ML12024A039
| ML12024A039 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/28/2010 |
| From: | Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research |
| To: | |
| References | |
| FOIA/PA-2011-0083 | |
| Download: ML12024A039 (2) | |
Text
_r~e-Decisi
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- mnt a raft ýDo e nt SOARCA/Level 3 PRA CA Note This CA note provides an update on the staffs plans for completing the State-of-the-Art Reactor Consequence Analysis (SOARCA) study as well as the plan for the proposed new Level 3 probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) that was discussed during the February. 2010 Annual Commission Briefing on Research Programs, Performance, and Future Plans. In SRM M100218, the Commission directed the staff to continue internal coordination efforts on the proposed Level 3 PRA and to engage external stakeholders in formulating a plan and scope for Commission consideration by F-ebFuar-y-Januarv,_2011. The staff currently plans to provide its final report and recommendations on SOARCA to the Commission in June 2011 predicated on not encountering any significant delays in the public review and comment process and that an extension is granted by the Commission.
The staff believes for the reasons noted below that it should submit one policy paper to the Commission that integrates b1'th-studiesthe SOARCA study and the PRA. Therefore, the 6 plans to submit an extensien request for the Level 3 PRA CemmissiOn paper to extend the SECY due date from February 2011 to June 2-011 ;-And-to-coGmbine it with the SOARCA GnemmssiGn-paper,-The advantages of combining these two papers arise from the fact that the SOARCA study integrates and analyzes severe accident progression and offsite consequences, both of which are essential elements of a Level 3 PRA. The proposed Level 3 PRA will seek to leverage the SOARCA methods, models, and insights gained. A combined Commission paper will facilitate informed Commission policy on whether and how to proceed with next steps for either or both studies. Therefore, the staff plans to submit an extension request 'for the ILevel 3 PRA Commission papel to extend the SECY due date from January 31, 2011 to June 2011 and to combine it with the SOARCA Commission paper, due on October 29, 2010.
The results of the SOARCA study will be documented in aINUREG.:The staff originally planned to provide the completed SOARCA report to the Commission in October 2010. However, several members of the SOARCA external peer review committee and the ACRS, as well as the SOARCA Steering Committee, recommended that the uncertainty analysis be completed before the SOARCA NUREG is issued in final. We-The staff also plans to issue the draft report for a 60-day public review and comment period. The current schedu-led completion date isby June 30, 2011. Frhe revised schedule Iis__also,.inte nded to allo,w time to__co mr lIl te, additional_analyses..
resulting from questions and comments from the project's external peer review committee, fact checks from the licensees of the pilot plants, and information gathered during plant visits. The activities and the revised schedule for completing the study were discussed at a Commission Technical Assistants briefing on September 3, 2010. A detailed schedule reflecting the critical activities to be completed is presented in revision 5 of the SOARCA Communication Planwh is attached and also in ADAMS (ML102720006). The draft SOARCA NUREG will be made available in ADAMS to internal stakeholders by October 29, 2010. An EDO Daily Note with a link to the entire document will be provided to the Commission. An internal outreach process will take place in November-December, 2010 in which the draft NUREG will be provided to the program offices for review and project staff will provide briefings for the regional offices as necessary.
The staff also plans to conduct several external outreach activities. The staff will meet with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to discuss the techniques used in SOARCA to model the results because their role in emergency response regulation is very closely tied to the SOARCA project. Other Federal and State agencies, licensees of the pilot plants, and congressional staffs will be notified and briefed as needed prior to the public release of the draft NUREG in January 2011. The January 2011 release of the draft NUREG allows the public the 4-S "t Comment [K1]: Shouldn't this be done before a CA note?
Comment [W2]: 2010000119 (PRA study) it is due on 1/31/11 Comment [K3]: Jimi said that the paper will transmit the NUREG. Clarify that you mean the results of the SOARCA study are in fact the Commission paper Comment [K4]: The extension request for WITS200700117 (Comm Plan) & 200800373 (SOARCA paper) were approved by OEDO and sent to SECY for Commission office review. No word back from SECY if It has been approved. Therefore, should not talk as if it was approved.
Comment [K5]: Note that the Communication plan was ticketed in 200700117 which is currently combined with 200800373 (SOARCA paper). Jimi thought this action was already closed, however it still shows that it is open and due on 10/29/10.
Please take the action to dose.
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opportunity to provide their input and the staff to consider such input prior to the NUREG becoming final. At this time, a SOARCA Information Brochure will also be released which explains the project approach and results in plain language. The staff will conduct public meetings in the vicinity of the two pilot plants and one near NRC headquarters to provide the public with the opportunity to communicate face-to-face with staff. In addition, a series of Webinars on SOARCA will take place, aimed for interested State and local officials as well as other Federal officials. After all comments of external and internal stakeholders (including the ACRS) have been addressed, the fepert-NUREG will be finalized and provided to the Commission in June 2011.
- , Level 3 PRA includes the frequency of initiating events, the probabilities associated with plant and operator failures, and the consequences associated with core damage when it is assumed to occur. Historically, typical Level 3 PRAs focused only on internal initiating events for a single plant at full power and did not include risks from the spent fuel pool. The proposed Level 3 PRA is intended to evaluate total site risk, which includes a far more extensive treatment, accounting for all site risk contributors, including events that could affect multiple units, internal and external initiating events, full power and shutdown conditions, and radiological hazards such as spent fuel. As noted, the consequences aspect will be crucial to this analysis and is expected to benefit from SOARCA insights, tools, and methods. Thus, the full coordination of these two efforts is necessary to achieve the maximum regulatory value from each.I.............................
Comment [K6]: Delete this paragraph or put closer to the discussion of combining these efforts.
Attachmentý Communical (Revision 5) ioan Plan for the State of the Art Reactor Conscaucnce Analysis CPre-De si/n
- In rnal ft D ýcume,