96-31439. Individual Plant Examination Program: Perspectives on Reactor Safety and Plant Performance, Volume 2, Parts 2-5, Draft

[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 239 (Wednesday, December 11, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65248-65249]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-31439]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Individual Plant Examination Program: Perspectives on Reactor 
Safety and Plant Performance, Volume 2, Parts 2-5, Draft

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Availability of NUREG, Draft for public comment; Notice of 
Public workshop meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has published a draft of 
``Individual Plant Examination Program: Perspectives on Reactor Safety 
and Plant Performance, Summary Report,'' NUREG-1560, Volume 2, Parts 2-
5. This volume provides an in-depth discussion of the insights and 
findings (summarized in Volume 1, Part 1, Summary Report) from a review 
of the Individual Plant Examinations (IPE) submitted to the agency in 
response to Generic Letter 88-20. In addition, the NRC staff will 
conduct a public workshop to discuss the contents of the draft NUREG 
and to solicit comments.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Draft NUREG-1560 (Volume 2, Parts 2-5) is 
available for inspection and copying for a fee at the NRC Public 
Document Room, 2120 L Street N.W. (Lower Level), Washington D.C. 20555-
0001. A free single copy of Draft NUREG-1560 (Volume 2, Parts 2-5), to 
the extent of supply, may be requested by writing to Distribution 
Series, Printing and Mail Services Branch, Office of Administration, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.
    Draft NUREG-1560 provides perspectives gained from the review of 
the IPEs submitted in response to Generic Letter 88-20. Five major 
objectives were pursued in documenting perspectives from the reviews:
    (1) The impact of the IPE program on reactor safety--
     The number and type of vulnerabilities or other safety 
issues that have been identified, and the related safety enhancements 
that have been implemented,
     The impact that the improvements have had on plant safety, 
and
     Whether any of these improvements have ``generic'' 
implications for all or a class of plants.
    (2) Plant-specific features and assumptions that play a significant 
role in the estimation of core damage frequency (CDF) and the analysis 
of containment performance--
     Important design and operational features that affect CDF 
and containment performance, with regard to the different reactor and 
containment types,
     The influence of the IPE methodology and assumptions on 
the results, with regard to the different reactor and containment 
types, and
     Significant plant improvements to reduce CDF and increase 
containment performance, with regard to the different reactor and 
containment types.
    (3) The importance of the operator's role in CDF estimation and 
containment performance analysis--
     Operator actions that are consistently important in the 
IPEs,
     Operator actions that are important because of plant-
specific characteristics, and
     Influence of modeling assumptions and different 
methodologies on the results.
    (4) IPEs with respect to risk-informed regulation--
     Quality of the IPEs, given the limited scope of the 
staff's review, compared to a quality probabilistic risk assessment, 
and therefore, the potential role of the IPEs in risk-informed 
regulation.
    (5) General Perspectives--
     The implication of the IPE results relative to the current 
risk level of U.S. plants compared with the Commission's Safety Goals,
     The improvements that have been identified as a result of 
the Station Blackout Rule and analyzed as part of the IPE, and the 
impact of these improvements on reducing the likelihood of station 
blackout,
     The results of the IPEs compared with the perspectives 
gained from NUREG-1150.
    Draft NUREG-1560 also documents the staff's preliminary overall 
conclusions and observations gained from the perspectives of each of 
the above noted areas. These conclusions and observations address the 
following:
     Generic Letter 88-20 objective (including improvement of 
plant safety)
     Regulatory follow-up activities

--Plant safety enhancements
--Containment performance improvements
--Additional review of IPE/PRA
--Plants with relatively high CDF or conditional containment failure 
probability

     Safety issues

--Unresolved safety issue (USI) A-45
--Other USIs and generic safety issues (GSIs)
--Potential GSIs
     Plant inspection activities
     Areas for research
     Commission's Safety Goals
     Use of NUREG-1560

--Accident management
--Maintenance rule
--Risk-informed regulation
--Miscellaneous issues

     Probabilistic risk analysis (PRA)
    Draft NUREG-1560 is comprised of two volumes. Volume 1 (Part 1) 
provides an overall summary of the key perspectives (published October 
1996). Volume 2 (Parts 2 through 5) provides a more in-depth discussion 
of the perspectives summarized in Part 1.
    The staff recognizes that licensees have updated their IPEs/PRAs 
which may have an impact on the perspectives discussed in the draft 
NUREG, and therefore, the preliminary conclusions and observations 
noted by the staff. Accuracy of the reported results in the IPEs and 
the appropriateness of the interpretation of these results will also 
have a potential impact on the staff's perspectives, conclusions and 
observations. Consequently, this NUREG is published as a draft for 
comment. All interested parties are encouraged to submit comments.
    Mail comments on Draft NUREG-1560 (Volumes 1 and 2) by February 14, 
1997 to Mary Drouin, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Mail Stop 
T-10 E50, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001.
    Workshop Meeting Information: A 3-day workshop will be held to 
address comments and answer questions. Persons other than NRC staff and 
NRC contractors interested in making a presentation at the workshop 
should

[[Page 65249]]

notify Mary Drouin, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, MS T10E50, 
Washington DC 20555, phone [phone], fax [phone], e-mail 
[e-mail] or Edward Chow, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, MS 
T10E50, Washington DC 20555, phone [phone], fax [phone], 
e-mail [e-mail].
    Dates: April 7, 8, 9, 1997.
    Location: Austin, Texas.
    Hotel: Hyatt Regency, 208 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, Texas, 78704. 
Please make your reservations directly with the Hyatt Regency Hotel, 
phone [phone] (or 1 800 233-1234). Mention that you will be 
attending the NRC-IPE Workshop to receive the meeting group rate of 
$113/night plus tax (single/double). Hotel reservations by March 7, 
1997 are required in order to receive the group rate (subject to 
availability).
    Registration: The workshop registration fee is $75 USD ($100 for 
late registration); registration fee is payable by check or money 
orders drawn on US banks payable to Sandia National Laboratories; no 
credit cards accepted. Mail registration fees to Martha Lucero, Sandia 
National Laboratories, PO Box 5800, MS 0129, Albuquerque, New Mexico 
87185-0129. Please include name, organization, address and phone number 
with your registration fee. Registration fee includes reception, daily 
continental breakfast, and one lunch. Pre-registration fee ($75) is due 
by February 15, 1997. Late registration fee ($100) is due at time of 
workshop/meeting (cash is accepted for late registration payment at 
workshop). Notification of attendance (e.g., pre- registration) is 
requested so that adequate space, etc. for the workshop can be 
arranged. Notification of attendance or questions regarding meeting 
registration or fees should be directed to Martha Lucero, Sandia 
National Laboratories, Phone [phone], fax [phone], e- 
mail [e-mail]
    Agenda: Preliminary agenda is as follows. A final agenda will be 
available at workshop.

Sunday, April 6, 1997

3:00 pm to 7:00 pm--Registration
6:00 pm to 9:00 pm--Reception

Monday, April 7, 1997

7:00 am to 4:00 am
    registration
8:00 am to 5:00 pm
     Opening remarks
     Introduction (Roadmap for meeting)
     Conclusions and observations **
     Reactor and containment design perspectives *
     Operational perspectives **
     Perspectives on impact of IPE program on reactor safety **
     Perspectives on IPEs with respect to risk-informed 
regulation **
     Perspectives on IPEs and implication to Commission's 
Safety Goals **
     Perspectives on IPEs and impact of Station Blackout rule 
on CDFs **
     IPEs perspectives compared to NUREG-1150 perspectives **
    IPE database demonstration
5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
    ** Each ``presentation'' is comprised of three discussions:
    (1) Presentation by NRC of overview of perspectives.
    (2) Presentation by NRC of staff's interpretation of comments 
received and staff's response.
    (3) Brief open time for questions on clarification.

Tuesday, April 8, 1997

7:30 am to 4:00 pm
    registration
8:00 am to 5:00 pm
    Presentations/comments by public
5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
    IPE database demonstration

Wednesday, April 9, 1997

7:30 am to 4:00 pm
    registration
8:00 am to 3:00 pm
    Presentations/comments by public
     Wrap-up discussion by public
     Wrap-up discussion by NRC

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edward Chow, Office of Nuclear 
Regulatory Research, MS T10E50, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington DC 20555, [phone].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 12th day of November, 1996.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Mark Cunningham,
Chief, Probabilistic Risk Analysis Branch, Division of Systems 
Technology, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 96-31439 Filed 12-10-96; 8:45 am]
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