Information Notice 1987-54, Emergency Response Exercises

Emergency Response Exercises
	ML031130496
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, Three Mile Island, 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, 05000000, Zimmer, Fort Saint Vrain, Shoreham, Satsop, Trojan, Atlantic Nuclear Power Plant
Issue date:	10/23/1987
From:	Rossi C; Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:	;
References
	IN-87-054, NUDOCS 8710190144
	Download: ML031130496 (9)
	v • d • e

SSINS No.: 6835 IN 87-54 UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555 October 23, 1987 NRC INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 87-54: EMERGENCY RESPONSE EXERCISES

Addressees

All holders of operating licenses or construction permits for nuclear power

reactors.

Purpose

This information notice is being provided to remind addressees of flexibility

that exists in certain rewuiremnents contiined in emergency planning rules. It

is expected that recipientsvwill review&the information for applicability to

their program. However, suggestions contained in this information notice do

not constitute NRC requirements'; therefore,'no'specific action or written

response is'required.

Description of Circumstances

To satisfy the current requirements of 10 CFR 50.47 and 10 CFR Part 50, Appen- dix E, each licensee must' annually exercise its emergency plan. In addition, each licensee is required to exercise with offsite authorities such that the

State and local government emergency plans'are exercised biennially. Currently

there are no specific requirements which address whether each exercise scenario

must lead to the declaration of A General Emergency. Mowever, perhaps as a

carryover from the 'previous requirements for annual State and local exercises, almost all exercise scenarios are planned to progress to a General Emergency

condition.

Discussion:

While it may be-appropriate for biennial offsite exercises to proceed to a

General Emergency declaration, exercises other than biennial offsite exercises

(off-year exercises) are not required to proceed to severe core damace. Such

exercises can provide an opportunity forlmore realistic emergency response

trainine and evaluation of licensee staff. For example, before severe core

damage would be expected to occur, the operating staff may be given the oppor- tunity to diagnose and attempt-to correct the problem through an interactive

scenario. In addition, some exercise scenarios. may be. designed with initiating

events at the Alert or Site Area Emergency classification. Since actual events

may go directly to these higher level classifications without sequencing

8710190144

' - is'.

IN 87-54 October 23, 1987 through each emergency classi advance.Opportunity to-activate response facili- ties may not occur. The flexibility within the requirements allows for the

development of other realistic scenarios which, in turn, can improve emergency

response capability.

10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, Section IV.F.3.f, states that "licensees shall

enable any State or local government located within the plume exposure.pathway

EPZ to participate in annual exercises when requested by such State or local

government." To satisfy this requirement, it may be necessary for licensees to

develop an exercise scenario which provides opportunities to test the appropri- ate aspects of the offsite response plan. Such participation may need to be

negotiated between the.licensee and the offsite.authorities...

Licensees that have conducted realistic and interactive exercises have identi- fied and corrected weaknesses in their ability to respond to such simulated ;

onsite events as fire, loss of electrical power, and equipment failure. The

response of personnel and availability and utilizationof alternate.equipment, to mitigate simulated severe, off-normal plant conditions have been;.challenging

and.have led somellicensees to conduct further training and provide added.

procedures and support equipment. In addition, interactive exercises-can

provide a training opportunity for personnel that Would be called upon to make

strategic decisions in areas that are not addressed by existing procedures.

-Licensees-arni applc-a-its- may-_fShto-cons4de -neorpet-tig--thesetconcep~tsn, planning and conducting off-year emergency response-exercises.-

The revision to the exercise frequency requirements of 10 CFR Part 50,

Appendix E has been previously discussed in.IE Information Notice 85-55,:

"Revised Emergency Exercise Frequency Rule."

No specific action or written response is required by.this information!notice.,

If you have any questions about.this matter, please contact.the technical.

contact listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate regional

office.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contact:

Cheryl A. Sakenas, AEOD .

(301) 492-9004 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

-Attachment.

4 IN-87-54 October 23, 1987

.LIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED i

I

INFORMATION NOTICES 1987 -I

k, I

Information Date of

Notice No. Subject Issuance Issued to

87-53 Auxiliary Feedwater Pump 10/20/87 All holders of OLs

Trips Resulting from Low or CPs for nuclear

Suction Pressure power reactors.

87-52 Insulation Breakdown of 10/16/87 All holders of OLs

Silicone Rubber-Insulated or CPs for nuclear

Single Conductor Cables power reactors.

During High Potential Testing

87-51 Failure of Low Pressure 10/13/87 All nuclear power

Safety Injection Pump Due reactor facilities

to Seal Problems holding an OL or CP.

87-50 Potential LOCA at High- 10/9/87 All nuclear power

and Low-Pressure Tnterfaces reactor facilities

from Fire Damage holding an OL or CP.

87-49 Deficiencies in Outside 10/9/87 All nuclear power

.! - Containment Flooding - io... .1 '7 , . ,w E .. reactor facilities

Protection holding an OL or CP.

87-48 Information Concerning the 10/9/87 All nuclear power

Use of Anaerobic Adhesive/ reactor facilities

Sealants holding an OL or CP.

87-47 Transportation of Radio- 10/5/87 All NRC licensees

graphy Devices authorized to manu- facture, distribute

and/or operate radio- graphic exposure

devices and/or

source changers.

87-46 Undetected Loss of Reactor 9/30/87 All PWR facilities

Coolant holding on OL or CP.

87-45 Recent Safety-Related 9/25/87 All NRC licensees

Violations of NRC authorized to possess

Requirements by Industrial and use sealed sources

Radiography Licensees for industrial radio- graphy.

OL = Operating License

CP = Construction Permit

IN 87-54 October 23, 1987 through each emergency class, advance opportunity to activate response facili- ties may not occur. The flexibility within the requirements allows for the

development of other realistic scenarios which, in turn, can improve emergency

response capability.

10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, Section IV.F.3.f, states that "licensees shall

enable any State or local government located within the plume exposure pathway

EPZ to participate in annual exercises when requested by such State or local

government." To satisfy this requirement, it may be necessary for licensees to

develop an exercise scenario which provides opportunities to test the appropri- ate aspects of the offsite response plan. Such participation may need to be

negotiated between the licensee and the offsite authorities.

Licensees that have conducted realistic and interactive exercises have identi- fied and corrected weaknesses in their ability to respond to such simulated

onsite events as fire, loss of electrical power, and equipment failure. The

response of personnel and availability and utilization of alternate equipment

to mitigate simulated severe off-normal plant conditions have been challenging

and have led some licensees to conduct further training and provide added

procedures and support equipment. In addition, interactive exercises can

provide a training opportunity for personnel that would be called upon to make

strategic decisions in areas that are not addressed by existing procedures.

Licensees and applicants may wish to consider incorporating these concepts in

planning and conducting off-year emergency response exercises.

The revision to the exercise frequency requirements of 10 CFR Part 50,

Appendix E has been previously discussed in TE Information Notice 85-55,

"Revised Emergency Exercise Frequency Rule."

No specific action or written response is required by this information notice.

If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the technical

contact listed below or the Regional Administrator of the appropriate regional

office.

Charles E. Rossi, Director

Division of Operational Events Assessment

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation

Technical Contact:

Cheryl A. Sakenas, AEOD

(301) 492-9004 Attachment: List of Recently Issued NRC Information Notices

SEE PREVIOUS CONCURRENCES R C/OGCB:DOEA:NRR D/DREP:NRR

CHBerlinger FCongel

87 10/ /87 10/ /87

PPMB:ARM OGCB:DOEA:NRR IR : OA:A D C/IRB:DOA:AEOD C/PEPB:DREP:NRR

TechEd JERamsey CASakenas KEPerkins DBMatthews

09/29/87 10/ /87 10/ /87 10/ /87 10/ /87

IN 87-XX

October xx, 1987 through each emergency class, advance opportunity to activate response facili- ties may not occur. The flexibility within the requirements allows for the