ML20045G141
| ML20045G141 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/13/2020 |
| From: | Louise Lund Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research |
| To: | Budnitz R, Grantom R, Martinez O American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) |
| M. Gonzalez 415-5661 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML20045G141 (3) | |
Text
March 13, 2020 Rick Grantom, ASME Co-Chair, JCNRM Oliver Martinez, ASME Secretary, JCNRM ASME Board on Nuclear Codes and Standards Two Park Avenue New York, NY 10016-5990 Robert J. Budnitz, ANS Co-Chair, JCNRM ANS Standards Board U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Washington, D.C. 20555-0001
SUBJECT:
NRC PLAN FOR ENDORSEMENT OF THE ASME/ANS ADVANCED NONLWR PRA STANDARD.
Dear Mr. Grantom,
Oliver Martinez and Mr. Budnitz:
On September 26, 2019, at a Joint Committee on Nuclear Risk Management (JCNRM) meeting, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) informed the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and American Nuclear Society (ANS) JCNRM of the agencys plan to endorse the ASME/ANS advanced non-light-water reactor (non-LWR) probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) standard. The NRC stated that the staff planned to endorse the ASME/ANS trial use advanced non-LWR PRA standard, titled Probabilistic Risk Assessment Standard for Advanced non-LWR Nuclear Power Plants and designated as ASME/ANS RA-S-1.4-2013.
This plan was based on near-term stakeholder needs for an NRC-endorsed PRA standard to meet advanced non-LWR licensing activities. However, in response to this plan, the JCNRM transmitted a letter to the NRC dated November 26, 2019 (Agencywide Document Access and Management System Accession No. ML20031D602), expressing concerns about the staff endorsement plan and proposing that the NRC wait for the JCNRM to produce the new version of the ASME/ANS advanced non-LWR PRA standard to proceed with endorsement.
The NRC has reviewed the JCNRMs letter and understands the concerns expressed on the NRCs plan to endorse the ASME/ANS RA-S-1.4-2013. The NRC has considered the issues raised by the JCNRM as well as stakeholder needs and has decided to postpone endorsement of the ASME/ANS advanced non-LWR PRA standard until the next version is available.
The NRC plans on reviewing and providing feedback to the JCNRM on the next anticipated ballot for the ASME/ANS advanced non-LWR PRA standard in March 2020. The NRC is planning to publish a new regulatory guide to endorse the ASME/ANS advanced non-LWR PRA standard following the same approach the NRC has used to endorse other standards developed by JCNRM. We understand that the JCNRM plans to issue the final standard by December 2020.
R. Grantom, et al.
Predicated on this date, the NRC anticipates publishing a draft regulatory guide for formal public review and comment by Summer of 2021 and publishing the final regulatory guide by the Summer of 2022.
The NRCs believes that issuance of the final standard by December 2020 and subsequent NRC endorsement is necessary to meet stakeholders expectations for future advanced non-LWR license applications. Delays in issuance of the final standard by JCNRM will have commensurate delays to NRCs schedule that may adversely impact the development and staff reviews of advanced non-LWR license applications.
As stated in the JCNRMs letter, the JCNRMs change in priority and schedule to ballot this standard in March 2020 and issuing the pre-final-editing version of the standard by December 2020 is consistent with upcoming needs of the stakeholders. The NRC understands that these are tentative dates; however, the NRC emphasizes that, in order to support near-future non-LWR license applications, it is imperative that the advanced non-LWR PRA standard be finalized and issued consistent with the JCNRMs proposed schedule.
If you have any questions, please contact Anders Gilbertson, the NRC representative on the JCNRM, or Michelle Gonzalez, the NRC project manager. You can reach them at, 301-415-1541 (anders.gilbertson@nrc.gov), and 301-415-5661 (michelle.gonzalez@nrc.gov),
respectively.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Louise Lund, NRC Standards Executive Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
ML20045G141 *via email OFFICE RES/DRA RES/DRA RES/DRA RES/DRA NAME M. Gonzalez A. Gilbertson J. Nakoski M. Cheok DATE 02/18/2020 02/18/2020 02/18/2020 02/18/2020 OFFICE NRR RES/DE RES/DE RES/DE NAME J. Monninger*
R. Roche*
T. Boyce*
L. Lund DATE 02/24/2020 02/20/2020 02/20/2020 3/10/2020