NRC schedules open house to discuss performance of LaSalle station

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) officials will hold an open house Wednesday to discuss the agency’s assessment of the LaSalle County Station’s 2014 performance.

The open house will be from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Brookfield Township Hall, 2099 E. 27th Road, in Brookfield Township. NRC staff will be at the open house for informal one-on-one discussions about the performance of the LaSalle plant and other topics.

“We host open houses, which are informal meetings between the NRC staff and the public, to have an open dialogue with local residents about the plant and other NRC-related issues of interest to the public,” NRC Region III Administrator Cynthia Pederson said. “It is a great opportunity for people to meet our resident inspectors and other staff; and a great opportunity for us to speak with people who live near the plant.”

Overall, LaSalle Units 1 and 2 operated safely, the NRC said. For the first three quarters of 2014, LaSalle Unit 2 failed to adhere to procedures while working on a condenser, resulting in a complicated reactor scram. As a result, the plant received increased NRC oversight. After a follow-up inspection, Unit 2 resolved the issue and returned to standard NRC oversight.

The NRC’s 2014 assessment letter and current performance information for Unit 1 and Unit 2 is available on the NRC website at NRC.gov.