Press Release-98-177, NRC Proposes to Require Nuclear Power Plants to Assess Safety Impact Before Taking Equipment Out of Service for Maintenance, Press Release-98-177, NRC Proposes to Require Nuclear Power Plants to Assess Safety Impact Before Takin

Press Release-98-177, NRC Proposes to Require Nuclear Power Plants to Assess Safety Impact Before Taking Equipment Out of Service for Maintenance

ML003707775
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Issue date:	10/01/1998
From:	Office of Public Affairs
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Category:Press Release
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Press Release-98-177
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UnitedStatesNuclearRegulatoryCommissionOfficeofPublicAffairsWashington,DC20555Phone301-415-8200Fax301-415-2234 Internet:opa@nrc.govNo.98-177FORIMMEDIATERELEASE(Thursday,October1,1998)NRCPROPOSESTOREQUIRENUCLEARPOWERPLANTSTOASSESSSAFETYIMPACTBEFORETAKINGEQUIPMENTOUTOFSERVICEFORMAINTENANCETheNuclearRegulatoryCommissionisproposingtoreviseitsMaintenanceRuletorequirethatnuclearpowerplantlicensees assesstheimpactonsafetybeforetheytakeequipmentoutof serviceformaintenance.Atpresent,therulesaysthat licensees"should"dosuchanassessment,butdoesnotrequire

it.NRCistakingcommentsontheproposedrulechange.CommentsaredueDecember14.NRChaslongbeenconcernedaboutatrendinthenuclearpowerindustrytotakekeyequipmentoutofservicefor maintenancewhileaplantisonline,withoutathoroughrisk evaluation.PublishedNRCreportson50inspectionsconducted sincetheMaintenanceRulewasfirstadoptedin1991showthat alllicenseescheckedhaveprogramsinplacerequiringareview ofthesafetyimpactontheplantbeforeequipmentistakenout ofserviceformaintenance.Butatfivesites,licenseeshadnot performedsuchassessments,andat19otherssafetyassessment weaknesseswerefound.ThepresentrulemakingresultsfromadirectivegiventheNRCstaffbytheCommissionafteritwasinformedlastyearthat theMaintenanceRulelanguageonsafetyassessmentsis permissive,ratherthanmandatory.AlsoattheCommission's direction,theproposedamendmentspecifiesthattheMaintenance Ruleappliesduringallconditionsofplantoperations,including shutdowns,andthatsafetyassessmentsaretobeperformedfor allmaintenanceactivities.Moredetailsabouttheproposedruleamendmentmaybefoundinanoticepublishedonpages52201-52206oftheSeptember30 editionoftheFederalRegister.Commentsshouldbemailedto theSecretary,U.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommission,Washington,DC 20555-0001,Attention:RulemakingsandAdjudicationsStaff.They alsomaybehand-deliveredto11555RockvillePike,Rockville, MD,between7:30a.m.and4:15p.m.onFederalworkdays.CommentsmaybetransmittedviatheNRC'sinteractiverulemaking websitethroughtheNRChomepagefoundathttp://www.nrc.gov

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