Regulatory Guide 1.163

(Draft Was DG-1037) Performance-Based Containment Leak-Test Program

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Issue date:	09/30/1995
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DG-1037 DG-1037, RG-1.163
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION September 1995 REGULATORY GUIDE

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH

REGULATORY GUIDE 1.163 (Draft was DG-1 037)

PERFORMANCE-BASED CONTAINMENT LEAK-TEST PROGRAM

B. DISCUSSION

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has The Commission has stated that future regulatory amended its regulations (60 FR 49495) to provide a initiatives should use a performance-oriented and risk performance-based option, Option B, for leakage-rate based regulatory approach in which safety standards testing of containments of fight-water-cooled nuclear are established based upon risk, regulatory require power plants. Licensees may voluntarily comply with ments are expressed in terms of meeting a perform this Option B as an alternative to compliance with the ance standard, and regulated entities are provided current requirements in Appendix J, "Primary Reactor flexibility to adopt cost-effective methods for comply Containment Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Pow ing with the performance-based safety standard. See er Reactors," to 10 CFR Part 50, "Domestic Licensing Staff Requirements Memorandum dated May 18, of Production and Utilization Facilities." The amend 1994, on SECY-94-090, "Institutionalization of Con ment is aimed at improving the focus of the body of tinuing Program for Regulatory Improvement." 1 In regulations by eliminating prescriptive requirements accordance with the policy that regulated entities that are marginal to safety and by providing licensees should be allowed flexibility to adopt cost-effective greater flexibility for cost-effective implementation methods for complying with regulatory requirements, methods for regulatory safety objectives. This regulato detailed technical methods for compliance with the ry guide provides guidance on an acceptable perfor performance standard would not be incorporated into mance-based leak-test program, leakage-rate test the regulatory requirement. Instead, the detailed methods, procedures, and analyses that may be used methods would be described either in NRC regulatory to comply with the performance-based Option B in Ap guides or in industry standards and guidance docu pendix J to 10 CFR Part 50. ments that are reviewed and approved by the NRC

The information collections contained in this regu latory guide are covered by the requirements in lCopies are available for inspection or copying for a fee from the NRC Public Document Room at 2120 L Street NW.,

Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, which have been ap Washington, DC; the PDR's mailing address Is Mall Stop proved by the Office of Management and Budget LL-6, Washington, DC 20555; telephone (202)634-3273;

Approval number 3150-0011. fax (202)634-3343.

USNRC REGULATORY GUIDES Written comments may be submitted to the Rules Review and Directives Branch, DFIPS, ADM, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washing Regulatory Guides are Issued to describe and make available to the public ton, DC 20555-0001.

such information as methods acceptable to the NRC staff for Implement ing specific parts of the Commission's regulations, techniques used by The guides are Issued In the following ten broad divisions:

the staff In evaluating specific problems or postulated accidents, and 1. Power Reactors 6. Products data needed by the NRC staff In its reviewofapplicatlons for permits and 2. Research and Test Reactors 7. Transportation licenses. Regulatory guides are not substitutes for regulations, and com- 3. Fuels and Materials Facilities S. Occupational Health pliance with them Is not required. Methods and solutions different from 4. Environmental and Siting 9. Antitrust and Financial Review those set out In theguldes will be acceptable If they provide a basis forthe 5. Materials and Plant Protection 10. General findings requisite to the Issuance or continuance of a permit or license by Single copies of regulatory guides may be obtained free of charge by writ the Commission. Ing the Office of Administration, Attention: Distribution and Services Section, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC

This guide was Issued after consideration of cornments received from the 20555-0001; or by fax at (301)415-2260.

public. Comments and suggestions for Improvements in these guides are Issued guides may also be purchased from the National Technical infor encouraged at all times, and guides will be revised, as appropriate, to mation Service on a standing order basis. Details on this service may be accommodate comments and to reflect new Information or experience, obtained by writing NTIS, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161.

I

staff as an acceptable means for demonstrating com petitive/common mode failures, and aging ef pliance with the regulatory requirement. fects) in historical Type C component perform Consistent with this approach, the revision to Ap ance data, and because of the indeterminate time pendix J of 10 CFR Part 50 is less prescriptive, utilizes period of three refueling cycles and insufficient precision of programmatic controls described in risk-based insights, and allows the licensee the flexibil Section 11.3.2 to address these uncertainties, the ity to adopt cost-effective methods, including setting guidance provided in Section 11.3.2 for selecting test intervals, for implementing the safety objectives extended test intervals greater than 60 months for underlying the requirements of Appendix J. This regu Type C tested components is not presently en latory guide approves an industry guideline that de dorsed by the NRC staff. Further, the interval for scribes in detail a performance-based leak-test pro Type C tests for main steam and feedwater isola gram, leakage-rate test methods, procedures, and tion valves in BWRs, and containment purge and analyses; the NRC staff has determined this industry vent valves in PWRs and BWRs, should be limited guideline to be an acceptable means of demonstrating to 30 months as specified in Section 3.3.4 of compliance with the requirements of the amendment ANSI/ANS-56.8-1994, with consideration given of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50. to operating experience and safety significance.

3. Section 9.2.1, "Pretest Inspection and Test

C. REGULATORY POSITION

Methodology," of NEI 94-01 provides guidance NEI 94-01, Revision 0, dated July 26, 1995, "In for the visual examination of accessible interior dustry Guideline for Implementing Performance and exterior surfaces of the containment system for structural problems. These examinations Based Option of 10 CFR 50 Appendix J,"I prepared should be conducted prior to initiating a Type A

by the Nuclear Energy Institute, provides methods ac test, and during two other refueling outages be ceptable to the NRC staff for complying with the provi fore the next Type A test if the interval for the sions of Option B in Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, Type A test has been extended to 10 years, in subject to the following: order to allow for early uncovering of evidence of

1. NEI 94-01 references ANSI/ANS-56.8-1994, structural deterioration.

"Containment System Leakage Testing Require 4. Section 10.2.3.3 states that an as-found Type C

ments," 2 for detailed descriptions of the technical test or an alternative test or analysis is to be per methods and techniques for performing Types A, formed prior to any maintenance, repair, modifi B, and C tests under the amendment of Appendix cation, or adjustment activity if it could affect a J to 10 CFR Part 50. However, as stated in NEI valve's leak-tightness. "Alternative test or analy

94-01, the test intervals in ANSI/ANS 56.8-1994 sis" is not endorsed as an appropriate substitute are not performance-based. Therefore, licensees for an as-found test, because the as-found test intending to comply with Option B in the amend provides clear and objective evidence of perform ment to Appendix J should establish test intervals ance of isolation components.

based upon the criteria in Section 11.0 of NEI

94-01, rather than using the test intervals speci fied in ANSI/ANS-56.8-1994. All other techni

D. IMPLEMENTATION

cal methods and techniques for performing Types The purpose of this section is to provide informa A, B, and C tests contained in ANSI/

tion to applicants and licensees regarding the NRC

ANS-56.8-1994 are acceptable to the NRC staff.

staff's plans for using this regulatory guide.

2. Section 11.3.2, "Programmatic Controls," of NEI

94-01 provides guidance for licensee selection of Except in those cases in which an applicant or li an extended interval greater than 60 months or 3 censee proposes an acceptable alternative method for refueling cycles for a Type B or Type C tested complying with specified portions of the Commission's component. Because of uncertainties (particular regulations, the methods described in this guide re ly unquantified leakage rates for test failures, re flecting public comments will be used in the evaluation of submittals for construction permits and operating li

2 Copies may be obtained from the American Nuclear Society, .censes (as appropriate) and will be used to evaluate the

555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, Illinois implementation of Option B of Appendix J to 10 CFR

60525. Part 50.

1.163-2

REGULATORY ANALYSIS

A regulatory impact analysis has been prepared lic Document Room, 2120 L Street NW., Washington, for the revision to Appendix J of 10 CFR Part 50 and DC; the PDR's mailing address is Mail Stop LL-6, this regulatory guide. The analysis is available for in Washington, DC 20555; phone (202)634-3273; fax spection or copying for a fee in the Commission's Pub- (202)634-3343.

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1.163-3

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