Information Notice 2011-05, Tohoku-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake Effects on Japanese Nuclear Power Plants
| ML110760432 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/18/2011 |
| From: | Laura Dudes, Mcginty T Division of Construction Inspection and Operational Programs, Division of Policy and Rulemaking |
| To: | |
| Bowman E, NRR/DPR, 415-2963 | |
| References | |
| IN-11-005 | |
| Download: ML110760432 (6) | |
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF NEW REACTORS
OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION
WASHINGTON, DC 20555-0001 March 18, 2011 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE 2011-05: TOHOKU-TAIHEIYOU-OKI EARTHQUAKE
EFFECTS ON JAPANESE NUCLEAR POWER
PLANTS
ADDRESSEES
All holders of or applicants for operating licenses for nuclear power reactors under the provision
of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 50, Domestic Licensing of
Production and Utilization Facilities, except those who have permanently ceased operations
and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel.
All holders of or applicants for a standard design certification, standard design approval, manufacturing license, limited work authorization, early site permits or combined license issued
under 10 CFR Part 52, Licenses, Certifications and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.
PURPOSE
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this information notice (IN) to inform
addressees of effects of the Tohoku-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake on nuclear power plants in
Japan. The NRC expects that recipients will review the information for applicability to their
facilities and consider actions, as appropriate, to avoid similar problems. Suggestions contained
in this IN are not NRC requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response is
required.
DESCRIPTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES
The following summary of events is provided based on the best information available at this
time. The situation in Japan regarding recovery efforts for the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear
Power Station continues to evolve on an hourly basis.
On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku-Taiheiyou-Oki Earthquake occurred near the east coast of
Honshu, Japan. This magnitude 9.0 earthquake and the subsequent tsunami caused significant
damage to at least four of the six units of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station as the
result of a sustained loss of both the offsite and on-site power systems. Efforts to restore power
to emergency equipment have been hampered or impeded by damage to the surrounding areas
due to the tsunami and earthquake.
Units 1 through 3, which had been operating at the time of the earthquake, scrammed
automatically, inserting their neutron absorbing control rods to ensure immediate shutdown of
the fission process. Following the loss of electric power to normal and emergency core cooling
systems and the subsequent failure of back-up decay heat removal systems, water injection into
the cores of all three reactors was compromised, and reactor water levels could not be
maintained. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), the operator of the plant, resorted to
injecting sea water and boric acid into the reactor vessels of these three units, in an effort to
cool the fuel and ensure the reactors remained shutdown. However, the fuel in the reactor
cores became partially uncovered. Hydrogen gas built up in Units 1 and 3 as a result of
exposed, overheated fuel reacting with water. Following gas venting from the primary
containment to relieve pressure, hydrogen explosions occurred in both units and damaged the
secondary containments. It appears that primary containments for Units 1 and 3 remain
functional, but the primary containment for Unit 2 may be damaged. TEPCO cut a hole in the
side of the Unit 2 secondary containment to prevent hydrogen buildup following a sustained
period when there was no water injection into the core.
In addition, Units 3 and 4 have low spent fuel pool (SFP) water levels. Efforts continue to
supply seawater to the SFPs for Units 1 through 4 using various methods. At this time, the
integrity of the SFPs for Units 3 and 4 is unknown.
Fukushima Daiichi Units 4 through 6 were shutdown for refueling outages at the time of the
earthquake. The fuel assemblies for Unit 4 had been offloaded from the reactor core to the SFP.
The SFPs for Units 5 and 6 appear to be intact, but the temperature of the pool water appears
to be increasing. Emergency power is available to provide cooling water flow through the SFPs
for Units 5 and 6.
The Japanese Government ordered an evacuation out to 20 km for the area surrounding
Fukushima Daiichi. Residents out to 30 km were ordered to shelter in place.
The damage to Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station appears to have been caused by
initiating events outside of the design basis for the facilities.
BACKGROUND
10 CFR Part 50, Appendix A, General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants, General
Design Criterion (GDC) 2, Design Bases for Protection against Natural Phenomena, or similar
appropriate requirements in the licensing basis for a reactor facility, requires that structures, systems, and components (SSCs) important to safety be designed to withstand the effects of
natural phenomena such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tsunami, and seiches
without loss of capability to perform their safety functions. The design bases for these SSCs
reflect: (1) appropriate consideration of the most severe of the natural phenomena that have
been historically reported for the site and surrounding area, with sufficient margin for the limited
accuracy, quantity, and period of time in which the historical data have been accumulated, (2)
appropriate combinations of the effects of normal and accident conditions with the effects of the
natural phenomena, and (3) the importance of the safety functions to be performed. As a result of the terrorist events of September 11, 2001, the NRC issued EA-02-026, Order for
Interim Safeguards and Security Compensatory Measures (the ICM Order) dated February 25,
2002. The ICM Order, which is designated as Safeguards Information (SGI), modified then- operating licenses for commercial power reactor facilities to require compliance with specified
interim safeguards and security compensatory measures. Section B.5.b of the ICM Order
requires licensees to adopt mitigation strategies using readily available resources to maintain or
restore core cooling, containment, and SFP cooling capabilities to cope with the loss of large
areas of the facility due to large fires and explosions from any cause, including beyond-design- basis aircraft impacts.
By letter, dated February 25, 2005, the NRC staff provided guidance for implementing Section
B.5.b of the ICM Order. This guidance, designated as SGI, included best practices for
mitigating losses of large areas of the plant and measures to mitigate fuel damage and minimize
releases. Following issuance of the B.5.b Phase 1 Guidance, the NRC staff conducted
inspections at operating reactor sites using Temporary Instruction (TI) 2515/164 (SGI) and
subsequently TI 2515/168 (SGI) to ensure compliance with Section B.5.b of the ICM Order.
In December 2006, the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) issued NEI 06-12, Revision 2, B.5.b
Phase 2 & 3 Submittal Guideline. NEI 06-12 is designated for Official Use Only - Security
Related Information (OUO-SRI). The NRC endorsed NEI 06-12, Revision 2, by letter dated
December 22, 2006, also designated OUO-SRI, as an acceptable means for developing and
implementing the mitigation strategies requirement in Section B.5.b of the ICM Order. NEI 06-
12, Revision 2, provides guidance for implementing a set of strategies intended to maintain or
restore core cooling, containment, and SFP cooling capabilities under the circumstances
associated with the loss of a large area of the plant due to explosions or fire. NEI 06-12 provides guidance in the following areas:
- Adding make-up water to the SFP,
- Spraying water on the spent fuel,
- Enhanced initial command and control activities for challenges to core cooling and
containment, and
- Enhanced response strategies for challenges to core cooling and containment.
The specific strategies covered in NEI 06-12, Revision 2, were developed based on the results
of assessments conducted at currently licensed power reactor facilities for the purpose of
enhancing plant specific mitigation capability for damage conditions caused by a large explosion
or fire. These assessments identified a wide spectrum of potential plant specific strategies.
NEI 06-12, Revision 2, specifies one set of strategies applicable to all pressurized-water
reactors and another set applicable to all boiling-water reactors. Both sets are derived from the
results of the plant specific assessments.
The B.5.b Phase 1 Guidance and NEI 06-12, Revision 2, were used by each licensee in
preparing information submitted to the NRC that describes a plant specific approach to
implementing mitigating strategies and supports each plant specific license condition. The NRC
staff has completed its review of the information submitted by each licensee, as well as information obtained during prior NRC inspections, and has issued an OUO-SRI safety
evaluation (SE) that documents the bases for its approval of the license condition for each
facility. The SE issued for each licensee includes regulatory guidance in Section 3.0 of
Appendix A, Phase 1 Assessment, that recites the generic B.5.b Phase 1 Guidance of
Reference 3, as clarified in TI 2515/168, in a form that is designated OUO-SRI rather than SGI.
By publishing new requirements in the Federal Register dated March 27, 2009 (74 FR 13926),
the NRC amended 10 CFR Part 50, 10 CFR Part 52, Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals
for Nuclear Power Plants, and 10 CFR Part 73, Physical Protection of Plants and Materials.
This rulemaking added paragraph (i) to 10 CFR 50.34, Contents of Applications; Technical
Information, and paragraph (d) to 10 CFR 52.80 Contents of Applications; Additional
Technical Information, to require submittal of a description and plans for implementation of the
guidance and strategies intended to maintain or restore core cooling, containment, and spent
fuel pool cooling capabilities under the circumstances associated with the loss of large areas of
the plant due to explosions or fire as required by § 50.54(hh)(2) of this chapter. This
rulemaking also added 10 CFR 50.54(hh)(2) to impose the same mitigating strategies
requirements on all reactor applicants and licensees as those imposed by the ICM Order and
associated license conditions. The Statement of Considerations for this rulemaking specifically
noted that the requirements in 10 CFR 50.54(hh) are intended to address certain events that are
the cause of large fires and explosions that affect a substantial portion of the nuclear power
plant and are not limited or directly linked to an aircraft impact. In addition, the rule
contemplates that the initiating event for such large fires and explosions could be any number of
beyond-design basis events. Such events include natural phenomena such as those described
in GDC 2 (i.e., earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, tsunami, and seiches), without regard to the
GDC 2 provisions governing the severity of natural phenomena.
NRC regulations at 10 CFR 50.63, Loss of All Alternating Current Power, require that light- water-cooled nuclear power plants be capable of withstanding for a specified duration and
recovering from a station blackout.
DISCUSSION
The nuclear power industry has taken the actions listed below at each licensed reactor site.
Additional information is available in the NEI Fact Sheet, Industry Taking Action to Ensure
Continued Safety at U.S. Nuclear Energy Plants, dated March 16, 2011, available at
www.nei.org.
1. verification of the capability to mitigate conditions that result from severe adverse events, including the loss of significant operational and safety systems due to natural events, fires, aircraft impact and explosions
2. verification of the capability to mitigate a total loss of electric power to a nuclear power
plant
3. verification of the capability to mitigate flooding and the impact of floods on systems
inside and outside the plant 4. identification of the potential for loss of equipment functions during seismic events
appropriate for the site and the development of mitigating strategies to address potential
vulnerabilities
NRC assessment of the implications of beyond design-basis natural phenomena is continuing
as more information becomes available. The NRC staff is currently developing a TI to guide
staff in performing independent assessments of nuclear power plant readiness to address
beyond design-basis natural phenomena under the Reactor Oversight Process. The NRC is
considering additional generic communications and additional action including requesting
operating plants to provide specific information relating to their facilities to enable the NRC staff
to complete a regulatory assessment of beyond design basis phenomena.
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT
This Information Notice does not contain any information collections and, therefore, is not
subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Public Protection Notification
The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request for
information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document displays a
currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.
CONTACT
S
This information notice requires no specific action or written response. Please direct any
questions about this matter to the technical contact listed below or the appropriate Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.
/RA by MShuaibi/ /RA/
Laura A. Dudes, Director Timothy J. McGinty, Director
Division of Construction Inspection, Division of Policy and Rulemaking
and Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Office of New Reactors
Technical Contact:
Eric E. Bowman, NRR
301-415-2963 e-mail: Eric.Bowman@nrc.gov
Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, under Electronic Reading Room/Document Collections. 4. identification of the potential for loss of equipment functions during seismic events
appropriate for the site and the development of mitigating strategies to address potential
vulnerabilities
NRC assessment of the implications of beyond design-basis natural phenomena is continuing
as more information becomes available. The NRC staff is currently developing a TI to guide
staff in performing independent assessments of nuclear power plant readiness to address
beyond design-basis natural phenomena under the Reactor Oversight Process. The NRC is
considering additional generic communications and additional action including requesting
operating plants to provide specific information relating to their facilities to enable the NRC staff
to complete a regulatory assessment of beyond design basis phenomena.
PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT STATEMENT
This Information Notice does not contain any information collections and, therefore, is not
subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
Public Protection Notification
The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a request for
information or an information collection requirement unless the requesting document displays a
currently valid Office of Management and Budget control number.
CONTACT
S
This information notice requires no specific action or written response. Please direct any
questions about this matter to the technical contact listed below or the appropriate Office of
Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.
/RA by MShuaibi/ /RA/
Laura A. Dudes, Director Timothy J. McGinty, Director
Division of Construction Inspection, Division of Policy and Rulemaking
and Operational Programs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Office of New Reactors
Technical Contact:
Eric E. Bowman, NRR
301-415-2963 e-mail: Eric.Bowman@nrc.gov
Note: NRC generic communications may be found on the NRC public Web site, http://www.nrc.gov, under Electronic Reading Room/Document Collections.
ADAMS Accession Number: ML110760432
- by e-mail
OFFICE NRR/DPR/PGCB TECH EDITOR* NRR/DIRS/D* NRR/DE/D* NSIR/DSP*
NAME EBowman KAzariah-Kribbs BWestreich PHiland(GWilson for) RCorreia
DATE 03/17/2011 03/17/2011 03/17/2011 03/17/2011 03/17/2011 OFFICE NRO/DCIP/CAEB* DPR/PGCB/LA DPR/PGCB/BC NRO/DCIP/D NRR/DPR/D
NAME TFrye CHawes SRosenberg LDudes(MShuaibi for) TMcGinty
DATE 03/18/2011 03/17/2011 03/17/2011 03/18/2011 03/18/2011 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY