No: I-16-011 April 15, 2016

Contact: Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

 Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330

NRC to Hold Open House on April 21 to Discuss

2015 Performance of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a public open house on Thursday, April 21,

in Prince Frederick, Md., to discuss the agency’s annual review of safety performance at the Calvert 

Cliffs nuclear power plant.

NRC staff will be at the Springhill Suites Hotel, at 75 Sherry Ln. in Prince Frederick, from 

5-6:30 p.m. to discuss the plant’s performance in 2015 and the agency’s oversight plans for the 

remainder of 2016. On hand will be agency employees responsible for inspections of the plant, 

including the Resident Inspectors based at the Lusby, Md., facility on a full-time basis.

The NRC’s Reactor Oversight Process is the foundational program that enables the agency to 

successfully complete its mission of assessing plant safety. Under that program, the NRC 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.

Based on its 2015 reviews, the NRC determined that Calvert Cliffs operated safely during 2015. 

As of the end of last year, the Exelon-owned and -operated twin-reactor plant had no inspection 

findings or performance indicators that were greater than “green” (very low safety significance). 

Therefore, the plant is currently under the NRC’s normal level of oversight.

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

hours of inspection. In 2015, the agency devoted approximately 6,645 hours of review at Calvert Cliffs.

“Our Annual Assessments allow us to step back at regular intervals and size up plant 

performance. However, we view oversight of each facility as an ongoing responsibility,” NRC Acting 

Region I Administrator David Lew said. “In the case of Calvert Cliffs, the plant’s current performance 

qualifies for our normal level of oversight.”

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 performed by Resident Inspectors assigned to Calvert Cliffs. Each 

plant has two Resident Inspectors. Reviews are also carried out at the sites by specialist inspectors 

assigned to the agency’s Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pa. 
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Among the areas to be inspected this year at Calvert Cliffs are radiological safety, fire 

protection and emergency planning. In addition, the NRC will perform an inspection of the plant’s

Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) and the site’s implementation of NRC postFukushima requirements.

The Annual Assessment letter for Calvert Cliffs, as well as the notice for the April 21, open 

house, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available for Calvert 

Cliffs Unit 1 and Unit 2.