Millstone Power Station in Waterford is an integral part of the local, state, and regional economy. According to a 2011 economic study, Millstone is responsible for $1.2 billion in economic benefit to the state. We employ more than 1,400 people in the production of 2,100 megawatts of carbon-free electricity. Depending on electrical demand, Millstone produces half of Connecticut's total electric needs.

Millstone is of paramount importance for Connecticut and Dominion and as such, we invest appropriately to maintain and improve it.

The Millstone nuclear units that are operating today are not the same reactors that began commercial operation in the 1970s and '80s. Since Dominion purchased Millstone from Northeast Utilities in 2001, we have invested more than $700 million in upgrades for safety, environmental protection, and efficiency. Among them, we have installed equipment that reduces our water intake from Long Island Sound. These investments underscore our commitment to safety and protecting the environment near Millstone.

That commitment is especially important to the men and women who work at Millstone. The majority of our employees and their families live close to the station. Like you, they enjoy living in this area and want to enjoy it for years to come.

During refueling outages at both Millstone units this year, Dominion hired nearly 2,000 contractors to assist our existing staff with replacing one-third of the nuclear fuel with new fuel, and inspecting, testing, performing preventive maintenance, and modifying systems that support safe operation. Because the reactor is shut down, we have the ability to look at systems that we can't access when the plant is operating, and if we identify a deficiency in the course of inspecting these systems, we promptly take actions to address it.

During the recently completed Unit 3 refueling outage, we conducted a host of work and maintenance activities to ensure that the unit is in top condition and will continue to operate safely and reliably 24/7 over the next 18-month cycle. In addition, we completed installing all of the safety-related equipment required to respond to any event that could exceed the station's design. This equipment, housed in a steel reinforced concrete dome that is designed to withstand earthquakes and winds exceeding 300 miles an hour, gives us an additional layer of defense in depth beyond the multiple layers of safety systems we have always had available to us.

One question that I am asked by friends and neighbors is, "Are we at risk of radiation exposure from Millstone?" The answer is "no."

Radiation is all around us all of the time from the natural environment. The average person has no way to quantify how much natural radiation they are exposed to at any given time. Any exposure from the operation of Millstone is a very small fraction of what people receive from the natural environment. Here at Millstone, we have dedicated health physicists who understand radiation and are trained in monitoring it and ensuring it stays where it belongs. An integrated system to protect our workers and plant neighbors includes more than 100 radiation monitors located at the site.

In addition, two independent regulators - the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection - provide daily oversight to ensure that Millstone is operating safely. Also, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a nationwide network of radiation monitors that can detect levels of radiation before they pose any public threat.

At Dominion, our priority is the safety of those who work at Millstone and those who live nearby. This is our commitment and we stand by it every day.

To learn more about radiation visit resources such as www.nrc.gov, www.nei.org, and www.radiationanswers.org.

Steve Scace is the site vice president at Millstone Power Station. A nuclear engineer, he has worked in the industry for more than 40 years.