ML20198A394
| ML20198A394 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/03/1997 |
| From: | Hodges M NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH (RES) |
| To: | Modeen D NUCLEAR ENERGY INSTITUTE (FORMERLY NUCLEAR MGMT & |
| References | |
| GL-88-20, NUDOCS 9801050362 | |
| Download: ML20198A394 (3) | |
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Mri David Modoen _ _ ,
. Nuclear Energy Institute. 1 1776 i Street, N.W. !
J'ashington, D.C. ' 20006-3708 '!
Dear Mi. Modoen:
1
References:
-1. W. J. Parkinson, et. s'.. Fire PRA implementation C2uide, Electric Power j Research Institute, EPRI TR-105928, December 1995
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' 2. J. Lambright & M; Kazarians, Review of the EPRI Fire PRA Implernentatl..'s ,
Guide, Energy Resenich, Inc., ERl/NRC 97-501, August 1997 i
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- The NRC staff has food that many licensees used the EPRI Fire FRA /mplementation Guide 1 (Reference 1) for the fire analysis portion of their individual Plant Examination of Extemal ,
- Events (IPEEE) submittal to the NRC. One of the main objectives of the EPRI Fire Cuide is i
stated to be to provide ajetailed method and supporting technicel information to allow nuclear utilities to respond to the fire analysis section of NRC's request in Supplement 4 to Generic Letter 88-20, "lPEEE for Severe Accident Vulnerabilities." Another stated objective is to reduce
. the conservatism typically found in fire PRAs.
Since Reference 1 had not been reviewed previously by the staff for its acceptability for fire i IPEEE applications, the staff contracted with Energy Research, Inc. (ERI) to evaluate the methods and data presented in the guide for accuracy and appropriateness. ERI has
- completed its review and submitted its report in August 1997. A copy of this report *
(Reference 2) is attached for your information and distribution, if you decm appropriate, to .
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- licencees who used Reference 1 in their IPEEE.
Based on our review of the EPRI Fire Guide and the ERI report, we have concluded the fdowing: .;
.1. ;The Guide provides a fire PRA m6thodology similar to those that have been A m employed in several PRAs that have undergone a peer revic.v. The phased and .i multi-stage screening approaches are well established for a typical ' ire PRA.
The Guide provides extensive discussions on the methodology and issues relevant to fire PRAs which,'in some cases, are an improvement over what is in >
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' 2. The Guide has a number of areas in_which the methodology and approach could potentially lead to either optimistic results or' masking of information I needed to identify potential fire vulnerabilities. This could lead to improperly - O, j g 9 ggassessing or overlooking important contributors to fire risk for at least some 'I
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2 plants under some circumstances. The ERI report categorizes these issues into two groups based on their importance to risk. The most important issues couW potentially have broad applicabinty to many plants. A second group of issues was identified that could potentially be important to a small number of plants.
Generic requests for additional information (RAls) were developed to address these issues (see Appendix A of the attached report).
The NRC staff and contractors are in the process of reviewing licensees' IPEEE submittals.
Forty-nine submittals are current!y under various stages of review, and additienal reviews will be conducted during the upcoming year. In a number of cases when Reference 1 was used, the staff has sent RAls to licensees identical or sirr,ilar to the questions in Appendix A of Reference 2, and such questions will be sent, as appropriate, on future IPEEE reviews.
If you feel it would be appropriate for NEl to provide generic responses to the questions in Appendix A of the attached report, please let me know, if NEl does provide adequate generic responses tu the questions, it may not be necessary for the NRC to ask individual licensees these questions unless there are special circumstances. If you have any other comments or questions on the report, please contact me or Dr. Alan Rubin at (301) 415-6776.
Sincerely, p/
M. Wayne Hodges, Director Division of Systems Technology Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Attachment:
As stated cc: (w/ attachment): R. Kassawara, EPRI Distribution: PRAB Subject File; Center File; JChen; EConnell , pm DOCUMENT NAME:G:\ FIRE.GUID.WPD !
'See Previous Concurrence
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plants under some circumstances. The ERI report categorizes these issues into two groups based on their importance to risk. Tne most important issues could potentially have broad applicability to many plants. A second group of issues was identified that could potentially be important to a small number of plants.
Generic requests for additional information (RAls) were developed to address ,
these issues (see Appendix A of the attached report).
The NRC staff and contractors are in the process of reviewing licensees' IPEEE submittals.
Forty-nine submittats are currently under various stages of review, and additional reviews will be conducted during the upcoming year. In a ra:mber of cases when Reference 1 was used, the staff has sent RAls to licensees identical or similar to the questions in Appendix A of Reference 2, and such questions will be sent, as appropriate, on future IPEEE reviews. ,
if you feel it would be appropriate for NEl to provide generic responses to the questions in l Appendix A of the attached report, or if you have any other comments or questions on the 4 report, please let me know.
Sincerely, M. Wayne Hodges, Director Division of Systems Technology Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Attachment:
As stated cc: (w/ attachment) R. Kassawara, EPRI s
Distribution:
PRAB Subject File Center File JChen EConnell DOCUMENT NAME:G:\FIREGUID.WPD To reces,e e copy of this document, inacate b the boa: "C* = Copy without attachmentlenclosure "E"
- Copy whh attachment %msure "N* - No copy OFFICE DST /PRAB (JDSJ/,PFMd j NRR l DD/ DST D/ DST"/ff l NAME ARubin:bg) Eg IMChgl##fam GHolahan TKing MWHodges DATE b Il(,/97 10/d /97 / /97 / /97 //97 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY (RES File Code) RES Mf
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