No. I-11-006

Contact: Diane Screnci, 610/337-5330

 Neil Sheehan, 610/337-5331

April 15, 2011

E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov

NRC TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING ON APRIL 28 IN SHIPPINGPORT, PA.,

TO DISCUSS ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF BEAVER VALLEY NUCLEAR PLANT

 Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold a public meeting on Thursday, April 28, 

regarding the agency’s annual assessment of safety performance for the Beaver Valley nuclear 

power plant during 2010.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Shippingport Community and 

Municipal Building, at 164 State Road 3016 in Shippingport. Prior to the session’s conclusion, 

there will be an opportunity for members of the public to ask questions of the NRC staff 

regarding the plant’s performance, as well as the NRC’s oversight of the facility.

Beaver Valley, which is the site of two operating pressurized-water reactors, is located in

Shippingport (Beaver County). It is owned and operated by FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co.

“Our Annual Assessment reviews allow us to step back and gauge whether the nuclear 

power plants we regulate are on the right track in terms of performance and adhering to the 

highest levels of safety,” NRC Region I Administrator Bill Dean said. “Once we’ve completed 

these evaluations, we reach out to the public to share that information and to receive their 

feedback at a location near each plant. We welcome and value these exchanges.”

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

indicators to measure plant performance. The colors start with “green”, representing very low 

safety significance, and increase to “white”, “yellow” or “red”, commensurate with the 

significance of the issues involved.

Overall, Beaver Valley operated safely during 2010. At the conclusion of last year, as 

assessed by the NRC Reactor Oversight Process, there were no performance indicators for the 

plant that were other than “Green” and no inspection findings that were “Greater than Green.” 

Therefore, for the remainder of 2011, Beaver Valley will continue to receive the very detailed 

inspection regime used by the NRC for plants that are operating well.

 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region I 

475 Allendale Road, King of Prussia, Pa. 19406

E-mail: opa1@nrc.gov 

Site: www.nrc.gov

Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov
Routine inspections are carried out by two NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant 

and by inspection specialists from the agency’s Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. In 2010, 

the NRC devoted approximately 4,600 hours to inspection of the facility and related activities, 

including three major team inspections. Among the areas at Beaver Valley being inspected this 

year are emergency preparedness, radiological safety and the plant’s problem identification and 

resolution program.

The agency issues its review of performance at specific plants twice a 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 performance reviews every March, the public is 

provided with an opportunity to discuss the results. The meetings, which are held in the vicinity 

of the plant, are in keeping with the NRC’s commitment to transparency and openness with 

regard to its activities.

The annual assessment letter for Beaver Valley is available on the NRC web site at: 

http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/bv_2010q4.pdf. The notice for the 

public meeting is available in the NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and

Management System (ADAMS) under accession number ML110980391. ADAMS is available

at: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. Help in using ADAMS can be obtained via the

NRC’s Public Document Room at 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, or by e-mail at

PDR.Resources@NRC.GOV. 

Current performance information for Beaver Valley Unit 1 is available on the NRC web 

site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BV1/bv1_chart.html. Current 

performance information for Beaver Valley Unit 2 is available on the NRC web

site at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/BV2/bv2_chart.html.

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