ML20206N923
| ML20206N923 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/04/1999 |
| From: | Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Bennett R, Byrd R, Dodd C, Stevens T SENATE, SENATE, APPROPRIATIONS |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20206N927 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9905180105 | |
| Download: ML20206N923 (12) | |
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,/ k CH N May 4' 1999 The Honorable Robert C. Byrd Committee on Appropriations
' United States Senate .
Washington, D.C. 20510
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Dear Senator Byrd:
l In your letter of March 16,1999, you requested information regarding the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) continuity of operations and contingency planning in response to the Year 2000 problem. I have enclosed this information.
The NRC is pursuing a comprehensive program for dealing with potential Year 2000 (Y2K) problems. The NRC completed Y2K remediation of its own systems on February 5,1999, ahead of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) target date of March 31,1999.
Because of the immediacy of the Y2K problem, the NRC has made a special effort to prepare contingency and business continuity plans for its mission-critical systems that specifically )
address potential failures resulting from the Y2K problem.
' Additionally, the NRC has been working with nuclear industry organizations, licensees, and other stakeholders since 1996 to address the Y2K issues. On the basis of audits and inspections of nuclear power plants, fuel cycle facilities, and materials licensees, we are confident that the licensees will be Y2K ready before December 31,1999, and that the Y2K transition will not affect the continued safe operation of our licensed facilities.
Recognizing the possibility of unforeseen Y2K problems occurring despite our preparation, the NRC also established a task force in September 1998 to develop a contingency plan for /j ensuring that public health and safety and the environment will continue to be protected in the face of unexpected events. A draft of the NRC Y2K contingency plan was made publicly /7 available in December 1998 to allow for external stakeholder feedback. Comments on the plan were received from industry representatives, Federal agencies, members of the public, and public interest groups. The Commission will review the final contingency plan within the next p1 several weeks. In developing this contingency plan, the NRC has worked closely with the (President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
- the National Communications System, and other Federal agencies. I have enclosed a copy of the draft NRC.Y2K contingency plan. I will send you a copy of the final NRC Y2K contingency plan when it is reviewed and approved by the Commission.
9905180105 990'504 PDR COMMS NRCC CORRESPONDENCE PDR y 100023
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l The NRC recognizes the critical importance of continuity and contingency planning, not only in preparation for the Y2K transition, but as a fundamental precept for ensuring that our mission of protecting public health and safety will not be compromised.
Sincerely, i
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Enclosures:
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- 1. Year 2000 Contingency Plan Information
- 2. Draft NRC Y2K Contingency Plan l
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WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 5 :j
\,..../ May 4, 1999 CHAIRMAN
. The Honorable Christopher J. Dodd, Vice Chair Special Committee'on the Year 2000 ,
Technology Problem )
. United States Senate Washington, D.C.' 20510
Dear Senator Dodd:
In your letter of March 16,1999, you requested information regarding the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) continuity of operations and contingency planning in response
- to the Year 2000 problem. I have enclosed this information.
The NRC is pursuing a comprehensive program for dealing with potential Year 2000 (Y2K) problems. The NRC completed Y2K remediation of its own systems on February 5,1999, I
ahead of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) target date of March 31,1999.
Because of the immediacy of the Y2K problem, the NRC has made a special effort to prepare contingency and business continuity plans for its mission-critical systems that specifically address potential failures resulting from the Y2K problem.
Additionallp, the NRC has been working with nuclear industry organizations, licensees, and other stakeholders since 1996 to address the Y2K issues. On the basis of audits and inspections of nuclear power plants, fuel cycle facilities, and materials licensees, we are confident that the licensees will be Y2K ready before December 31,1999, and that the Y2K transition will not affect the continued safe operation of our licensed facilities.
Recognizing the possibility of unforeseen Y2K problems occurring despite our preparation, the NRC also established a task force in September 1998 to develop a contingency plan for ensuring that public health and safety and the environment will continue to be protected in the
' face of unexpected events. A draft of the NRC Y2K contingency plan was made publicly available in December 1998 to allow for external stakeholder feedback. Comments on the plan
~
were received from industry representatives, Federal agencies, members of the public, and
. public interest groups. The Commission will review the final contingency plan within the next
'several weeks. In developing this contingency plan, the NRC has worked closely with the )
~ President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, !
l the National Communications System, and other Federal agencies. I have enclosed a copy of the draft NRC Y2K contingency plan. I will send you a copy of the final NRC Y2K contingency plan when it is reviewed and approved by the Commission.
H i
2-The NRC recognizes the critical importance of continuity and contingency planning, not only in preparation for the Y2K transition, but as a fundamental precept for ensuring that our mission of
. protecting public health and safety will not be compromised.
Sincerely, Shirley Ann Jackson
Enclosures:
- 1. Year 2000 Contingency Plan Information
- 2. Draft NRC Y2K Contingency Plan f<
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CHAIRMAN May 4, 1999 The Honorable Ted Stevens, Chairman Committee on Appropriations United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
In your letter of March 16,1999, you requested information regarding the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) continuity of operations and contingency planning in response to the Year 2000 problem. I have enclosed this information.
The NRC is pursuing a comprehensive program for dealing with potential Year 2000 (Y2K) problems.' The NRC completed Y2K remediation of its own systems on February 5,1999, ahead of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) target date of March 31,1999.
Because of the immediacy of the Y2K problem, the NRC has made a special effort to prepare contingency and business continuity plans for its mission-critical systems that specifically address potential failures resulting from the Y2K problem.
Additionally, the NRC has been working with nuclear industry organizations, licensees, and l other stakeholders since 1996 to address the Y2K issues. On the basis of audits and inspections of nuclear power plants, fuel cycle facilities, and materials licensees, we are confident that the licensees will be Y2K ready before December 31,1999, and that the Y2K "
transition will not affect the continued safe operation of our licensed facilities. :
Recognizing the possibility of unforeseen'Y2K problems occurring despite our preparation, the NRC also established a task force in September 1998 to develop a contingency plan for ensuring that public health and safety and the environment will continue to be protected in the face of unexpected events. A draft of the NRC Y2K contingency plan was made pubiicly available in December 1998 to allow for external stakeholder feedback. Comments on the plan were received from industry representatives, Federal agencies, members of the public, and public interest groups. The Commission will review the final contingency plan within the next several weeks. In developing this contingency plan, the NRC has worked closely with the President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Communications System, and other Federal agencies. I have enclosed a copy of the draft NRC Y2K contingency plan. I will send you a copy of the final NRC Y2K contingency plan when it is reviewed and approved by the Commission.
F
.The NRC recognizes the critical importance of continuity and contingency planning, not only in preparation for the Y2K transition, but as a fundamental precept for ensuring that our mission of protecting public health and safety will not be compromised.
Sincerely, up Shirley Ann Jackson
Enclosures:
- 1. Year 2000 Contingency Plan Information
- 2. . Draft NRC Y2K Contingency Plan
/# be, - 4 UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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' CHAIRMAN The Honorable Richard F. Bennett, Chairman Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Bennett:
- in your letter cf March 16,1999, you reques_ted information regarding the United States Nuclear Reg'ulatory Commission's (NRC) continuity of operations and contingency planning in response
- to the Year 2000 problem. I have enclosed this information.
The NRC is pursuing a comprehensive program for dealing with potential Year 2000 (Y2K) problems. The NRC completed Y2K remediation of its own systems on February 5,1999, ahead of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) target date of March 31,1999.
Because of the immediacy of the Y2K problem, the NRC has made a special effort to prepare contingency and business continuity plans for its mission-critical systems that specifically address potential failures resulting from the Y2K problem.
Additionally, the NRC has been working with nuclear lndustry organizations, licensees, and other stakeholders since 1996 to address the Y2K issues. On the basis of audits and inspections of nuclear power plants, fuel cycle facilities, and materials licensees, we are confident that the licensees will be Y2K ready before December 31,1999, and that the Y2K transition will not affect the continued safe operation of our licensed facilities.
Recognizing the possibility of unforeseen Y2K problems occurring despite our preparation, the NRC also established a task force in September 1998 to develop a contingency plan for ensuring that public health and safety and the environment will continue.to be protected in the
- face of unexpected events. ~ A draft of the NRC Y2K contingency plan was made publicly -
available in December 1998 to allow for external stakeholder feedback. Comments on the plan were received from industry representatives, Federal agencies, members of the public, and public interest groups. The Commission will review the final contingency plan within the next -
, several weeks. In developing this contingency plan, the NRC has worked closely with the
'. President's Council on Year 2000 Conversion, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Communications' System, and other Federal agencies. I have enclosed a copy of the draft NRC Y2K contingency plan. I will send you a copy of the final NRC Y2K contingency plan when it is reviewed and approved by the Commission.
2-The NRC recognizes the critical importance of continuity and contingency planning, not only in preparation for the Y2K transition, but as a fundamental precept for ensuring that our mission of protecting public health and safety will not be compromised.
Sincerely, up Shirley Ann Jackson.
Enclosures:
- 1. Year 2000 Contingency Plan information I
- 2. Draft NRC Y2K Contingency Plan l
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m YEAR 2000 CONTINGENCY PLAN INFORMATION
- 1. A list of your department's or agency's core mission areas ranked according to priority and a description of the Y2K risk analyses you have performed for these areas, including the various failure scenarios you have considered for each cora business process. Describe the business continuity and contingencyplans for each of these core missions.
The mission of the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is to ensure adequate protection of the public health and safety, the common defense and security, and the environment in the use of nuclear materials in the United States. The NRC utilizes a significant amount of information technology in support of this mission, in our effort to prepare our information technology for the Year 2000, we identified seven automated functions that were considered critical to the performance of the agency's mission.
NRC's seven mission-critical systems support three core functions. One system supports the interchange of information agencywide and is our administrative local area network. Three systems support our response capability in the event of a nuclear emergency and reside in our
' Operations Center. The remaining three systems support the tracking and inspection of
. nuclear materials.
.These three groups of systems are essentially independent of each other and have no complex interrelationships with any other systems, except for dependencies on the United States telecommunications infrastructure. The only other interrelationship is the dependence of the Operations Center network on the agency network for Internet access.
NRC has an established program, predating the Y2K program, that develops, maintains, and updates the agency's business continuity plans in accordance with Federal guidance, including Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, Appendix lil," Security of Federal Automated Information Resources." The objective of this program is to ensure that appropriate business continuity plans are put in place for all of the NRC's general purpose systems and
' major applications, which include the mission-critical applications identified in our Y2K program.
The process of developing the plans entails several steps:
- - - Conduct a business impact analysis and risk assessment.
- Develop a security plan.
- -_ Test the security plan.
- ' Certify and accredit the system.
- Develop a disaster and business continuity plan.
- Train personnel and test the disaster and business continuity plan.
- The Office of the Chief Information Officer uses contractor resources, obtained through the .
General Services Administration's multiple award contract for computer security services, to assist with its efforts in this area, including the conduct of facilitated risk assessments and the l development of plans. By their nature, business continuity plans cover a wide range of possible events, ranging from software and hardware problems to major natural disasters. These plans also take a significant amount of time to prepare in their entirety.
ENCLOSURE 1 4
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Because of the immediacy of.the Y2K problem, NRC has made a special effort to prepare contingency and business continuity plans, albeit abbreviated, for its mission-critical systems -
L that specifically address potential failures resulting from the Y2K problem.
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. In most cases, failures of external or internal automated systems will not affect the performance I
- of NRC mission-critical systems. Only one of our mission-critical systems relies on electronic data provided by other automated systems. This system is one of the three in our Operations Center. It receives real time data from nuclear reactor sites in the event of a declared )
emergency. The Operations Center has its own backup generator to provide power to its .
l electronic components in the event of a power outage, as well as contingency plans dealing J with the loss of any of its electronic or computerized functions. )
i In all cases, our mission-critical systems are uncomplicated, standalone systems that support a separate area within one of our three core functions. Compared to large, complex applications dealing with millions of records and complex real-time processes, NRC's mission-critical systems are relatively simple and deal with a volume of information that is small enough to be managed by manual means, if necessary, or if automation is temporarily unavailable. j Our contingency plans are commensurate with the nature of our mission-critical systems and have been prepared by the functional area business people. In all but one case, these plans have an option that assumes total automation unavailability, thus requiring that we revert to manual methods to continue support of the mission-critical functional area. These manual methods have been used successfully by our business people in the past when their systems did not exist or were temporarily unavailable. The case previously mentioned that does not '
assume total automation unavailability is associated with our administrative local area network (LAN). This network supports our electronic mail function and our common document storage and makes administrative software (word processing, etc.) available through the LAN.
However, administrative software is also present as a contingent redundancy on each workstation, so if the LAN was unavailable, necessary documents in progress can be rekeyed so as to continue work. New documents can be created, stored locally, and shared through a floppy disk. Since the network has significant redundancy, complete unavailability for any protracted length of time is considered very unlikely.
Since our contingency plans were prepared by the program offices responsible for the business areas in question, we believe that our contingency plans and business continuity plans for.
dealing with Y2K related failures are one and the same. We are confident that the plans we
- currently have in place are sufficient to address any Y2K failures that may occur.
- 2. If your department or agency has specific responsibilities for national security or emergencypreparedness functions assignedin Executive Order 12656 or 12472,
^ please explain what steps you have taken to ensure that these functions will not be compromised.
' The NRC has specific responsibilities during a national security emergency as assigned in i Executive Order 12656 and in the Federal Response Plan, These responsibilities include I
. issuing orders to licensees to suspend operations or to commence operations. The NRC can ENCLOSURE 1
3 enter a facility to facilitate the recapture of special nuclear material. The NRC will provide advice and assistance on radiation hazards and protective actions. In addition, the agency will provide information on the status of Commission-licensed facilities. The NRC has developed procedures to perform these functions and has the capability to perform them during a national l security emergency.
The NRC responds to emergencies from its headquarters Operations Center in Rockville, Maryland, and from its incident Response Centers located at each of the four NRC regional offices. The headquarters Operations Center has emergency power and backup communications systems to permit it to function under many conditions. In preparation for the Y2K transition, the NRC is deploying mobile satellite communication equipment to nuclear
. power plant and gaseous diffusion plant sites. The NRC will also rely on the National Telecommunications Coordination Network that is being established by the National Communications System. If for some reason, the NRC cannot respond from its headquarters Operations Center, an unaffected region would assume the incident response function of headquarters. Each regional office has copies of all the documents it needs to respond to an accident or an incident. NRC has made special provisions to have the Region IV incident Response Center in Arlington, Texas, provide backup to the headquarters Operations Center during the Y2K transition. Region IV was selected because it is the only NRC region that is not part of the Eastern Interconnection power grid and it is only one time zone removed from .
headquarters.
- 3. If your department or agency has specific responsibilities in the Federal Response Plan
'(The Stafford Act, Pub. L. No.93-288 as amended), please include a detailed j description of the continuity plans you have developed to ensure this mission. l I
NRC has only a supporting role, primarily to the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal J Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),in the Federal Response Plan (FRP). NRC, l
- therefore, has taken steps to ensure that telecommunications are available to communicate with its licensees and with other Federal organ.izations, thereby ensuring that support will be available under extreme conditions. NRC worked with DOE and other FRP partners to ensure protection of shared resources (such as a Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center) against Y2K problems. Federal coordination could also be carried out from an NRC regional office, as described in the answer to Question 2. As part of the NRC contingency plan for the Y2K transition, NRC headquarters and regional response teams will be in place in their respective centers, and Region IV will be prepared to carry out all headquarters response ;
management functions if, despite extensive preparation, headquarters should be unable to do
- so.
- 4. Finally, please explain the strategy and the procedure to be implemented on Thursday, December 30,1999, through the first week of the Year 2000. Also, include a description of the contingency plans created for February 29, 2000. If you have created a business resumption team, describe the criteria it will use for assuring priority restoration to core processes.
ENCLOSURE 1
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4 The NRC is preparing a detailed contingency plan for the Y2K transition. This plan addresses both the emergency response and the regulatory response aspects that will be associated with potential Y2K problems. The enclosed draft contingency plan was issued for public comment in December 1998. The NRC staff has updated and modified the plan based on stakeholder feedback, arti soon will submit the plan for review by the Commission. A copy of the final plan will be forwarded to supplement this response as soon as it is available. The plan evaluates the potential risk from the Y2K problem for all types of NRC licensees, and it includes Y2K concerns that are outside the direct control of the licensee, such as the electric grid and telecommunications infrastructures. On the basis of this evaluation, the NRC staff established several reasonably conservative planning assumptions. The planning assumptions are consistent with assumptions developed by other Federal agencies, such as FEMA.
On the basis of the planning assumptions, the NRC will staff the headquarters Operations Center at noon on December 31,1999, with a small team of specialists to monitor, evaluate, and communicate any Y2K problems at foreign reactors that have potential safety implications for domestic reactor licensees. The NRC staff will evaluate any reported Y2K-related plant system problems, grid problems, or widespread telecommunication outages overseas for relevancy and communicate them to domestic nuclear power plant licensees. Approximately 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br /> before midnight on December 31,1999, the headquarters Operations Center and the regional incident Response Centers will be staffed by a Y2K response team. This Y2K responsa team will be prepared to respond to an event related directly or indirectly to a Y2K problem and would utilize time zone differences to share relevant safety information with those licensees that have not yet experienced the transition. The NRC regional office in Arlington, Texas, will be prepared to assume the functions of headquarters if an unanticipated Y2K problem results in unavailability of the headquarters Operations Center. ,
For the times outside the period covered above, including February 29,2000, our analysis
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indicates that the potential for a serious event associated with Y2K-related issues is extremely I low and carries low attendant risks to public health and safety. We intend to respond to events outside the Y2K transition period by utilizing our normal emergency response posture, which includes around-the-clock staffing of the Operations Center by qualified engineers to receive reports of any events and to initiate the agency's incident response plan.
ENCLOSURE 1
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lam. tt d Stat 8 Etnatt sPECIAL COMMITTEE oN THE YE AR 2000 March 16,1999 TECHNOLOGY PROBLEM WASHINGTON, oC 20510-6486 The Honorable Shirley Ann Jackson Chairman Nuclear Regulatory Commission ,
11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852 D?ar Ms. Jackson:
The Committee appreciates tne efforts that the federal cepartments and agencies are making to address the Year 2000 (Y2K) technology problem. However, despite the government's encouraging progress in Y2K remediation, some mission-critical systems !
and services may not be completed on time. New or renovated systems may still fail or provide faulty data due to Y2K related problems. Additionally, unexpected failures in infrastructure components such as telecommunications and electric power can undermine the Y2K efforts of the best organizations and impede the function of i mission-entical operations, in the face of great uncertainties over the nation's emergency needs arising from Y2K problems, these concems make government continuity and contingency planning critical. Unlike traditional disaster recovery plans that are often focused on computer i systems, business continuity planning should be much broader in scope. Accordingly, we will need an accounting of the federal government's plans and programs for dealing with these contingencies. ,
Please report on your continuity of operati,ans and contingency planning to the Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem and the Appropriations Committee by April 30,1999. Your report should include the following: ,
- 1. A list of your department's or agency's core mission areas ranked according to priority and a description of the Y2K risk analyses you have performed for these areas, including the various failure scenarios you have considered for each core business process. Describe the business continuity and contingency plans for each of these core missions.
- 2. If your department or agency has specific responsibilities for national security or emergency preparedness functions assigned in Executive Order 12656 and 12472, please explain what steps you have taken to ensure tha't these functions will not be compromised.
3.'11 your department or agency has specific responsibilities in the Federal Response Plan (The Stafford Act, Pub. L. No.93-288 as amended), please include a detailed description of the continuity plans you have developed to ensure this mission, S S/k?o%z. &
03/17/S9 17:41 FAI (.)003/003 A 4
- 4. Finally, please explain the strategy and the procedure to be implemented on Thursday, December 30,1999 through the first week of the Year 2000. Also, include a description of the contingency plans created for February 29,2000. If you have created a business resumption team, describe the criteria it will use for assuring priority restoration to core processes.
Please provide the Committee both an electronic copy and a hard copy of this report.
Should you have any questions on the content of the report please contact Mr. Paul Nicholas, Committee staff, at (202) 224 5224.
Knowing that the federal departments and agencies are not only addressing Y2K, but also have appropriate Y2K contingency plans will go a long way in assuring the American public that the federal government will be ready. Thank you in advance for your prompt response.
l Sincerely, }
f Robert F. Bennett
.W' -
Christopher J. Dodd Chairman Vice-Chair W
Ted Stevens duft.Af d obert C. Byrd Chairman Ranking Minority Senate Appropriations Committee Senate Appropriations Committee I
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