No: I-15-017 April 14, 2015

 CONTACT: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 

 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 

NRC to Conduct Open House April 21 in Ontario, N.Y.,

to Discuss 2014 Performance of R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will hold an open house on April 21 in Ontario, N.Y., to 

discuss the agency’s annual review of safety performance at the R.E. Ginna nuclear power plant. The 

pressurized-water reactor in Ontario.

NRC staff will be on hand from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Ontario Town Hall, located at 1850 Ridge 

Road. Agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, including the Resident Inspectors

assigned to the plant on a full-time basis, will be available to discuss the facility’s performance in 2014 

and the agency’s oversight plans for 2015.

Under the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process, the agency gauges plant performance through the 

use of color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators, which are statistical measurements 

of plant performance that can trigger additional oversight if exceeded.

On an overall basis, Ginna, which is owned by Exelon, operated safely in 2014. As of the end of 

last year, the plant had no inspection findings or performance indicators that were greater than “green” 

(very low safety significance). Therefore, Ginna is currently under the NRC’s normal level of 

oversight. In addition, the NRC will perform an inspection to follow up Ginna’s corrective actions for a 

Severity Level III Notice of Violation issued on Feb. 24. The violation involved the submittal of 

medical qualification information for a control room operator.

The NRC’s normal level of oversight at each U.S. nuclear power plant involves thousands of 

hours of inspection. In 2014, the agency devoted approximately 6,060 hours of review at Ginna.

“By assessing each plant’s performance in a comprehensive manner, we are able to focus our 

inspection resources on those areas most in need of attention,” NRC Region I Administrator 

Dan Dorman said. “Because Ginna did not have any safety or security issues rising above very low 

significance as of the conclusion of 2014, we are not currently planning any inspections above and 

beyond our normal reviews.”

The NRC 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 quarterly on the agency’s website. Following the release of the Annual Assessment 

letters each March, the NRC meets with the public in the vicinity of each plant to discuss the results.
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Normal inspections are performed by two Resident Inspectors assigned to Ginna. Reviews are 

also carried out at the sites by specialist inspectors assigned to the agency’s Region I Office in King of 

Prussia, Pa. Among the areas to be inspected this year at Ginna are emergency planning, radiological 

safety, fire protection and the security of the plant’s dry cask storage facility.

The Annual Assessment letter for Ginna, as well as the notice for the April 21st open house, are 

available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Ginna.