NRC Generic Letter 84-24, Certification of Compliance to 10 CFR 50.49, Environmental Qualification of Electric Equipment Important to Safety for Nuclear Power Plants

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December 27, 1984

TO ALL LICENSEES OF OPERATING REACTORS AND APPLICANTS FOR AN OPERATING LICENSE

Gentlemen:

SUBJECT: CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE TO 10 CFR 50.49, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALIFICATION OF ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT IMPORTANT TO SAFETY FOR NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (Generic Letter 84-24)

The Commission has amended its regulations, effective February 23, 1983, to clarify and strengthen the criteria for environmental qualification of electric equipment important to safety. A copy of the new rule, 10 CFR 50.49, Is Environmental Qualification of Electric Equipment Important to Safety for Nuclear Power Plants," is enclosed for information.

The Commission has directed the staff to collect information on the status of compliance with the rule, evaluate the information and make recommendations on needed action. Accordingly, pursuant to 10 CFR 50.54(f),

each licensee of an operating reactor is required to submit, under oath or affirmation, no later than 30 days from the date of this letter, a certification that:

(a) the utility has in place and is implementing an Environmental Qualification (EQ) Program that will satisfy the requirements of 10 CFR Section 50.49 within the currently approved schedule for the plant without further extension;

(b) the plant has at least one path to safe shutdown using fully qualified equipment, or has submitted a justification for continued safe operation (JCO) pending full qualification of any equipment not fully qualified; and

(c) all other equipment within the scope of 50.49 is either fully qualified or a JCO has been submitted pending full qualification.

The certifications described in (a), (b), and

(c) above should specifically address all IE Bulletins and Information Notices that identify EQ problems, to the extent that such bulletins and notices are relevant to the licensee's facility. The following Bulletins and Information Notices are considered applicable to these certifications: IE Bulletin 82-04, IE Information Notices 82-11, 82-52, 83-45, 83-72, 84-23, 84-44, 84-47, 84-57, 84-68 and 84-78.

This requirement for certification under oath or affirmation does not require approval by the Office of Management and Budget. Comments on burden and duplication may be directed to the Office of Management and Budget, Reports Management Room 3208, New Executive Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20503.

Darrell G. Eisenhut, Director Division of Licensing

Enclosure: As stated

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