Perry Power Plant, NRC address public at meeting
Perry Nuclear Power Plant falls in the top category for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's annual safety inspections, but that does not mean the NRC has no gripes.
(Left Picture: Mark Bezilla, vice president of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant speaks at a meeting with the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Wednesday in Perry Township. Also shown is Kurt Krueger, director of site operations at the plant. Right Picture: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region III Branch Chief Jamnes Cameron speaks Wednesday at a meeting with representatives of the Perry Nuclear Power Plant. Maribeth Joeright/MJoeright@News-Herald.com )
Officials from the NRC and the power plant had a public meeting Wednesday evening to discuss the findings from the NRC's annual performance review.
The NRC went into the meeting concerned about the plant's cross-cutting issues, which are issues that, according to the NRC, cut across multiple areas of plant operation.
While they might not directly pose any danger to the plant or the public, they are still of concern to NRC officials.
At Wednesday's meeting at the Perry Township Community Building, NRC Region III Branch Chief Jamnes Cameron explained that the problems have been a recurring theme at the plant.
"This was the fifth consecutive assessment period that we have identified a substandard cross-cutting issue in human performance," Cameron said.
The NRC review found the biggest concerns about the plant were in the fields of work planning, practices and oversight.
Perry plant officials have attempted to remedy the situation in a number of ways. Daily e-mails, informational meetings and rewards for spotting potential problems have all been developed in an attempt to keep workers more informed.
Plant officials also pointed to a May independent safety culture report to highlight positive steps being taken to improve human performance problems at the plant. One finding from that study is that personnel are willing to work to improve safety at the plant.
Plant Vice President Mark Bezilla said getting employees to buy into the idea of plant safety is the key to putting the NRC's concerns to bed.
"I believe we are capturing the hearts of the workers, and that is where the success will come from," Bezilla said.
Dan Schmidt, who works instruments and controls at the plant, was the lone speaker during the public portion of the meeting.
He agreed with Bezilla.
"You're worried about the guy you're working with, and my job is not to let him down. I don't want to see anything that he's not seeing. He can cover me, I can cover him. That's the difference with what we're doing now," Schmidt said.
NRC Deputy Director Gary Shear said he thinks the Perry plant has taken positive steps, but he will be interested to see if those steps result in measurable improvements.
"To use a cliché, the proof is in the pudding. It's the implementation and the outcomes. That's what we'll be focusing on moving forward," Shear said.
