Not everyone is convinced the people who run the Nuclear Regulatory Commission have learned from the federal agency's mistakes that contributed to the unprecedented boric acid corrosion at FirstEnergy's Davis-Besse nuclear power plant.

Those critics plan to make their feelings known at 7 tonight during a hearing at Oak Harbor High School designed to let the public question NRC representatives about lessons the agency learned. Davis-Besse is in Oak Harbor, along the Lake Erie shore about 25 miles east of Toledo.

An NRC-created task force in October released a report in which the agency acknowledged mistakes, including lax oversight, at Davis-Besse. The plant has been shut down since the March discovery of boric acid corrosion on the reactor vessel head, a crucial safety device. The NRC report followed FirstEnergy's self-analysis that said the Akron utility put production above safety at the plant. The damage could cost First-Energy more than $300 million for repairs, maintenance and replacement power.

The NRC report said the agency failed to properly inspect the power plant, a mistake that allowed the leaking boric acid to eat two holes into the massive steel head that covers the radioactive fuel core.

Nuclear power opponent Paul Gunter, who heads the Reactor Watchdog Project for the Washington-based Nuclear Information & Resource Service, said the task force also failed at something fundamental: contacting groups such as his for added input and insight. The NRC task force report shows the agency's bias toward the nuclear power industry, he said.

``It stands to reason they would have contacted us and other groups. But they never bothered,'' Gunter said. He plans to attend tonight's hearing.

Gunter said his organization this year has released thousands of pages of documents relating to Davis-Besse obtained through several Freedom of Information inquiries.

Amy Ryder, Cleveland director for Ohio Citizen Action, said that in recent months people have made valid criticisms of the NRC ``and they seem to have fallen on deaf ears.''

While one of FirstEnergy's responses to the Davis-Besse damage was to change the plant's management, the NRC hasn't done anything similar within its own ranks, Ryder said.

``I think the NRC could learn from Davis-Besse in that respect,'' she said.

The NRC will not present any new information at tonight's hearing, said NRC spokesman Jan Strasma. The task force's full report is available for reading at http://www.nrc.gov/, under the Davis-Besse section.

NRC managers reviewing the task force's 50-plus recommendations will use the report and comments from tonight's meeting to make changes to improve how the agency does its work, Strasma said.

FirstEnergy has replaced the damaged vessel head and says it hopes to be able to restart the plant in early 2003. The NRC has final say on when the plant will be allowed to make electricity again.

Jim Mackinnon can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com