98-30417. Boiling-Water Reactor Licensees Use of the BWRVIP-05 Report To Request Relief From Augmented Examination Requirements on Reactor Pressure Vessel Circumferential Shell Welds; Issue

[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 219 (Friday, November 13, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 63511]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30417]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Boiling-Water Reactor Licensees Use of the BWRVIP-05 Report To 
Request Relief From Augmented Examination Requirements on Reactor 
Pressure Vessel Circumferential Shell Welds; Issue

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of Issuance.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued Generic 
Letter (GL) 98-05 to all holders of operating licenses for nuclear 
power reactors, except those who have permanently ceased operations and 
have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactor 
vessel, to inform them that the NRC staff has completed its review of 
the ``BWR Vessel and Internals Project (BWRVIP), BWR Reactor Pressure 
Vessel Shell Weld Inspection Recommendations (BWRVIP-05),'' and that 
they may request permanent (i.e., for the remaining term of operation 
under the existing, initial license) relief from the inservice 
inspection requirements of 10 CFR 50.55a(g) for the volumetric 
examination of circumferential reactor pressure vessel welds, by 
demonstrating that: (1) At the expiration of the license, the 
circumferential welds will continue to satisfy the limiting conditional 
failure probability for circumferential welds stated in the NRC staff's 
July 28, 1998, safety evaluation, and (2) licensees have implemented 
operator training and established procedures that limit the frequency 
of cold over-pressure events to that specified in the staff's July 28, 
1998, safety evaluation. Addressees will still need to perform their 
required inspections of ``essentially 100 percent'' of all axial welds.
    The generic letter is available in the NRC Public Document Room 
under accession number 9811030134.

DATES: The generic letter was issued on November 10, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Not applicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gene Carpenter, at [phone].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The generic letter requires no specific 
action or written response. Any action on the part of an addressee to 
request relief from the inservice inspection requirements of 10 CFR 
50.55a(g) is strictly voluntary.

    Dated at Rockville, Md., this 10th day of November 1998.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Jack W. Roe,
Acting Director, Division of Reactor Program Management, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 98-30417 Filed 11-12-98; 8:45 am]
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