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, I 'r, 4 LICENSING 2;*
OF POWER REACTORS .I
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i Prepared by Division of Public Information U. S. Atomic Energy Commission- f 5
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The role of nuclear reactors in the production of elec- )
tricity for American homes is growing. With this increased use of nuclear' power reactors has come greater public interest l in, and awareness of,. the safeguards to public he~alth and l
, safety which are provided for these nuclear power plants. 1 1
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- When the atom is' split, or " fissioned," in a reactor, )
l it produces energy -- heat energy and radiation energy.
Positive control of this energy is achieved in a reactor i through the design of the facility and by careful operation. 1
,s. p By these means, constant care is taken to prevent injury to l employees or to the general public. '
. The most complete safeguards available are engineered P into power re' actor plants. These include: a system of con- l l
E trols'to regulate the reactivity and rate of energy release ,
l [., in the reactor core where the nuclear fuel elements are i
[ placed; a heat extraction system to transfer energy from the l E reactor to systems for the generation of electric power; a iE. containment system designed to prevent the escape of harmful D' amounts of radiation in the event, however remote, of an accident; and a waste disposal system to control the release ;
i to the environment of the low-level effluents produced dur-D ing normal operation. These systems are continually checked
! 2. l,' to assure that they are working properly.
l % Protection of health and safety is the primary goal of f~~ the Atomic Energy Commission's regulatory program. Under p.;
[ Ei this program, the licensed uses of radioactive materials and D$ the construction and operation of licensed nuclear facili-N. ties, of which reactors are one type, are regulated by AEC,,
h State and local officials are kept informed of AEC licensing actions taken in connection with a power reactor project.
F 'l How are power reactors licensed and regulated? Let's l
trace the steps taken by the AEC from the time a license applicant considers construction of a p r' reactor through the period of operation of that reactor l
Commission owned power reactors located at non-AEC sites and operated as part of conventio'nal utility systems are no,t
- .* licensed. However, procedures which are parallel to those discussed here are used in the issuance of authorizations for construction and operation of these reactors.
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$ election of a Reactor Site .
Great care goes into the selection of a reactor site.
To assist prospective, applicants, the Atomic, Energy Com-mission has published criteria which it uses as guides in the safety evaluation of proposed sites for stationary l licensed power and test reactors. 1 l
Factors considered by the Commission in judging the safety of proposed sites for power reactors include di- -
- ? mensions and characteristics of the site under the oper- ;
4 ator's control; population density in the area surround- l 1
%_ ing the proposed site, and the uses which are made of this L area, such as industrial, farming or residential; and the L~ a seismology, meteorology, geology and hydrology of the area. ;
E ! Other factors considered are the characteristics of the !
[ l proposed reactor, including maximum power level, use of
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the facility, and the safeguards engineered into the plant
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9 either to prevent or to limit the consequences of accidents; {'
- g. and the extent to which Lae design of the reactor incorpo-s rates unique or unusual features which may have a signif- 1 l1 .,. icant bearing on the probability or consequences of an it, accident.
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_c Before formally filing an application for construction and operation of a power reactor, a prospective applicant hs; may discuss possible sites for the reactor with the Com-eA: mission 's regulatory staf f and with the AEC Advisory Com-kh_ mittee on Reactor Safeguards, a committee composed of l E- scientists and engineers who are eminently qualified in the various fields related to reactor technology. The ACRS gf P advises the Commission on safety aspects of reactors. In this way an applicant can receive additional guidance as to the acceptability of a site and the information which must ll j be included in the application for a license to construct and operate a reactor.
Application for a Construction Permit l
Once a company has decided it wants to build a power reactor at a particular site, it must file an application with the Commission for a permit to begin construction.
Such things as site exploration, site excavation, procure-ment or manufacture of components and construction of non-nuclear facilities may be done without an AEC construction permit.
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l Along with the application, the company flies a pre-liminary safeguards report.. This report sets'out in as.much detail as is then possible the technical aspects of the pro-posed reactor,. as well as comprehensive data-on the proposed site. The report discusses conceivable accidents which might occur and the safeguards which will be provided to pre-vent accidents, or if they should occur, to prevent over-exposure of the public and employees to radiation.
r 5 - <- y The. safeguards report is carefully studied by the j
.f : regulatory staff. Copies are'sent to the commission's '
k Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, as well as to )
state and local officials, and are placed in AEC 's Public l l~ I Document Room A public announcement of the receipt of the f.7 application is issued by AEC and a notice is published in F~f3 the Federal Register. Copies of all correspondence and L. filings relating to the application are placed in the public 4
{f records of the Commission.
P Review and Safety Evaluation L
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The application is reviewed by technichl experts of the Commission 's regulatory staff. This staff is headed by the
@@U Director of Regulation, who reports directly to the Commis-5~
sion. There are three divisions under the Director of Regu-ggq lation. They are the Division of Licensing and Regulation, ggp the Division of Radiation Protection Standards and the Tcm Division of Compliance. The thorough review includes' cot.-
[g; sideration of all the radiation safety aspects of the pro-p;, posed reactor, as well as the applicant's technical and'
- r. financial qualifications. The Division of Licensing and
& Regulation supplements this study of the hazards summary re-port with conferences with the technical staff of the appli-
{ cant, and may ask for further.information if this is re-C- J quired in the safety determination which must be made.
The data adbmitted must. provide the ne.cessary informa-tion to permit evaluation of the adequacy of.the proposed site for a reactor of the power level and type planned.
Even though complete, design. details are usually not avail-able at the time of the application for a construction per-mit, the data submitted must provide reasonable assurance e that a reactor of the type and powez' level proposed can be constructed and operated at the selected site without en-dangering the health and safety of the public, including plant employees. .
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f ACRS Safety Evaluation i
Before completing its review, the Division of Licensing j i
and Regulation prepares un analysis of the safety aspects of the proposed power-reacLor for the Advisory Committee on Re--
actor Safeguards, which has already received the applicant's preliminary safeguards report. Particular problems which may exist are identified for consideration by ACRS. The '
3 Advisory Committee considers the preliminary safeguards re-port, together with the analysis prepared by the Division of Licensing and Regulat' on. Representatives of the appli- . ,
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L[ cant and members of the technical staff of the Division of )'
i Licensing and Regulation usually meet with the ACRS to deal
._ with questions that arise during the Committee's review of the reactor. When it has reached a conclusion as to the y >
safety aspects of the proposed reactor, the ACRS reports its b views to the Commission. This report is made public.
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He arinct on Construction Permit
- If the regulatory staff reaches a favorabic conclusion .
J ;4 in the safety studies, and the report from the ACRS is p favorable, the next step in the regulatory process is the ~ ,
y scheduling of.a public hearing to consider issuance of a The public is given p;; construction permit for the reactor.
30 days' notice of the hearing date, through a notice pub- l L .O N lished in the Federal Register. In addition, a public hgd announcement,is issued by AEC.
q Approximately 20 days in advance of the public hearing, e
@] an analysis of the safety aspects of the proposed reactor,
% prepared by the Division of Licensing and Regulation, is 2 made available to the public. This analysis takes into r& i Copies 1
i' account the recommendations and advice of the ACRS.
of this analysis are also furnished to netspapers in the d area which surrounds the proposed site of the reactor.
on occasion, the Commission has also held informal '"
public information meetings in the arraa near the site of the proposed reactor. At these meetings, members of the AEC regulatory staff discuss the Commission's regulatory :s program and their review of the proposed reacter, and answer
! questions about the project from members of the public. The pro' ject also is discussed with state and local officials. ;
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){ ,). 3 ' f' The public hearing s conducyed eittier Mf' n Atomic ,
safety and . licensing bov d, or by a hearing- examin.er. .An, atomic' safety and licensing board is cc.aposed of tEo' persons T L, whoaretechnicallyquali%danddnepersonwhodr{t quali-i 1
find to conduct administrative -
e procedings. /' s ' ,,7
> , './ i . .J.. y The application, anyfamendmentsyto the'4adkicationwhich have been filed, ande any other yci6tinent 'decuments are j
.may'mi*tted for the record. Testimony is. presented /both .by p- i sub l tha applicant and yhe AEC regulatory s'taff on;the safety' v i l nspects of the reagpor and. on the applicant?s technical' and .
e financial qualifications,to construct the renctor. In addi-tion,ftheCommission,5.,rulesofpracticy,permitpersons. F M
- , whose . interests say<hs t vene as parties. " Per sohlffected by,the to proceeding to, inter-s who.wish only make aLstatecent' h j
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R 'of their view's concernY.ig t'h[ project may be permitted !
to.make limited appearancerij' l Q..
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p 9 r, l h." ^ The proceecIingo 'rde cenAucted informally, consistent. .
p with legal requiremengecand fairness to all parties. ( l'1
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$.[ FinalActiononConsthuctionPermiti n 9 Thai licensing board or hearing examiner considers'the j g evidence whic/h hpa been presented, together with any briefs '
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3 which may have been filed, and issues,a decicion. These f i decisions are rebject to review by the fuir Commission upon.
"M k .its own motica A upon filing.of a petition 'locLreview which the Commission accepts.* * . In the absence of Cosudission. re-
,Cp tsd view, the decision becomes effective' on a specified date. J q
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E" If autherized by; the ~ decision, a construction permit '
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( is issue 3.. ' The permit ,for a ' power reactor nay be pro-visional in that it takes into acccunt the fact that com- f L plate ~ technical data being developed by the applicant will .
be required later' to complete /the . nafety analysis'. The per- -
mit' must include a finding, howavar,. that M0 is satisfied)
.it has enough information to provHe ;ceasonable asaurance, l that a. facility of the type and size' proposed can 114 con ~t , q' structed and operated safely at the' proposed'locetion. ' l
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Asconstructionproceedsonthereactor,it'ibin-spected periodically at by representatives of t,he Commission's o
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- Division of Compliance to assure that the requirements of the i i construction permit are met. -
(c 3 i, Eventually, the applicant submits the remainder of the hJ required information, including plans for operation and pro- 1 cedures for coping with emergency situations, and perti'nent details on the final design of the reactor itself -- such as containment design, design of the nuclear core, and. waste disposal systems. Once again the Division of Licensing and p:
V Regulation makes a detailed review of the information on the j reactor and presents an analysis.of it to the Advisory Com-j j t
- n. 5 mittee on Reactor Safeguards. The report of the ACRS is {
l i, made public.
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- p. - When the, Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and E-the AEC regulatory staff have completed their preoperational r safety reviews, the Comrcission in its discretion may issue I
$iL an operating license (after the required safety determination k~ has been made) or it may schedule a public hearing to con- i p_ sider issuance of the license. In the event no hearing is E- scheduled, ,a 30-day public notice is published stating that W in the absence of a timelv petition to intervene, and request.
@; for a hearing, the license will be issued. Before final Q action on the license, the regulatory staff 's analysis of the safety aspects is made available to the public.
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a Ei< If a public hearing is held, the decision of the li- .
f) censing board or hearing examiner is subject to Commission !
gj review.
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issued to the applicant. This license may be provisional for an initial period of operation, at the end of which r
time a review is made to determine conditions for the full i L term license (not more than 40 years).
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Power reactors are brought up to full power gradually.
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.o In some cases, a step-wise approach to full power operation is required by the license, and an evaluation of operations is made by AEC before.each new step in power increase is begun. Persons who operate a power reactor must be li-censed by the Commission. They must pass an AEC examina- '
tion which includes an operating test'and a written examina-tion on their knowledge of specific details of the facility and the procedures used in its operation.
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.J Continuino Review -
AEC insp'ection and' review of power reactors does 'not stop when the operating license is issued...The reactors are inspected periodically by representatives of the Commission's f Division of Compliance to make certain operations are being )
conducted in accordance with terms of the license. !
. Thus, reactors are subjected to detailed review by j technical experts before construction is permitted, before
- operation is permitted and during the entire period of their 4 operation. In the event an unsafe condition is discovered p 'j after operation begins, the Commission has authority to order e
! the' licensee to shut down the. reactor and take any safety L-( measures which may be necessary. It should be emphasized, sf s .
however, that the outstanding safety record of the atomic 1 7"$ energy industry has been achieved because persons who deal L;')
with atomic energy respect the potential hazards and ex-ercise great care in the handling and use of~ atomic materials.
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