Press Release-12-064, NRC Seeks Comment on Draft Guidance Documents Regarding Post-Fukushima Requirements
| ML16141B169 | |
| Person / Time | |
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| Issue date: | 05/31/2012 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
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| Category:Press Release | |
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| Press Release-12-064 | |
| Download: ML16141B169 (2) | |
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NRC SEEKS COMMENT ON DRAFT GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS REGARDING POST-FUKUSHIMA REQUIREMENTS The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has drafted several Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) documents to ensure proper implementation of three Orders the agency issued to U.S. nuclear power plants in March, in response to lessons learned from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident.
Public comments on the draft ISGs will help the NRC ensure the guidance is as complete as possible. The draft ISGs are currently available, and the comment period will run from no later than June 7 to July 7; the NRC will consider the comments before finalizing the ISGs in August. Once the draft ISGs are published in the Federal Register, comments can be submitted via regulations.gov using Docket IDs 2012-0067, 2012-0068 and 2012-0069.
The draft ISGs represent acceptable approaches to meeting the Orders requirements before their Dec. 31, 2016, compliance deadline. The ISGs are not mandatory, but U.S. nuclear power plants would have to seek NRC approval if they wanted to follow a different compliance approach.
The first Order requires all U.S. plants to better protect portable safety equipment put in place after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and to obtain sufficient equipment to support all reactors at a given site simultaneously. The draft ISG for this Order incorporates the industrys FLEX approach to dealing with any scenario that knocks out all of a plants alternating current electric sources. The staff concludes that approach will successfully implement the Order. The first draft ISG is available in the NRCs electronic document database, ADAMS, under accession number ML12146A014; the associated industry document describing FLEX is available under accession number ML12143A232.
The second Order applies only to U.S. boiling-water reactors that have Mark I or Mark II containment structures. Mark I reactors must improve installed venting systems that help prevent or mitigate core damage in the event of a serious accident; Mark II reactors must install these venting systems. The draft ISG for this Order provides more detail on technical requirements for the vents, as well as how vent designs and operating procedures should avoid, where possible, relying on plant personnel taking actions under hazardous conditions. The second draft ISG is available in ADAMS under accession number ML12146A371.
NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No.12-064 May 31, 2012
The third Order requires all plants to install enhanced equipment for monitoring water levels in each plants spent fuel pool. The draft ISG for this Order incorporates an industry document that the staff concludes will successfully implement the Order. The ISG defines in more detail the water levels the new equipment must accurately report, as well as standards for equipment mounting, powering and testing, personnel training and other criteria. The third draft ISG is available in ADAMS under accession number ML12144A323; the associated industry document is available under accession number ML12135A414.
The NRC also issued an information request in March, including earthquake and flooding hazard walkdowns, during which skilled engineers verify that the plants conform to their current license requirements. The NRC has issued final guidance covering these walkdowns, which includes incorporation of industry documents that the staff concludes will lead to appropriate reviews for all U.S. nuclear power plants.
The flooding walkdown guidance is available in the NRCs electronic document database, ADAMS, under accession number ML12144A142; the associated industry document is available under accession number ML121440522. The seismic walkdown guidance endorsement is available under accession number ML12145A529; the associated industry document is currently being added to ADAMS and will be publically available in the next few days.
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