NRC to hold public meeting on Davis Besse annual safety assessment
OAK HARBOR - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will discuss the agency’s annual safety performance assessment of the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant during a hybrid public meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 17. The single-unit plant, located in Oak Harbor, Ohio, is operated by Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp.
The meeting will be held at 5 p.m., Eastern time, at the Oak Harbor Public Library, 147 W. Main St., in Oak Harbor. NRC staff responsible for plant inspection and oversight, including the resident inspectors based full-time at the site, will make a presentation and then answer questions from the public. Members of the public are welcome to attend in person or virtually using the following webinar link.
Davis Besse remains under increased NRC oversight since late 2021
The NRC determined that Davis-Besse operated safely during 2022. NRC inspectors identified a greater than green finding in the area of security in 2021, which the licensee continues to address. As a result, Davis- Besse remains under increased NRC oversight as of the third quarter of 2021.
Last year, Energy Harbor notified the NRC that the plant was ready for a followup inspection on the security issue. After conducting an entrance meeting, the NRC inspection team determined that it could not complete its objectives per the inspection procedures and suspended the inspection. The NRC plans to resume the followup inspection when the company notifies the NRC of its readiness.
The NRC Reactor Oversight Process uses color-coded inspection findings and indicators to measure plant performance. The colors start at green and increase to white, yellow or red, commensurate with the safety significance of the issues involved. Inspection findings or performance indicators with more than very low safety significance trigger increased NRC oversight.
Inspections are performed by two NRC resident inspectors assigned to each plant and specialist inspectors from the Region III Office in Lisle, Illinois.
The annual assessment letters for Davis-Besse and the meeting notice are available on the NRC website. Current performance information for the plant is also available and is updated on a quarterly basis.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: NRC to hold public meeting on Davis Besse annual safety assessment
