NRC Staff Issues Letters to Commonwealth Edison Co. on Actions to Be Taken Prior to Startup of Zion and LaSalle Nuclear Plants

---

 

	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, REGION III 801 Warrenville Road, Lisle IL 60532
	CONTACT:	Jan Strasma (630) 829-9663/e-mail: rjs2@nrc.gov
		Angela Dauginas (630) 829-9662/e-mail: opa3@nrc.gov

---

NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT: RIII-97-39

April 17, 1997

CONTACT:

Jan Strasma 630/829-9663

Angela Dauginas 630/829-9662

NRC STAFF ISSUES LETTERS TO COMMONWEALTH EDISON CO. ON ACTIONS
TO BE TAKEN PRIOR TO STARTUP OF ZION AND LASALLE NUCLEAR PLANTS

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has issued Confirmatory Action Letters to Commonwealth Edison Company on the utility's commitments to submit its plans to address performance deficiencies at the LaSalle and Zion Nuclear Power Stations and to meet with the NRC staff prior to resuming operations of the two plants.

The two-unit LaSalle Station is near Seneca, Illinois, and the two-unit Zion Station is at Zion, Illinois.

The letters document the utility's agreement to:

1. Develop plans to address corrective actions for the various performance deficiencies at Zion and LaSalle and submit the plans to the NRC. The plans will include the utility's criteria for assessing the effectiveness of the corrective actions.

2. Keep the NRC staff informed to the projected startup dates for the two plants.

3. Meet with the NRC periodically to discuss the status of the corrective action plans.

4. Meet with the NRC following the completion of the evaluation and training programs for reactor operators at the two plants to discuss the results of the training activities.

5. Meet with the NRC to discuss the readiness of the initial unit at each site to resume operations once the utility has determined that the unit is ready for restart.

The meetings between the NRC staff and the utility will be open to public observation.

The LaSalle units have been shut down since last September. Unit 2 was shut down for refueling, and Unit 1 shut down for mainteance.

Zion Unit 2 was also shut down for refueling in September of last year. Unit 1 was shut down February 21 because of an inoperable safety system pump.

The two plants were put on the NRC's "Watch List" in January because of declining performance.

Copies of the two Confirmatory Action letters are available from the Region III Office of Public Affairs and on the NRC's internet web site.