NRC Generic Letter 84-19, Availability of Supplement 1 to NUREG-0933, "A Prioritization of Generic Safety Issues"

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August 6, 1984

TO ALL LICENSEES OF OPERATING REACTORS, APPLICANTS FOR OPERATING LICENSES, AND HOLDERS OF CONSTRUCTION PERMITS

Gentlemen:

SUBJECT: AVAILABILITY OF SUPPLEMENT 1 TO NUREG-0933, "A PRIORITIZATION OF GENERIC SAFETY ISSUES" (Generic Letter No. 84-19)

This letter is to inform you that Supplement 1 to NUREG-0933, "A Prioritization of Generic Safety Issues," will be published in July 1984, and may be purchased by calling (301) 492-9530 or by writing the NRC/GPO Sales Program, Division of Technical Information and Document Control, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555, or the National Technical Information Service, Department of Commerce, 5258 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161.

The Supplement presents the priority rankings for generic safety issues related to nuclear power plants. The purpose of these rankings is to assist in the timely and efficient allocation of NRC resources for the resolution of those safety issues that have a significant potential for reducing risk. The safety priority rankings of HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW, and DROP have been assigned on the basis of risk significance estimates, the ratio of risk to costs and other impacts estimated to result if resolutions of the safety issues were implemented, and the consideration of uncertainties and other quantitative or qualitative factors, as discussed in the Introduction of the report. To the extent practical, estimates are quantitative. Although changes to nuclear power plant designs or operation are assumed, the sole purpose in prioritizing the issues is to estimate costs and other impacts that might result if such changes were implemented.

The priority rankings in the report are based on generic assessments, i.e.,

assessments of plants thought to be typical of a class of plants. Thus, the safety significance of an issue might be greater (or less) for a specific plant because of features of the design or operation that are different from those assumed in the generic assessments.

The Supplement contains:

(1) the issues that have been resolved since publication of NUREG-0933 in December 1983;

(2) the issues that have beer)

removed from further consideration by the NRC (i.e., those issues with LOW or DROP priority rankings); and

(3) the issues that are in the process of resolution (i.e., those issues nearly resolved or with HIGH or MEDIUM priority rankings).This letter does not contain any new requirements or guidance for licensees of operating reactors, applicants for operating licenses, and holders of construction permits. No reply is required.

Darrell G. Eisenhut, Director Division of Licensing Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

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