NRC review of James Fitzpatrick nuclear plant assessment scheduled for April 23

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is hosting an open house on April 23 in Oswego, New York, to review the safety performance of Energy Nuclear Northeast’s James Fitzpatrick nuclear power plant.

The company operates the single-unit plant in Scriba, New York, east of Oswego. The open house is scheduled from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Town of Scriba Municipal Building, located at 42 Creamery Road, Oswego. NRC staff will be available to talk about the plant’s 2014 performance and the agency’s oversight of the facility.

The plant operated safely in 2014, although it was under additional oversight at the end of the year due to a low-to-moderate safety issue caused by a condenser tube leak. The tubes were replaced in the fall, and the NRC said the work should prevent any further leakage.

The plant has been scrutinized more closely because of the problem, according to the NRC.

“Our inspections have confirmed that the replacement of the condenser last year should halt those problems, but the next step will be for the performance indicator to return to ‘green’ before the normal level of oversight resumes,” NRC Region 1 Administrator Dan Dorman said.

The NRC’s annual assessment letter and the most current performance information for the plant are available on the agency’s website, www.nrc.gov. Information about the open house is also on the site.