Press Release-05-009, NRC Extends Opportunity to Request Use of New Standard for Addressing Existing Fire Protection Issues

Press Release-05-009: NRC Extends Opportunity to Request Use of New Standard for Addressing Existing Fire Protection Issues

ML050120162
Person / Time
Issue date:	01/12/2005
From:	Office of Public Affairs
To:
References
Press Release-05-009
Download: ML050120162 (1)

Text

NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, DC 20555-0001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA No.05-009 January 12, 2005 NRC EXTENDS OPPORTUNITY TO REQUEST USE OF NEW STANDARD FOR ADDRESSING EXISTING FIRE PROTECTION ISSUES The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has extended, to Dec. 31, 2005, the date for nuclear power plant operators to request use of a new, optional fire protection standard to resolve existing issues with a plants fire protection plans.

The new standard, which focuses resources on issues of the greatest risk significance, was announced in July 2004 and is described in a press release on the NRCs Web site at this address:

http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2004/04-076.html . Nuclear power plant operators originally had until Jan. 16 to request the new standard be applied to existing issues.

The NRC concluded the extension protects public health and safety, since nuclear plant operators must have the means to compensate for any existing problems to be dealt with under the standard, said Sunil Weerakkody, Chief of the Fire Protection Engineering Section in the NRCs Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

The Nuclear Energy Institute asked the NRC, in July 2004, to extend the deadline to Dec. 31 to allow for adequate planning and budgeting by plant operators. NRC staff considered possible safety implications, the need to start bringing fire-protection issues to closure, and other factors before agreeing to the extension.

The NRCs decision, and a companion Enforcement Policy revision, are outlined in a Federal Register notice, to be published shortly. The revised policy will be available on the NRC Web site at this address: http://www.nrc.gov/what-we-do/regulatory/enforcement/enforc-pol.pdf . The NRCs Public Document Room (phone 800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737) can help interested persons obtain these materials.