NRC: News Release - Region II - 2006-028 - NRC to Discuss 2005 Performance at Turkey Point Nuclear Plant


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NRC NEWS
U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs, Region II
61 Forsyth Street SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
www.nrc.gov

No. II-06-028		May 2, 2006
CONTACT:	Ken Clark (404) 562-4416 Roger D. Hannah (404) 562-4417	E-mail: opa2@nrc.gov
NRC TO DISCUSS 2005 PERFORMANCE AT TURKEY POINT NUCLEAR PLANT Printable Version
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is scheduled to meet with Florida Power & Light Company officials on Wednesday, May 17, to discuss the agency’s assessment of safety performance last year at the Turkey Point nuclear power plant, located south of Miami near Homestead, Fla. The meeting, which is open to the public, is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers in Homestead’s City Hall. The NRC staff will present the results of the assessment and be available to respond to questions or comments from the public before the close of the meeting. "The NRC continually reviews the performance of the Turkey Point plant and the nation’s other commercial nuclear power facilities," NRC Region II Administrator William Travers said. "This meeting is a chance for us to discuss that safety performance with the company, with local officials and with people living near the plant." A March 2nd letter from the NRC Region II Office to plant officials addresses the performance of the plant during the period and will serve as the basis for the meeting discussion. It is available on the NRC web site at www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/LETTERS/tp_2005q4.pdf . The NRC uses color-coded inspection findings and performance indicators to assess nuclear plant performance. The colors start with "green" and then increase to "white," "yellow" or "red," depending on the safety significance of the issues involved. The Turkey Point plant operated safely during 2005, but Unit 4 crossed the threshold from "green" to "white" for the Unplanned Scrams per 7000 Critical Hours performance indicator in last year’s 3rd quarter. A supplemental inspection in December 2005 identified one "green" finding, meaning it was of very low safety significance. In addition, both units had a "white" performance indicator for Heat Removal System Unavailability in the 4th quarter of 2005. A preliminary "white" finding involving an auxiliary feedwater pump is also still under review and the NRC will conduct a supplemental inspection on that issue sometime this year. With the exception of that supplemental inspection, the NRC plans to conduct routine baseline inspections at the plant for the rest of 2006. In addition, the NRC staff will conduct an inspection of containment sump blockage that is part of a generic inspection across plants. Routine inspections are performed by NRC Resident Inspectors assigned to the plant and by specialists from the Region II Office in Atlanta, and the agency’s headquarters in Rockville, Md. Current information for the Turkey Point plant is available on the NRC web site at: www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/TP1/tp1_chart.html and www.nrc.gov/NRR/OVERSIGHT/ASSESS/TP2/tp2_chart.html.