NRC STAFF TO MEET WITH PROGRESS ENERGY/CP&L; TO DISCUSS
FIRE PROTECTION ISSUES AT HARRIS NUCLEAR PLANT

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff will hold both a regulatory conference and a pre-decisional enforcement conference with officials of Progress Energy/CP&L;, operator of the Harris nuclear power plant near Raleigh, on Thursday, January 31. The discussion will focus on the fire separation barrier between two rooms housing electrical equipment at the Harris plant.

The regulatory conference, which is open to public observation, will begin at 1:00 p.m. in the NRC Region II offices located on the 24th floor at 61 Forsyth Street in Atlanta, Georgia. The enforcement conference, also open to public observation, will begin at 3:00 p.m. in the same location. NRC officials will be available after both meetings to answer any questions.

At the regulatory conference, the NRC staff will discuss with Progress Energy/CP&L; an inspection finding with a preliminary determination of "white," indicating low to moderate safety significance. The inspection finding involves a barrier between two rooms housing electrical equipment not having the required three-hour fire resistance rating.

Using the agency's significance determination process, NRC officials classify certain conditions at nuclear power plants as being one of four colors which delineate increasing levels of safety significance, beginning with green and progressing to white, yellow or red.

An apparent violation, involving changes made to the plant's fire protection program without prior NRC approval will be discussed at the enforcement conference and is being considered for enforcement action. No decision on the violation, any enforcement action, or the final significance determination of the inspection finding will be made at the conferences. Those decisions will be made later by NRC officials.

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Last revised Wednesday, June 25, 2003