SENECA — Federal nuclear officials are cool with Duke Energy’s operations at Oconee Nuclear Station.

At a Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) meeting Thursday morning at the State Route 130 facility, officials said Duke preserved public safety and health while operating Oconee Nuclear in 2007 and met all cornerstone objectives in the most recent assessment cycle.

NRC officials inspect stations nationwide annually to ensure environmental protection by making sure stations securely use radioactive materials. Agents inspect stations for equipment alignment, operator response, worker radiation protection and emergency preparedness, among other factors. Oconee Nuclear Station received 2,400 hours of direct inspection in 2007.

Duke operations were code green by the end of 2007. Green is the best rating out of four color codes a station can receive, with white, yellow and red — the worst rating — being the other three. During 2007 Duke corrected code white operations scored by the NRC in 2006.

A “white” citation regarding the emergency air conditioning power system in all three Oconee units was addressed by the third quarter of 2007. By the fourth quarter, “white” concerns about the risk associated with a standby shutdown facility flood barrier breach were also rendered green by fourth quarter, as was a failure in unit three to maintain foreign material exclusion.

Of the 104 units inspected nationwide in 2007, 87 were graded “licensee response,” which means those stations will avoid increased regulatory actions and NRC involvement.

All three Oconee units made that class. No stations received the lowest ranking, “unacceptable,” though one made the “multiple/repetitive degraded cornerstone” mark. Palo Verde Nuclear station in Wintersburg, Ariz. became the most monitored nuclear power plant in the United States last year.

Oconee Nuclear Station Vice President David Baxter said he welcomes NRC oversight.

“Duke Energy remains committed to the safe, reliable and efficient operations of Oconee Nuclear site,” he said at the Thursday meeting. “Nuclear safety as it encompasses the protection of the health and safety of the public is our utmost priority.”