of mitigating systems and placed the 

unit in Column 2 during the fourth quarter of 2012. In November of 2013 the company notified the agency it 

was ready for NRC staff to inspect the actions taken to address the performance issues however, later in 

January the company requested the inspection be postponed due to questions regarding the effectiveness of 

the corrective actions. Mitigating systems are made up of key pieces of equipment and specific systems that 

must be available and reliable when needed

As a result, Prairie Island Unit 2 will receive increased agency oversight and NRC staff will 

conduct a supplemental inspection to follow up on the plants actions to address the performance issues. 

In order for Unit 2 to return to Column 1 the performance indicator must return to “green” and the 

results of the supplemental inspection must be adequate. Unit 1 will continue to receive the NRC’s 

normal level of oversight during 2014. 

Inspections are performed by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant, inspection 

specialists from the Region III Office in Lisle, Ill., and specialists from the agency’s headquarters in 

Rockville, Md. Among the areas of performance to be inspected this year by NRC inspectors are 

activities associated with radiological safety, steam generator replacement, and license renewal.

The most current performance information for Prairie Island Unit 1 and Unit 2 is available on the 

NRC website.