No. I-16-018 May 31, 2016 

Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 

 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 

NRC to Hold Public Meeting on June 8 in Tarrytown, N.Y.,

Regarding Performance of Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will share information on its annual assessment of safety 

performance at the Indian Point nuclear power plant during a public meeting on Wednesday, June 8, in 

Tarrytown. N.Y.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom at the DoubleTree by Hilton 

Hotel Tarrytown, at 455 South Broadway. (Directions to the hotel are available here.) During the 

meeting, NRC staff will answer questions regarding the plant’s performance and the agency’s oversight 

activities at the Buchanan (Westchester County), N.Y., plant, which is owned by Entergy Nuclear 

Operations Inc. In addition, the staff will be prepared to address more recent issues, including 

degradation identified in a portion of the Indian Point 2 baffle-former bolts.

Determinations on performance are based on a combination of inspection findings and 

performance indicators utilized by the NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process, the foundational program 

used by the agency to complete its mission of assessing plant safety. The findings and indicators are 

classified by color, ranging from “green,” for an issue of very low safety or security significance, to 

“white,” “yellow” or “red,” representing high safety or security significance.

Indian Point Units 2 and 3 operated safely during 2015. Unit 2 was under the normal level of 

NRC oversight as of the end of last year by virtue of having no inspection findings that were “greater 

than green” and no performance indicators that were other than “green.” However, Unit 3 transitioned 

to increased NRC oversight during the fourth quarter of 2015 after its Performance Indicator for 

Unplanned Scrams (shutdowns) per 7,000 Hours of Operation went from “green” to “white.” That 

change occurs if a plant has more than three unplanned shutdowns for 7,000 hours of operation.

The NRC will perform a Supplemental Inspection at Indian Point Unit 3 focused on ensuring 

the company understands the root causes of the shutdowns, whether the issues could affect other areas 

of plant performance and any corrective actions. That will take place once Entergy notifies the NRC of 

its readiness for the review.

In 2015, the NRC performed approximately 10,150 hours of inspection at Indian Point. “While 

Indian Point Unit 2 will receive our standard, wide-ranging battery of inspections, Unit 3 will be the 

subject of additional scrutiny because of the number of unplanned shutdowns,” NRC Region I Deputy 
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Administrator David Lew said. “Our expectation is that Entergy will develop a full understanding of, 

and address, any underlying problems.”

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 on a quarterly basis 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. Normal inspections are carried out by the three Resident Inspectors assigned to Indian 

Point. Reviews are also performed 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 Indian Point are emergency preparedness, fire 

protection and radiological safety.

The Annual Assessment letter for Indian Point, as well as the notice for the June 8th meeting, are 

available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Unit 2 and Unit 3.