NRC to review 2023 Davis-Besse operations

Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will discuss the 2023 safety performance of the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant during an in-person open house meeting Thursday.

The open house will be held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center, 14000 West Ohio 2, in Oak Harbor. Members of the public will be able to speak directly with agency staff.

The plant, in Oak Harbor, is operated by Vistra Operations Co.

More: Drop in public utility value of Davis-Besse means revenue loss for Ottawa County entities

NRC staff to discuss 2023 plant performance

The NRC will discuss its assessment of the plant’s 2023 performance. Staff responsible for plant inspection and oversight, including the resident inspectors based at the site, will be available to address regulatory or technical questions and concerns.

The NRC determined Davis-Besse operated safely during 2023. The plant was under increased NRC oversight for the first two quarters of the year due to a greater-than-green security finding. The NRC conducted a follow-up inspection and concluded the plant appropriately addressed the issue. As a result, the plant returned to the normal level of NRC oversight after the end of the second quarter.

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, based on the safety significance of the issues involved. Inspection findings or performance indicators with more than a very low safety significance trigger an increase of NRC oversight.

Plant has two resident NRC inspectors

Plant inspections are performed by two NRC resident inspectors and inspection specialists from the agency’s Region III Office in Lisle, Illinois. The annual assessment letter for Davis-Besse is available on the NRC website . Current performance information is also available on the NRC website and is updated on a quarterly basis.

This article originally appeared on Port Clinton News Herald: NRC to review 2023 Davis-Besse operations