Southern Nuclear's plants met safety standards in 2014, NRC reports

The Southern Co. announced Friday that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reported the company’s three nuclear plants met all safety standards and had no major issues last year.

The NRC made its determination following informational open houses at the three nuclear plants operated by the company’s subsidiary: Southern Nuclear's Farley plant near Dothan, Alabama; the Hatch operation near Baxley, Georgia; and the Vogtle plant near Waynesboro, Georgia.

"These annual public meetings give us an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to safety and reliability, and to hear from the communities we serve about any issues of interest or concern," Southern Nuclear CEO and President Steve Kuczynski said. "We were pleased to share our performance results and to learn that our plant neighbors have no concerns about our plants."

NRC Region II Administrator Victor McCree said inspectors continually evaluate nuclear plant safety, looking for trends that might influence future inspections.

"Inspection results are available throughout the year, but these annual meetings allow us to talk to local residents and answer any questions they may have,” McCree said.