NRC Staff Identifies Nuclear Power Plants Warranting Increased Regulatory Attention

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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
	Office of Public Affairs	Telephone: 301/415-8200
	Washington, DC 20555-001	E-mail: opa@nrc.gov

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No. 98-14

January 21, 1998

NRC STAFF IDENTIFIES NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
WARRANTING INCREASED REGULATORY ATTENTION

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff advised the Commission today that it has identified 13 nuclear power plants that warrant increased NRC regulatory attention.

These plants were placed on the NRC watch list earlier this month at a meeting during which senior NRC managers conducted their semi-annual review of the performance of operating nuclear power plants and fuel cycle facilities.

One plant was added to the list: Clinton, operated by the Illinois Power Co., six miles east of Clinton, Il.

One plant was removed: the Maine Yankee plant, operated by Maine Yankee Atomic Power Co., near Bath, Maine. It had been on the watch list since January 1997, and is being removed from the watch list because of Maine Yankee's decision to permanently shut down.

Other plants which remain on the list are:

Crystal River Unit 3, operated by Florida Power Corp. near Crystal River, Florida (listed in January 1997);

Millstone Units 1, 2 and 3, operated by Northeast Utilities Service Co. at Waterford, Connecticut (listed in January 1996);

Salem Units 1 and 2, operated by Public Service Electric and Gas Co. near Salem, New Jersey (listed in January 1997); and

Dresden Units 2 and 3, operated by Commonwealth Edison Co. near Morris, Illinois (first listed in June 1987, removed in December 1988, and added again in January 1992). Although Dresden demonstrated performance that would warrant removal from the watch list, the continued evidence of cyclical performance throughout the Commonwealth Edison sites, as noted for Quad Cities, raised questions concerning the company's ability to maintain Dresden's performance while improving operations at its other sites.

LaSalle Units 1 and 2, operated by Commonwealth Edison near Ottawa, Illinois (listed in January 1997);

Zion Units 1 and 2, operated by Commonwealth Edison 40 miles north of Chicago (first listed in January 1991, removed in January 1993, and relisted in January 1997). In a letter to Commonwealth Edison, L. Joseph Callan, NRC's Executive Director for Operations, noted that the company's announcement that Zion would be permanently shut down occurred subsequent to the NRC's senior management meeting. Plants that are permanently shut down are normally removed from the watch list as an administrative action at the next senior management meeting.

The staff also informed the Commission that it has identified a trend of declining performance at Quad Cities, operated by Commonwealth Edison Co., near Moline, Illinois, and has so informed its management in letters sent this week.

The NRC staff also sent a letter to Wisconsin Electric Power Co., noting operations are improving at the Point Beach plant, near Manitowac, Wisconsin. Point Beach had received a letter indicating a declining performance trend in January 1997.

EDITORS: Texts of letters to utilities with plants on the watch list or which have been removed from the list will be available on the NRC's Internet home page at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA.