NRC Generic Letter 1990-08

NRC Generic Letter 1990-008: Simulation Facility Exemptions

ML031210435
Person / Time
Site:	Beaver Valley, Millstone, Hatch, Monticello, Calvert Cliffs, Dresden, Davis Besse, Peach Bottom, Browns Ferry, Salem, Oconee, Mcguire, Nine Mile Point, Palisades, Palo Verde, Perry, Indian Point, Fermi, Kewaunee, Catawba, Harris, Wolf Creek, Saint Lucie, Point Beach, Oyster Creek, Watts Bar, Hope Creek, Grand Gulf, Cooper, Sequoyah, Byron, Pilgrim, Arkansas Nuclear, Braidwood, Susquehanna, Summer, Prairie Island, Columbia, Seabrook, Brunswick, Surry, Limerick, North Anna, Turkey Point, River Bend, Vermont Yankee, Crystal River, Haddam Neck, Ginna, Diablo Canyon, Callaway, Vogtle, Waterford, Duane Arnold, Farley, Robinson, Clinton, South Texas, San Onofre, Cook, Comanche Peak, Yankee Rowe, Maine Yankee, Quad Cities, Humboldt Bay, La Crosse, Big Rock Point, Rancho Seco, Zion, Midland, Bellefonte, Fort Calhoun, FitzPatrick, McGuire, LaSalle, Fort Saint Vrain, Washington Public Power Supply System, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant, Clinch River, Crane
Issue date:	08/10/1990
From:	Partlow J G Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
GL-90-008, NUDOCS 9008080047
Download: ML031210435 (3)

.*. *A0 RUNITED STATESi vNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONWASHINGTON, D. C. 20555August 10, 1990TO: ALL HOLDERS OF OPERATING LICENSES OR CONSTRUCTION PERMITS FORNUCLEAR POWER REACTORSSUBJECT: SIMULATION FACILITY EXEMPTIONS (GENERIC LETTER 90- O0This Generic Letter is being issued to remind the addressees of the need tomeet the schedule requirements for the use of simulation facilities in theadministration of operating tests established in Section 55.45(b) of Title 10of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). This Generic Letter also describesthe review of exemption requests and the potential consequences for failure tomeet the requirements of Section 55.45(b). It is expected that addressees willreview this letter for applicability to their facilities.Section 306 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 USC 10226) requiredthe Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to establish, among other things,requirements for operating tests at simulators. The NRC accomplished thisobjective by revising 10 CFR Part 55, effective May 26, 1987. Theseregulations, in conjunction with 10 CFR 50.54(1-1), require facility licenseesto use simulation facilities when administering operating tests. Theseregulations further require that a certified or NRC-approved simulationfacility must be used to administer operating tests after May 26, 1991.In accordance with 10 CFR 55.45(b)(1), facility licensees may either apply forCommission approval for use of a simulation facility or they may certify thattheir simulation facility consists solely of a plant-referenced simulator.Section 55.45(b)(2) establishes the required schedule for the initial submittalof either an application or a certification. Sections 55.45(b)(2)(i) and (ii)require facility licensees proposing to apply for NRC approval to submit a planto do so by May 26 1988, and to submit the application by November 26, 1990.Section 55.45(b)(25(iii) requires facility licensees proposing to certifyplant-referenced simulators to submit Form 474, "Simulation FacilityCertification," by March 26, 1991. Section 55.45(b)(2)(iv) requires that,after May 26, 1991, the simulation facility portion of the operating test,which is required to be completed for both initial licensing and requalifi-cation examinations administered by NRC and for annual operating tests forfacility requalification programs, not be administered on other than acertified or approved simulation facility.As stated in the "Supplementary Information" published with the final versionof 10 CFR Part 55 in the Federal Register (52 FR 9453, March 25, 1987), theNRC expected each facility licensee to have a simulation facility availablewithin a reasonable period of time after the effective date of the new rulebut not later than 4 years after the effective date. It was further stated thatany deviations from the time requirements of 10 CFR 55.45(b) would be addressedon a case-specific basis. Therefore, facility licensees who believe they willnot be able to meet the time requirements should request exemptions as soon aspossible so that the request may be reviewed-and, where appropriate, granted sothat the facility licensees will not be in violation of the regulationsdiscus-sed-ahove.900047 Z A)G:

-I. --Generic Letter 90- 08 -2 i August 10, 1990The NRC will consider requests for exemptions in accordance with 10 CFR 50.12.'Items that will be considered when reviewing Justifications for exemptionrequests include the licensees' reasons for not meeting the schedule requirementsincluding their actual order dates and estimated completion dates for new orupgraded simulation facilities and the means for conducting operating testsuntil a certified or approved simulation facility is available. Specialcircumstances, as described in 10 CFR 50.12(a)(2), must be present for anyexemption to be granted.An exemption request would be covered by Office of Management and BudgetClearance Number 3150-0011, which expires January 31, 1991. The estimatedaverage burden hours for an exemption request would be approximately fourperson hours. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any otheraspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducingthis burden, to the Information and Records Management Branch (MNBB-7714),Division of Information Support Services, Office of Information ResourcesManagement, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555; and tothe Paperwork Reduction Project (3150-0011), Office of Management and Budget,Washington, DC 20503.If you have any questions about this letter, please contact the technicalcontact44sted beWow or the-appropriate- NRR-pro-emt anager-Sincerely,Ja s G. Partlow, Associate Directorfor ProjectsOffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contact:

N. Hunemuller, NRR(301) 492-3173Enclosure:List of Recently Issued Generic Letters EnclosureLIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED GENERIC LETTERSGenericLetter No..Date ofIssuanceSubject.-Issued To-- ----90-08SIMULATION FACILITYEXEMPTIONS08/10/90ALL HOLDERS OFOPERATING LICENSESOR CONSTRUCTIONPERMITS FOR NUCLEARPOWER REACTORS90-0789-10SUPP. 2.-OPERATOR LICENSING NATIONALEXAMINATION SCHEDULEAVAILABILITY OF.PROGRAMDESCRIPTIONS08/10/9008/03/90ALL POWER REACTORLICENSEES ANDAPPLICANTS FOR ANOPERATING LICENSEALL LICENSEES OFOPERATING NPPs ANDHOLDERS OF CPs FORNPPs88-20SUPP. 3COMPLETION OF CONTAINMENTPERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTPROGRAM AND,,FORWARIING OF,INSIGHTS FOR USE IN THEINDIVIDUAL PLANT EXAMINA-TION FOR SEVERE ACCIDENTVULNERABILITIES07/06/90--, !1; I = I- u ..ALL LICENSEES HOLD-ING OLs AND CPs.,FQR 0P.PwEACILITLESI.IEXCEPT LICENSEESFOR BWRs WITH MARK ICONTAINMENTS90-0690-05RESOLUTION OF GI 70, "POWER-OPERATED RELIEF VALVE ANDBLOCK VALVE RELIABILITY,"AND GI 94, 'ADDITIONAL LOW-TEMPERATURE-OVERPRESSUREPROTECTION FOR LIGHT-WATERREACTORS," PURSUANT TO1OCFR50.54(f)GUIDANCE FOR PERFORMINGTEMPORARY NON-CODE REPAIROF ASME CODE CLASS 1,2,&3PIPINGRESULTS OF THE PUBLIC WORK-SHOPRELAXATION OF STAFF POSITIONIN GL 83-28, ITEM 2.2 PART2, "VENDOR INTERFACE FORSAFETY-RELATED COMPONENTS"06/28/9006/15/9006/13/9005/14/90ALL PRESSURIZEDWATER REACTORLICENSEES ANDCONSTRUCTIONPERMIT HOLDERSALL HOLDERS OFOPERATING LICENSESFOR NPPsALL LICENSEES OFOPERATING NPPs ANDHOLDERS OF CPsALL POWER REACTORLICENSEES ANDAPPLICANTS89-10SUPP. 190-03SUPP. 1