No. II-12-011 April 5, 2012

CONTACT: Roger Hannah (404) 997-4417 E-mail: OPA2@nrc.gov

 Joey Ledford (404) 997-4416

NRC SCHEDULES OPEN HOUSE AND MEETING TO DISCUSS ANNUAL

ASSESSMENT OF ROBINSON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials have scheduled an open house and 

meeting for Wednesday, April 11 to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance for 

the Robinson nuclear power plant during 2011. The Robinson plant, which is operated by 

Progress Energy, is located near Hartsville, S.C., about 26 miles northwest of Florence. 

An open house and poster session is scheduled from 2 to 3 p.m. EDT in the Hartsville 

Public Library, 147 W. College Ave. in Hartsville. NRC staff members will be available to 

answer questions and discuss the plant’s performance last year as well as the agency’s oversight 

and inspection. The open house will be followed by a short presentation and a question and 

answer session.

Overall, the NRC staff concluded that the Robinson plant operated safely in 2011 and 

will receive normal detailed baseline oversight and inspection efforts. The most recent inspection 

findings and performance indicators at the plant were “green,” meaning they had very low safety

significance. 

Some issues identified in late 2010 caused the plant to be subject to increased NRC 

oversight for the first three quarters of 2011, but NRC inspections found that the plant had 

effectively corrected those issues and returned to normal oversight. In addition to normal 

oversight activities, the NRC will monitor implementation of new emergency operating 

procedures.

The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess plant 

performance. The colors start with “green,” and escalate to “white,” “yellow” or “red,” based on

the significance of the issues. Inspection findings and performance indicators are updated on the 

NRC’s web site (www.nrc.gov) each quarter. 

“During 2011, our inspectors spent many hours ensuring that the Robinson plant met 

NRC safety requirements and protected both people living near the plant and the environment,” 

NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree said.

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Office of Public Affairs, Region II

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Web Site: www.nrc.gov
NRC inspectors also looked at whether there were immediate safety concerns at 

Robinson and other U.S. plants after the March 2011 events at the Fukushima Daiichi plant in 

Japan. Those reviews found that the plants remained safe.

The annual assessment letter for the Robinson plant is available on the NRC web site at 

www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/rob_2011q4.pdf. 

Routine inspections are carried out by the NRC resident inspectors assigned to the plant 

and by inspection specialists from the Region II office in Atlanta. Among the areas at the 

Robinson plant to be inspected this year by NRC specialists are underground piping and operator 

licensing examinations.

Current performance information for Robinson is available on the NRC web site 

at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/ROB2/rob2_chart.html. 

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