The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is holding a public meeting Feb. 10 to discuss with the public, the nuclear power industry and other interested stakeholders proposed enhancements to the agency's force-on-force inspection program.

Force-on-force inspections test a nuclear power plant's ability to defend against adversaries and they are conducted at each plant every three years. A series of table-top drills and other assessments precede the three days of mock commando-style attacks against the facility. In the event the facility's security force fails to protect key equipment, the NRC requires that deficiencies in the protective strategy be promptly reviewed and corrected.

NRC staff is currently reviewing options for enhancing these inspections, including enhancing the way some of the objectives are assessed. At the meeting, the staff is seeking public input into these potential enhancements as well as taking questions and providing as much detail as possible without compromising plant security.

The meeting will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Marriott North Bethesda, 5701 Marinelli Road, Rockville, Md. It can also be accessed remotely via the Internet and a toll-free teleconference number. The full meeting notice is located here: http://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/public-meetings/index.cfm?fuseaction=Search.Detail&MC=20100055&NS=0&CFID=351590&CFTOKEN=63677918.