ML071640020
| ML071640020 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Calvert Cliffs  |
| Issue date: | 05/31/2007 |
| From: | Constellation Energy Group |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Kimberly Sargent, OCA, 301-415-1776 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML071640019 | List: |
| References | |
| CORR-07-0093 | |
| Download: ML071640020 (2) | |
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Other national organizations hold Constellation Energy in highregard for the commitment to safe, secure operations demon-strated at Calvert Cliffs. The National Safety Council has honored Calvert Cliffs with the organizations Industry Leader Award forsafety performance and the Green Cross for Safety Excellence.
The company also earned the Nuclear Energy InstitutesT op Industry Practice A war dfor developing at Calvert Cliffs anintegrated risk management program that increases plant safety and plant production. In 2007, Calvert Cliffs became the rst plant in the Constellation eet to apply for OSHAs Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) STAR level of performance. OSHAs VPP STAR designation is reserved for work places that have implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system and demonstrated safety performance above industry average.
Operating safely begins with a safe designBeing honored among industrial and nuclear facilities comesfrom Calvert Cliffs design and Constellation Energyscommitment to operating securely and safely. The team continually maintains and improves the plants redundant safety systems based on the best practices in the energy industry. The plants redundant safety systems protect nuclear fuel. While in use, nuclear fuel is protected by a ceramic case, called a pellet. Pellets sit in fuel rods and are contained in abuilding with thick concrete walls. Once spent, fuel is storedunder cool water within a concrete structure for a decade.Radioactivity drops signicantly during this decade. Then the
spent fuel moves to a secur e concrete structure on site awaiting anational spent-fuel storage site to open at Yucca Mountain,Nevada. At Yucca, the spent fuel will remain secur e as it losesthe remaining radioactivity.Calvert Cliffs: Safe and Secure by DesignAlmost 30 years ago, Constellation Energy then Baltimore Gas & Electric began a tradition of excellence at Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. Year after year, Constellation Energy has continued that tradition, earning national recognition by the
Institute for Nuclear Power Operations for maintaining operational excellence at Calvert Cliffs. In doing so, Constellation Energycontinues to prove that high levels of safety, reliability and efciency go hand in hand.
May 2007After terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001, experts studied nuclear power plant security with added scrutiny
.In2002, the Center for Strategic and International Studies foundthat nuclear power plants were the best defended among possible terrorism targets. Later in 2002, the Nuclear Energy Institute and the U.S. Department of Energy partnered with international experts from the Electric Power Research Instituteto study nuclear power plant security. This scientic study found
that containment buildings at U.S. nuclear power plants would protect against a radiation release if struck by a large commercial jetliner loaded with jet fuel. Mor e information on these studiescan be found at www.nei.org.
In 2006, the Department of Homeland Security announced the nuclear portion of its National Infrastructur e ProtectionPlan (NIPP) at Calvert Cliffs. The site served as a pilot plant for this program and provided the foundation for the ongoingdevelopment of the nuclear sectors portion of the NIPP.
Media Corporate Communications 1-888-232-1919 constellation.com T he Institute of Nuclear Power Operationsaccredits training
programs. First-line supervisors take ownership of training, helping employees enhance skills.Training bolsters a safety-conscious cultureConstellation Energys Calvert Cliffs team has been recognized as an industry leader in training. For every employee, training begins on the rst day at work and never ends.
Everyone participates in annual training on safe work practices.Additional training is required for employees who have access to plant areas where nuclear systems are located. The operationsstaff works on a rotating shift, so that every fth week is a training week, spent requalifying on fundamental and advanced
job skills and studying the latest technology and techniques forsafe, reliable, efcient operations.Training ranges from computer-based, self-study courses to aformal, 18-month classroom program approved by the NationalAcademy of Nuclear Training, with additional testing by theNuclear Regulatory Commission. All training programs are formally evaluated and accredited by the National Nuclear
Accrediting Board on a set frequency.Federal oversight reinforces safe operations In addition to testing nuclear plant operators, the U.S. NuclearRegulatory Commission (NRC) regulates and oversees all operations at Calvert Cliffs and all other nuclear power plants.
NRC inspectors work on site daily
.Additional inspectors r eviewoperations on a regular basis, totaling thousands of hours offederal oversight a year.Although an emergency at Calvert Cliffs is unlikely, the plantmust have a federally approved emergency plan, which the NRC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency test each year.The Calvert Cliffs team works constantly with federal, state andlocal emergency management agencies as part of this plan.Every year these partners conduct intense emergency management training drills. Every two years the NRC grades these exercises, and every six years the graded drill includes agencies within a 50-mile radius of Calvert Cliffs.At Calvert Cliffs, redundant safety systems, a safe design, and well-trained personnel r eect Constellation Energyscommitment to generating reliable, efcient energy safely in todaysenvironment. Safety is our top priority.