ML16211A083

Letter to Honorable Newt Gingrich - Speaker of the United States, House of Representatives

ML16211A083
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/24/1995
From:	Kress T Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards
To:	Gingrich N US HR (House of Representatives)
References
Download: ML16211A083 (4)

Text

D950124 The Honorable Newt Gingrich Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Mr. Speaker:

In accordance with the requirements of Section 29 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by Section 5 of Public Law 95-209, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) has reported to the Congress each year on the Safety Research Program of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In our December 18, 1986, letter to the Congress, we proposed to provide reports on specific issues rather than one all-inclusive report, as we had provided before 1986.

In 1994 we reviewed selected NRC research programs and related activities. Much of this work was directed toward the understand-ing of the conservatisms used in the NRC licensing process.

Enclosed are copies of the reports that we have provided to the NRC during the past year on these matters. We expect to continue to review various elements of the NRC Safety Research Program and provide reports to the Commission as warranted.

Sincerely, T. S. Kress Chairman

Enclosures:

1. Report from J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr., ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S. NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Draft Commission Paper on Source Term Related Technical and Licensing Issues Pertaining to Evolutionary and Passive Light Water Reactor Designs, March 15, 1994

2. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

Draft Policy Statement on the Use of Probabilistic Risk Assessment Methods in Reactor Regulatory Activities, May 11, 1994

3. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

Proposed Rule for Shutdown and Low-Power Operations, May 13, 1994

4. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Thermo-Lag Fire Barriers, June 14, 1994

5. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Emergency Planning Zones, Protective Action Guidelines, and the New Source Terms, July 13, 1994

6. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

Some Areas for

Potential Staff Consideration for Operating Nuclear Power Plants and the Review of Future Plant Designs Resulting from the ACRS Review of the Evolutionary Light Water Reactors, July 13, 1994

7. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Proposed National Academy of Scienc-es/National Research Council Study and Workshop on Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems, July 14, 1994

8. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Proposed Generic Letter 94-XX, "Voltage-Based Repair Criteria for Westinghouse Steam Genera-tor Tubes," September 12, 1994

9. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

Proposed Generic Letter on the Use of NUMARC/EPRI REPORT TR-102348, "Guideline on Licensing Digital Upgrades," September 14, 1994

10. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Revised Regulatory Analysis Guide-lines, September 14, 1994

11. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Proposed Revisions to Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, "Primary Reactor Containment Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Power Reactors," September 19, 1994

12. Report from W. J. Lindblad, ACRS Vice-Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S. NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Proposed Final Version of NUREG-1465, "Accident Source Terms for Light-Water Nuclear Power Plants," September 20, 1994

13. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Potential for BWR ECCS Strainer Blockage Due to LOCA Generated Debris, October 14, 1994

14. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

NRC Test and Analysis Programs in Support of AP600 and SBWR Advanced Light Water Reactor Passive Plant Design Certification Reviews, November 10, 1994 January 24, 1995 The Honorable Albert Gore, Jr.

President of the United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Mr. President:

In accordance with the requirements of Section 29 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended by Section 5 of Public Law 95-209, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) has reported to

the Congress each year on the Safety Research Program of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). In our December 18, 1986, letter to the Congress, we proposed to provide reports on specific issues rather than one all-inclusive report, as we had provided before 1986.

In 1994 we reviewed selected NRC research programs and related activities. Much of this work was directed toward the understand-ing of the conservatisms used in the NRC licensing process.

Enclosed are copies of the reports that we have provided to the NRC during the past year on these matters. We expect to continue to review various elements of the NRC Safety Research Program and provide reports to the Commission as warranted.

Sincerely, T. S. Kress Chairman

Enclosures:

1. Report from J. Ernest Wilkins, Jr., ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S. NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Draft Commission Paper on Source Term Related Technical and Licensing Issues Pertaining to Evolutionary and Passive Light Water Reactor Designs, March 15, 1994

2. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

Draft Policy Statement on the Use of Probabilistic Risk Assessment Methods in Reactor Regulatory Activities, May 11, 1994

3. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

Proposed Rule for Shutdown and Low-Power Operations, May 13, 1994

4. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Thermo-Lag Fire Barriers, June 14, 1994

5. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Emergency Planning Zones, Protective Action Guidelines, and the New Source Terms, July 13, 1994

6. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

Some Areas for Potential Staff Consideration for Operating Nuclear Power Plants and the Review of Future Plant Designs Resulting from the ACRS Review of the Evolutionary Light Water Reactors, July 13, 1994

7. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Proposed National Academy of Scienc-es/National Research Council Study and Workshop on Digital Instrumentation and Control Systems, July 14, 1994

8. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Proposed Generic Letter 94-XX, "Voltage-Based Repair Criteria for Westinghouse Steam Genera-tor Tubes," September 12, 1994

9. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

Proposed Generic

Letter on the Use of NUMARC/EPRI REPORT TR-102348, "Guideline on Licensing Digital Upgrades," September 14, 1994

10. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Revised Regulatory Analysis Guide-lines, September 14, 1994

11. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Proposed Revisions to Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50, "Primary Reactor Containment Leakage Testing for Water-Cooled Power Reactors," September 19, 1994

12. Report from W. J. Lindblad, ACRS Vice-Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S. NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Proposed Final Version of NUREG-1465, "Accident Source Terms for Light-Water Nuclear Power Plants," September 20, 1994

13. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to Ivan Selin, U.S.

NRC Chairman,

Subject:

Potential for BWR ECCS Strainer Blockage Due to LOCA Generated Debris, October 14, 1994

14. Report from T. S. Kress, ACRS Chairman, to James M. Taylor, Executive Director for Operations,

Subject:

NRC Test and Analysis Programs in Support of AP600 and SBWR Advanced Light Water Reactor Passive Plant Design Certification Reviews, November 10, 1994