Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Draft Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate guidance; request for comment.
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is issuing the draft Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate Interim Staff Guidance (JLD–ISG), JLD–ISG–2012–03, “Compliance With Order EA–12–051, Order Modifying Licenses With Regard to Reliable Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation.” This JLD–ISG provides guidance and clarification to assist nuclear power reactor applicants and licensees with the identification of measures needed to comply with requirements to install enhanced spent fuel pool monitoring capability.
Comments must be filed no later than July 7, 2012. Comments received after this date will be considered, if it is practical to do so, but the NRC staff is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date.
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Mrs. Lisa M. Regner, Japan Lessons Learned Project Directorate, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–1906; email:
Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2012–0067 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may access information related to this document by the following methods:
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This draft interim staff guidance (ISG) is being issued to describe to the public methods acceptable to the NRC staff for complying with Order EA–12–051, “Order Modifying Licenses with Regard to Reliable Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation (Effective Immediately)” (Order EA–12–051), issued March 12, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12056A044). This draft ISG endorses, with exceptions, the methodologies described in the industry guidance document, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 12–02,
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued Order EA–12–051 following the NRC staff's evaluation of the earthquake and tsunami, and resulting nuclear accident, at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in March 2011. Order EA–12–051 requires all licensees and construction permit (CP) holders to provide safety enhancements in the form of reliable spent fuel pool instrumentation for beyond-design-basis external events. Order EA–12–051 also requires the NRC staff to issue final interim staff guidance in August 2012 to provide additional details on an acceptable approach for complying with Order EA–12–051.
Following the events at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, the NRC established a senior-level agency task force referred to as the Near-Term Task Force (NTTF). The NTTF conducted a systematic and methodical review of the NRC regulations and processes, and determined if the agency should make additional improvements to these programs in light of the events at Fukushima Dai-ichi.
As a result of this review, the NTTF developed a comprehensive set of recommendations, documented in SECY–11–0093, Near-Term Report and Recommendations for Agency Actions Following the Events in Japan, dated July 19, 2011. These recommendations were modified by the NRC staff following interactions with stakeholders. Documentation of the NRC staff's efforts is contained in SECY–11–0124, Recommended Actions To Be Taken Without Delay From the Near Term Task Force Report, dated September 9, 2011, and SECY–11–0137, Prioritization of Recommended Actions To Be Taken in Response to Fukushima Lessons Learned, dated October 3, 2011. SECY–11–0124 and SECY–11–0137 established the NRC staff's prioritization of the recommendation based upon the potential for each recommendation to enhance safety.
As discussed in the Staff Requirements Memorandum associated with SECY–12–0025, Proposed Orders and Requests for Information in Response to Lessons Learned from Japan's March 11, 2011, Great Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, dated March
As required by Order EA–12–051, the NRC staff is issuing a draft version of JLD–ISG–12–03 to provide additional details on an acceptable approach for complying with Order EA–12–051 requirements. The staff intends to issue the final ISG in August 2012 following consideration of public comments.
Numerous public meetings were held to receive stakeholder input on the proposed requirement for spent fuel pool instrumentation enhancements prior to issuance of Order EA–12–051. Following issuance of Order EA–12–051, several more public meetings were held with representatives from the NEI task force to discuss development of the guidance for compliance with Order EA–12–051. By letter dated May 11, 2012, the NEI task force submitted a guidance document for the implementation of Order EA–12–051 and requested the NRC endorsement.
By this action, the NRC is requesting public comments on draft JLD–ISG–2012–03. This ISG proposes guidance related to requirements contained in Order EA–12–051, Reliable Spent Fuel Pool Instrumentation. The NRC staff will make a final determination regarding issuance of the JLD–ISG after it considers any public comments received in response to this request.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.