ML072200532
| ML072200532 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/15/2007 |
| From: | Nilesh Chokshi NRC/NRO/DSER |
| To: | Heymer A Nuclear Energy Institute |
| chokshi, Nilesh, DSER/NRO, 415-2387 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML072200552 | List: |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2009-0035 | |
| Download: ML072200532 (7) | |
Text
August 15, 2007 Mr. Adrian Heymer, Senior Director New Plant Deployment Nuclear Generation Division Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street NW., Suite 400 Washington, DC 20006
SUBJECT:
NRC Staff Draft Interim Staff Guidance on Seismic Issues
Dear Mr. Heymer:
The industry initiated the New Reactor Seismic Issues Resolution Program to work with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to address technical issues pertaining to the seismic design of new reactors. The NRC Seismic Issues Technical Advisory Group, comprising staff members from the Office of New Reactors, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, and Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, was a principal interface with industry. Among the new reactor seismic issues, two critical issues are the (1) implementation of the performance-based approach to determining the site-specific ground motion to satisfy the requirements of Title 10, Section 100.23, Geologic and Seismic Siting Criteria, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 100.23) and (2) implementation of incoherency analysis to evaluate the effects of high-frequency ground motions.
The NRC staff and industry reached a resolution on the first issue, and the staff formalized its regulatory guidance in Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.208, A Performance-Based Approach to Define the Site-Specific Earthquake Ground Motion, issued March 2007. The staff developed and incorporated the umbrella framework to address the second issue (high-frequency issue) in Section 3.7.1, Seismic Design Parameters, of NUREG-0800, Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants, Revision 3, issued March 2007 (referred to hereafter as the SRP). The SRP recognizes that for some sites the site-specific ground motion may exceed the ground motion spectra used in a certified design. The SRP lays out a progressive, stepwise process to address these exceedances.
The enclosures to this letter outline the draft interim staff guidance (ISG) to implement the SRP framework. Enclosure 1 provides the background and a discussion of the issue, lists some key recent reports, and provides the overall context for positions taken in subsequent enclosures. contains some key definitions. Enclosures 3 and 4 contain draft ISGs on specific issues. contains staff guidance on a separate issue of the industrys approach on testing for dynamic soil properties. The staff will pay special attention in its acceptance review on this issue to identify potential future scheduling delays because of insufficient information or anticipated additional reviews.
A. Heymer The draft ISGs fall into two main categories(1) technical positions defining specific acceptance criteria or an acceptable approach and (2) information to be included in a combined license application to fully address the high-frequency issue to assure that the framework in SRP Section 3.7.1 can be implemented. Thus, these ISGs supplement RG 1.206, Combined License Applications for Nuclear Power Plants, issued June 2007. Although these ISGs focus on the COL application, they are also applicable if an amendment to a certified design is sought. They should also be useful in developing a design certification application.
The staff plans to finalize these ISGs in the near future after addressing comments on these draft positions from all stakeholders. Therefore, please provide your comments no later than August 31, 2007. The agency may arrange a public meeting depending on the nature of the comments. In this regard, note that industry has yet to deliver final reports on a few of the issues as discussed in Enclosure 1. Some refinement of the proposed ISGs may occur as a result of the agencys review of the final reports; however, the NRC does not anticipate any substantive revisions of the proposed ISGs as the NRC staff and industry have had several interactions, as discussed in Enclosure 1.
If you have any questions about this letter or its enclosures, please contact Mr. Goutam Bagchi at (301) 415-3305, GXB1@nrc.gov; or Mr. Sujit Samaddar at (301) 415-3173, SKS3@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Nilesh C. Chokshi, Deputy Director Division of Site and Environmental Reviews Office of New Reactors
Enclosures:
As stated cc w/enclosures: see next page
ML072200552 OFFICE DSER/NRO DE/NRO OGC DE/NRO DNRL/NRO DSER/NRO NAME GBagchi SSamaddar AHodgdon LDudes TBergman NChokshi DATE 8/09/07 8/09/07 8/09/07 8/10/07 8/10/07 8/10/07 A. Heymer Letter to Adrian Heymer from Nilesh Chokshi dated
SUBJECT:
The NRC Staff Draft Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) on Seismic Issues DISTRIBUTION:
DSER R/F B. Thomas L. Dudes A. Kemmerer J. Lyons K. Winsberg D. Matthews RidsNroDnrl M. Mayfield RidsEdoMailCenter R. Karas RidsOgcMailCenter K. Manoly RidsNroDnrlNgif A. Murphy RidsAcrsAcnwMailCenter T. Cheng RidsNroDcip P. Madden RidsNroDe P. Y. Chen RidsNroDser J. Dixon-Herrity RidsNroDsra C. Munson RidsNroOd Y. Li RidsOpaMail I. Jung C. Costantino, BNL
A. Heymer Combination Mailing List: cc: (page 1)
Mr. Laurence Parme Manager, GT-MHR Safety & Licensing Mr. Charles Brinkman General Atomics Company Westinghouse Electric Co.
P.O. Box 85608 Washington Operations San Diego, CA 92186-5608 12300 Twinbrook Parkway, Suite 330 Rockville, MD 20852 Mr. David Lochbaum Nuclear Safety Engineer Mr. Joseph D. Hegner Union of Concerned Scientists Lead Engineer - Licensing 1707 H Street, NW., Suite 600 Dominion Generation Washington, DC 20006-3919 Early Site Permitting Project 5000 Dominion Boulevard Mr. Paul Gunter Glen Allen, VA 23060 Nuclear Information and Resource Service Mr. Edward L. Quinn 1424 16th Street, NW., Suite 404 Longenecker and Associates Washington, DC 20036 Utility Operations Division 23292 Pompeii Drive Mr. James Riccio Dana Point, CA 92629 Greenpeace 702 H Street, NW., Suite 300 Mr. Paul Leventhal Washington, DC 20001 Nuclear Control Institute 1000 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Suite 410 Mr. Adrian Heymer Washington, DC 20036 Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW., Suite 400 Mr. Jay M. Gutierrez Washington, DC 20036 Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.
Mr. George Alan Zinke Washington, DC 20004 Project Manager Nuclear Bus. Development Mr. W. Edward Cummins AP600 Entergy Nuclear and AP1000 Projects M-ECH-683 Westinghouse Electric Company 1340 Echelon Parkway P.O. Box 355 Jackson, MS 39213 Pittsburgh, PA 15230-0355 Ms. Marilyn Kray Mr. Gary Wright, Manager Vice President, Special Office of Nuclear Facility Safety Illinois Projects Department of Nuclear Safety Exelon Generation 1035 Outer Park Drive 200 Exelon Way, KSA3-E Springfield, IL 62704 Kennett Square, PA 19348
A. Heymer Combination Mailing List:
cc: (page 2)
Mr. Brendan Hoffman Research Associate on Nuclear Energy Ms. Vanessa E. Quinn, Chief Public Citizens Critical Mass Energy and Radiological Emergency Environmental Program Preparedness Branch 215 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Nuclear and Chemical Preparedness and Washington, DC 20003 Protection Division Department of Homeland Security Mr. Lionel Batty 1800 South Bell Street, Room 837 Nuclear Business Team Crystal City-Arlington, VA 22202-3546 Graftech 12300 Snow Road Mr. Ron Simard Parma, OH 44130 6170 Masters Club Drive Suwanee, GA 30024 Mr. Ian M. Grant Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission Ms. Sandra Sloan 280 Slater Street, Station B, P.O. Box 1046 Areva NP, Inc.
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5S9 CANADA 3315 Old Forest Road P.O. Box 10935 Mr. Glenn H. Archinoff AECL Lynchburg, VA 24506-0935 Technologies 481 North Frederick Avenue Ms. Anne W. Cottingham Suite 405 Assistant General Counsel Gaithersburg, MD 20877 Nuclear Energy Institute 1776 I Street, NW., Suite 400 Mr. Ed Wallace, General Manager Washington, DC 20006 Projects PBMR Pty LTD P.O. Box 9396 Mr. David Repka Centurion 0046 Winston & Strawn LLP Republic of South Africa 1700 K Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20006-3817 Mr. Dobie McArthur Director, Washington Operations Mr. Robert E. Sweeney General Atomics IBEX ESI 1899 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Suite 300 4641 Montgomery Avenue, Suite 350 Washington, DC 20006 Bethesda, MD 20814 Mr. Russell Bell Mr. Eugene S. Grecheck Nuclear Energy Institute Vice President 1776 I Street, NW., Suite 400 Nuclear Support Services Washington, DC 20006-3708 Dominion Energy, Inc.
5000 Dominion Boulevard Glen Allen, VA 23060
A. Heymer Combination List:
cc: (page 3)
E-Mail:
tom.miller@hq.doe.gov tom.miller@nuclear.energy.gov mark.beaumont@wsms.com sfrantz@morganlewis.com ksutton@morganlewis.com jgutierrez@morganlewis.com sandra.sloan@areva.com mwetterhahn@winston.com gcesare@enercon.com whorin@winston.com erg-xl@cox.net steven.hucik@ge.com david.hinds@ge.com chris.maslak@ge.com mgiles@entergy.com patriciaL.campbell@ge.com bob.brown@ge.com jim@ncwarn.org pshastings@duke-energy.com ronald.hagen@eia.doe.gov murawski@newsobserver.com Cary.Fleming@constellation.com tansel.selekler@nuclear.energy.gov tansel.selekler@hq.doe.gov trsmith@winston.com James.Beard@gene.ge.com george.stramback@gene.ge.com david.lewis@pillsburylaw.com paul.gaukler@pillsburylaw.com john.o'neill@pillsburylaw.com matias.travieso-diaz@pillsburylaw.com maria.webb@pillsburylaw.com roberta.swain@ge.com ngwinebrenner@mactec.com