No: I-16-007 March 24, 2016 

Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 

 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331 

NRC to Hold Open House on March 30 in Salem, N.J.,

to Discuss 2015 Performance of Salem, Hope Creek Nuclear Plants

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will conduct a public open house on Wednesday, March 

30, in Salem, N.J., to discuss the agency’s annual review of safety performance at the Salem and Hope 

Creek nuclear power plants.

NRC staff will be at the PSEG Energy & Environmental Resource Center, located at 244 

Chestnut St. in Salem, from 5 - 6:30 p.m. to discuss the plants’ 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 Hancocks Bridge (Salem 

County), N.J., site 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 Salem, a two-reactor facility, and Hope 

Creek, which has a single reactor, operated safely during 2015. As of the end of last year, the PSEGowned and -operated plants had no inspection findings or performance indicators that were greater than 

“green” (very low safety significance). Therefore, the plants are 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 7,480 hours of review at Salem and 

5,775 hours at Hope Creek.

“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 Region I 

Administrator Dan Dorman said. “In the case of Salem and Hope Creek, the plants’ 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 
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the results. Normal inspections are performed by Resident Inspectors assigned to Salem and Hope 

Creek. 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. 

Among the areas to be inspected this year at Salem are emergency preparedness, radiological 

protection and permanent plant modifications, while at Hope Creek reviews will focus on areas that 

include fire protection, licensed operator qualifications and the plant’s corrective action program. In 

addition, the NRC will perform an inspection of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation 

(ISFSI) at Hope Creek.

The Annual Assessment Letter for Salem and Hope Creek, as well as the notice for the March 

30th open house, are available on the NRC website. Current performance information is also available 

for Salem Unit 1 and Unit 2 and Hope Creek.