NRC SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON DRAFT GENERIC LETTER REGARDINGUPDA

[admin]

NRC SEEKS PUBLIC INPUT ON DRAFT GENERIC LETTER REGARDINGUPDATED SEISMIC ANALYSES FOR U.S. NUCLEAR REACTORSThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff is seeking public comments on a draft GenericLetter that would require U.S. nuclear power plants to re-examine their sites’ seismic risk andprovide that information to the NRC.Comments on the draft letter, published today in the Federal Register and available on regulations.gov, will be accepted until Oct. 31. The draft letter will soon be available in theagency’s electronic document database, ADAMS, by entering ML111710783 in the database’ssearch engine. The staff expects to hold a public meeting on the draft letter in mid-October to gather comments; meeting details will be announced separately in the next several weeks.The letter represents the next step in the staff’s ongoing multi-year examination ofupdated seismic hazard information for the eastern and central United States, through the NRC’sGeneric Issues program. This effort, labeled GI-199, began long before the events at theFukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant in Japan and the recent Virginia earthquake. GI-199 wasprompted by the seismic analyses included in applications from 2003 related to new reactoractivity. The NRC issued an Information Notice in September 2010 regarding GI-199, includingthe agency’s conclusion that existing plant designs safely account for possible earthquakes. Thenotice is available in ADAMS by entering ML101970221 in the database’s search engine. Moreinformation on GI-199 is available on the NRC website.Interested parties can submit comments on the draft letter through regulations.gov, usingdocket number NRC-2011-0201. Comments can also be submitted, referencing NRC-2011-0201, by mail to Cindy Bladey, Chief, Rules, Announcements, and Directives Branch (RADB), Division of Administrative Services, Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWB-05-B01M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Comments via fax can be sentto RADB at 301-492-3446.The NRC staff will consider the comments before finalizing the Generic Letter, which thestaff expects to issue near the end of the year. The draft letter’s approach would have U.S. nuclear power plants perform their analyses within either one or two years, depending on theanalysis method used, and deliver their results to the NRC. The agency will then determinewhether additional actions are necessary.NRC NEWSU.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOffice of Public AffairsTelephone: 301/415-8200Washington, D.C. 20555-0001E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.govBlog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.govNo. 11-164September 1, 2011
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Page 2
###