The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has scheduled two meetings for April 9 to discuss construction inspection and oversight of Watts Bar Unit 2, which is being built near Spring City, Tenn., about 60 miles southwest of Knoxville.
The plant is being built by TVA, which also operates Unit 1 at the site.
The first session will begin at 4 p.m. in the meeting room of the Comfort Inn, 2811 Decatur Pike, Athens, adjacent to Interstate 75. At that meeting, the NRC staff will discuss the agency’s assessment of the construction of the new units during 2013. At a second session beginning at 5:30 p.m., TVA will discuss the status of the project, including major milestones and potential challenges that may impact the construction schedule and the NRC staff will discuss the status of construction inspections and licensing efforts for Unit 2.
“Our inspectors spend many hours monitoring construction activities to ensure that the plant is built in accordance with NRC regulations and its certified design,” said NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree. “We hold these meetings to make our staff available to people who live close to the site and answer questions about our oversight of the construction.”
A letter sent from the NRC to plant officials addresses construction oversight. The NRC staff found that the units were being constructed in a manner that protected public health and safety and met all regulatory objectives. The NRC has three construction resident inspectors at the Watts Bar site.
The NRC website has additional information on the NRC construction reactor oversight process.