NRC’s 2015 report card for Oconee Nuclear

The government’s watchdog agency for nuclear power has finished its annual review of Oconee.  And, for the year 2015, the review translates to a good report for the licensee of Oconee Nuclear—Duke Energy.  Mark Franke, Director of the NRC Division of Reactor Projects, says that in 2015, Oconee Units 1, 2, and 3 “operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives.”  In a letter to Duke’s Scott Batson at Oconee Nuclear, Franke said his agency determined that all inspection findings for Units 1, 2, and 3 performed during the most recent quarter were all within “very low (i.e., green) safety significance.”  The annual review also addressed the progress Duke Energy is making good progress in changes toward preventing the potential that a Fukushima, Japan accident of 2011 could not be repeated here.  NRC spokesman Joey Ledford said good enough progress that Duke Energy could attain compliance by the fall of this year.