The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled a meeting for April 3 to discuss the agency’s assessment of the Watts Bar nuclear power plant’s Unit 1 during 2013. The plant, operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, is located near Spring City, Tenn., about 60 miles southwest of Knoxville.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Quality Inn, Exit 60 off I-75 in Sweetwater.
NRC staff members will make a brief presentation and be available to answer questions on the performance of the Watts Bar plant’s Unit 1, as well as the overall NRC role in ensuring safe plant operations.
Watts Bar Unit 2, which is still under construction, will be the subject of a later NRC meeting. Details of that meeting will be announced next week.
A letter sent from the NRC Region II office to plant officials addresses the performance of Watts Bar Unit 1 during 2013 and will serve as the basis for the discussion.
During the latter part of 2013, Watts Bar Unit 1 was subject to increased NRC oversight and inspection but NRC inspections found that TVA had appropriately addressed the issues resulting in that increased oversight. The plant will receive the NRC’s normal detailed inspections in 2014.
“Our resident and region-based inspectors spend many hours monitoring plant activities to ensure that the plant operates safely,” said NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree. “We hold these meetings every year to make our staff available to people who live close to the plant and answer questions about our oversight.”
Current performance information for Watts Bar Unit 1 is available on the NRC website.