NRC Generic Letter 1998-01
UNITED STATEDNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATIONWASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001January 14,1999NRC GENERIC LETTER NO. 98-01 SUPPLEMENT 1: YEAR 2000 READINESS OFCOMPUTER SYSTEMS AT NUCLEARPOWER PLANTS
Addressees
All holders of operating licenses for nuclear power plants, except those who have permanentlyceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed from the reactorvessel.
Purpose
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this generic letter supplement toprovide addresses with a voluntary alternative response to that required in Generic Letter 98-01on Year 2000 (Y2K) readiness of their respective facilities. This offer is consistent with theNuclear Energy Institute's (NEI) recommendation in their letter to the NRC dated November 9,1998. The alternative response should provide information on the overall Y2K readiness of theplant, including those systems necessary for continued plant operation which are not coveredby the terms and conditions of the license and NRC regulations.
Description of Circumstances
On May 11, 1998, the NRC issued Generic Letter 98-01, requesting information regarding thelicensee's programs, planned or implemented, to address the year 2000 (Y2K) problem incomputer systems at their facilities. Specifically, item (2) under Required Response, requiresaddressees to provide a written response upon completing the Y2K program or, in any event,no later than July 1, 1999, confirming that the facility is Y2K ready, or will be ready, by the year2000 with regard to compliance with the terms and conditions of the license and NRCregulations. For incomplete programs as of that date, the licensee is to provide a status report,including completion schedules, of work remaining to be done to confirm the facility is/will beready by the year 2000.Since issuance of GL 98-01, increased public awareness and government attention to the Y2Kproblem have resulted in concern over not only public health and safety of nuclear power plantsbut also concern over the ability of nuclear power plants to continue to provide power to thenational electric power grid. A key aspect of this concern is the recognition of the need for;32975 AMOSc~ OSOOOO32J £Vdo(Lf99019 GL 98-01 ,Supp. 1January 14,1999 significant disclosure and sharing of information on the Y2K problem and its impact on thenation's infrastructure as described in the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act(Public Law No: 105-271) which was enacted on October 19, 1998. The information requestedin this supplement to GL 9801 is consistent with this Act.DiscussionAs discussed in Generic Letter 98-01, the Y2K computer problem pertains to the potential fordate-related problems that may be experienced by a computer system or an application. TheY2K problem has the potential of interfering with the proper operation of computer systems,hardware that is microprocessor-based (embedded software), and software or databases reliedupon at nuclear power plants. Diverse concerns are associated with the potential impact of theY2K problem on nuclear power plants because of the variety and types of computer systems inuse. The concerns result from a reliance upon (1) software to schedule maintenance andtechnical specification surveillance, (2) programmable logic controllers and other commercialoff-the-shelf software and hardware, (3) digital process control systems, (4) software to supportfacility operation, (5) digital systems for collection of operating data, and (6) digital systems tomonitor post-accident plant conditions.Some examples of systems and computer equipment that may be affected by Y2K problemsfollow:* Security computers* Plant process (data scan, log, and alarm) and safety parameter display systemcomputers* Radiation monitoring systemsDosimeters and readers* Plant simulators* Engineering programs* Communication systems* Inventory control systems* Surveillance and maintenance tracking systems* Control systemsThe NRC and the nuclear industry recognized the importance of the Y2K concern to the abovesystems, even though some of the systems may not be covered by specific requirements of thefacility license, because of their impact on the ability of the plant to support the grid and thenation's electric power infrastructure. For this reason, the NRC will permit addressees toprovide an alternative response to that identified in Iem (2) of GL 98-01 which addressesoverall plant Y2K readiness.
Addressees
may still provide the more narrowly focused responserequired by GL 98-01 on the readiness of only those systems within the scope of the facilitylicense and NRC regulations under the provisions of 10 CFR 50.54 (f). However, addresseesare reminded that existing reporting requirements under the provisions of 10 CFR Part 21, 10CFR 50.72, 10 CFR 50.73 and 10 CFR 50.9 are still applicable as appropriate when Y2Kproblems in safety-related systems are Identifie GL 98-01,Supp. 1January 14,1999 Voluntary ResDonse
Addressees
may respond to this supplement to GL 98-01 on or before July 1, 1999, in lieu ofitem (2) of GL 98-01 but must respond to one or the other. In responding to this supplement toGL 98-01, the addressee should confirm Y2K readiness of the facility with regard to thosesystems within the scope of the license and NRC regulations, and those systems required forcontinued operation of the facility after January 1, 2000. For those systems which are not Y2Kready as of July 1, 1999, the addressee should provide a status and completion schedule forachieving readiness by the year 2000.Address the written response to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Attention:Document Control Desk, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001.
Backfit Discussion
The NRC staff has determined that the backfit rule, Section 50.109 of the Code of FederalRegulations (10 CFR 50.109), does not apply to this generic letter because it only requestsinformation from addressees (in particular, those addressees who choose to respond to theNRC in the manner described herein, rather than in accordance with iem (2) of GL 98-01) thatwill enable the NRC staff to confirm that a facility is Y2K ready, or will be ready, by the year2000 with regard to complying with the terms and conditions of the facility license and NRCregulations. Therefore, no backfit analysis was prepared.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
This generic letter contains information collections that are subject to the Paperwork ReductionAct of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). These information collections were approved by theOffice of Management and Budget (OMB), approval number 3150-0011, which expires onSeptember 30, 2000.The public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 100. hoursper response, including the time for reviewing the instructions, searching data sources,gathering and maintaining the needed data, and completing and reviewing the informationcollected. This estimate assumes a licensee's response simply confirms that the Y2K programwill be completed by July 1, 1999. Licensees whose Y2K program will not be completed by July1, 1999, must submit additional information to the NRC.The NRC is seeking public comment on the potential impact of the collection of informationcontained in this generic letter and on the following issues:1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the proper performance of thefunctions of the NRC, Including whether the information will have practical utility?2. Is the estimate of burden accurate?
GL 98-01, Supp. 1January 14, 1999 . Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to becollected?4. How can the burden of the collection of information be minimized, including the use ofautomated collection techniques?Send comments on the burden estimate and any aspect of this collection of information,including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information and Records ManagementBranch, T-6 F33, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, and tothe Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-10202 (3150-0011),Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503.The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collectionof information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the technical contacts listedbelow or the appropriate office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.Orig /s/'d byDavid B. Matthews, DirectorDivision of Reactor Program ManagementOffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contact:
Lead Project Manager:Matt Chiramal, NRR301-415-2845E-Mail: mxc@nrc.govAllen G. Hansen, NRR301-415-1390E-Mail: aghenrc.gov
Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC Generic Letters*See previous concurrenceDOCUMENT NAME: S:\DRPM SEC\9801 1.GL t I..- -L a+IWemantIanrcI n nvre F=CnnV with attahmenten ur e N = No copyTID receive a c yOf this dOCUment. In ZILCa II ILI wx, LcupIUA cautlrIVou _- , .. -,,OFFICE HICB* I PECB* I DRCH* I D:DRCH* I OGC* INAME MChiramal WBurton/JShapaker J. Wermiel .L.Spessard NLODATE 1/12/99 1/12/99 11/24/98 J 11/24/98 12/23/98ij r i. , -i~ I~ J I___I___I___I___I___ __ __Iinrrc f'I A% A r%-r*tAlArlP*IC.PFrCRDRPM*ID:DRPM*IF 44 FICE k/*J .--_._. I I .- I-NAME BSheron BBoger JStolz DMatthews*DATE 1 11/25/98 11/23/98 1/13/99 1/15/99-...- -%r % %I % xl9Ut-NUAL Mr-L.UMKUr bUT GL 98-01,Supp. 1January 14, 1999 . Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to becollected?4. How can the burden of the collection of information be minimized, including the use ofautomated collection techniques?Send comments on the burden estimate and any aspect of this collection of information,including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information and Records ManagementBranch, T-6 F33, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, and tothe Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-1 0202 (31 50-001 1),Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503.The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collectionof information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the technical contacts listedbelow or the appropriate office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.David B. Matthews, DirectorDivision of Reactor Program ManagementOffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contact:
Matt Chiramal, NRR301-415-2845E-Mail: mxc@nrc.govLead Project Manager: Allen G. Hansen, NRR301-415-1390E-Mail: agh~nrc.gov
Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC Generic Letters AttachmentGL 98-01, Supp. 1January 11,1999Page 1 of ILIST OF RECENTLY ISSUED GENERIC LETTERSGENELETTE98-05RICERD}SUBJECT ISBoiling Water Reactor Licensees 11Use of the BWRVIP-05 ReportTo Request Relief From AugmentedExamination Requirements on ReactorPressure Vessel Circumferential ShellWeldskTE OFSUANCE1/10/98ISSUED TOAll holders of operatingLicenses (or constructionPermits) for BWRs, exceptthose who have permanentlyceased operations and havecertified that fuel has beenpermanently removed fromthe reactor vessel.98-0498-0398-02Potential for Degradation of the 07/14/98Emergency Core Cooling SystemAnd the Containment Spray SystemAfter a Loss-of-Coolant AccidentBecause of Construction andProtective Coating Deficienciesand Foreign Material in ContainmentNMSS Licensees' and Certificate 06/22/98Holders' Year 2000 ReadinessProgramsAll holders of operatinglicenses for nuclear powerreactors, except those whohave permanently ceasedoperations and have certifiedthat fuel has beenpermanently removed fromthe reactor vessel.All licensees or certificateholders for uraniumhexafluoride productionplants, uranium enrichmentplants, and uranium fuelfabrication plants, exceptthose that have permanentlyceased operationsAll holders of OLS for PWRs,except those who havepermanently ceasedoperations, and havecertified that fuel has beenpermanently removed fromthe reactor vessel.Loss of Reactor CoolantInventory and AssociatedPotential for Loss of EmergencyMitigation Functions While in aShutdown Condition05/28/98OP = Operating LicenseCP = Construction PermitNPR = Nuclear Power Reactors GL 98-01,Supp. 1January 14, 1999 . Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to becollected?6. How can the burden of the collection of information be minimized, including the use ofautomated collection techniques?Send comments on the burden estimate and any aspect of this collection of information,including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Information and Records ManagementBranch, T-6 F33, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, and tothe Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, NEOB-1 0202 (3150-0011),Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D.C. 20503.The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collectionof information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.If you have any questions about this matter, please contact one of the technical contacts listedbelow or the appropriate office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.AsN'd byDavid B. Matthews, DirectorDivision of Reactor Program ManagementOffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contact:
Lead Project Manager:Matt Chiramal, NRR301-415-2845E-Mail: mxcenrc.govAllen G. Hansen, NRR301-415-1390E-Mail: aghenrc.gov
Attachment:
List of Recently Issued NRC Generic Letters*See previous concurrenceDOCUMENT NAME: S:\DRPMSEC\9801 I.GL-.. .... -. .j 1 ...U- -1==tnny %u~h nhtti-hm~ntlendflosre N = No CODVTo receive a copy of this document, in icate in Me Dox tiGpy Wfu OC -w AI IrIC -_. I, ...- --rOFFICE HICI I PEC Z Z DRCH* I D:DRCH* I OGCILNAME MChiramal WBurton/JShapaker J. Wermiel L.Spessard NLODATE I /99 I /99 11/24/98 11/24198 12F:3/98I , Ai Al I1 1 Ad I IIIC.-PFCB.R-DP'MIII D:DRPMI VI/ I_,.^rI A k A r9rT*IA' A flO*uI t%.A)LJ lLI I k l::.I I -I- N....7 t _ --- ~- -A ?tt I.NAME BSheron BBoger JStolz V9 Y I DMattheDATE 11/25/98 11/23/98 A g o99 V i/ 1990l-H-UIAL KtLLAJIU ULLJT GL 98-01,Supp. 1January xx, 1999 . Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the informati to becollected?6. How can the burden of the collection of information be minimiz including the use ofautomated collection techniques?Send comments on the burden estimate and any aspect of thi ollection of information,including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Infor ion and Records ManagementBranch, T-6 F33, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, ashington, D.C. 20555-0001, and tothe Desk Officer, Office of Information and Regulatory airs, NEOB-1 0202 (3150-0011),Office of Management and Budget, Washington, D. 20503.The NRC may not conduct or sponsor, and a p on is not required to respond to, a collectionof information unless it displays a currently vOd 0MB control number.If you have any questions about this matr, please contact one of the technical contacts listedbelow or the appropriate office of NucI r Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.David B. Matthews, DirectorDivision of Reactor Program ManagementOffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Technical Contact:
Matt Chiramal, NRR(301) 415-2845E-Mail: mxc@nrc.govLead Project anager: Allen G. Hansen, NRR(301) 415-1390E-Mail: agh@nrc.govAttach nt: List of Recently Issued NRC Generic Letters*See revious concurrenceDO UMENT NAME: S:\DRPMSEC\9801 I.GLo receive a co of this document, indicate in the box C=Copy wlo attachmentlenclosure E=Copy with attachment/enclosure N = No copylOFFI HIC ! PECB lI DRCH* I D:DRCH* OGC* INAME MChiramal WBurton/JShapaker J. Wermiel L.Spessard NLODATE /1 1299 i 111 9 11/24/98 11/24/98 12/23/98I_ _I IIIIIcPir3 I I 'I IMTA* I I (A)ADP* I I C:PECB:DRPM I I D:DRPM IIt, , ~ .r'- * '--NAME BSheron BBoger J t tDMathewsDATE 11/25/98 11/23/98 )/) 09t 1 /9901-l-HIAL ICLUUIIKU LUurr