Proposed Generic Letter Titled ``Mark I and Mark II Steel Containments;'' Decision Not To Issue

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Proposed Generic Letter Titled ``Mark I and Mark II Steel

Containments;'' Decision Not To Issue

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of decision not to issue a proposed generic letter.

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SUMMARY: On November 21, 1992, the NRC published a proposed generic

letter in the Federal Register (57 FR 54860) for public comment. The

proposed generic letter recommended actions to be taken by licensees of

operating boiling-water reactor plants with Mark I and Mark II steel

containments to implement certain inservice inspection procedures that

would prevent a potential inadvertent loss of containment integrity and

maintain continued conformity with their licensing bases. The comment

period for this proposed generic letter expired on December 21, 1992.

Comments were received from eleven organizations; six from nuclear

utilities, two from industry groups, two from architect/engineering

companies, and one from a citizens group. Only the citizens group

supported the issuance of the proposed generic letter. As an

alternative to the proposed generic letter, the two industry groups,

the Nuclear Management and Resources Council (NUMARC) and the Boiling

Water Reactor Owners' Group (BWROG), proposed a model containment

inspection program (CIP) which they believe to be cost effective and to

be able to resolve the concerns of the NRC staff. The six nuclear

utilities and two architect/engineering companies indicated their

support for the CIP. Concurrent with the proposal of the CIP, the

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has developed

containment inspection criteria that the NRC will consider for

implementation through the rulemaking process. The NRC staff has

determined that the concerns with Mark I and Mark II containment

inspections will be best addressed within the context of any NRC

rulemaking on the ASME containment inspection criteria. Therefore, the

NRC has decided not to issue the proposed generic letter.

DATES: Not applicable.

ADDRESSES: Not applicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

C.P. Tan (301) 504-3315.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NUMARC and BWROG CIP is also addressed

in a NRC letter to Mr. Lesley A. England, BWROG Chairman, dated

February 3, 1994. This letter is available in the Public Document Room

under accession number 9402090256.

Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 4th day of April 1994.

For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Andrew J. Kugler,

Acting Chief, Generic Communications Branch, Division of Operating

Reactor Support, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.

[FR Doc. 94-8549 Filed 4-8-94; 8:45 am]

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