United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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No. 99-175 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Friday, August 27, 1999)

NRC DENIES THREE PETITIONS FROM NIRS ON YEAR 2000 CONCERNS

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has denied three petitions for rulemaking from the

Nuclear Information Resource Service on “Year 2000" (Y2K) concerns at NRC-licensed nuclear

facilities.

In denying the petitions, submitted last December, the NRC agreed that the Y2K issue is

significant and acknowledged the importance of the matters raised by petitioners. However, the

NRC concluded that actions taken by nuclear plant licensees to address Y2K issues coupled

with the NRC’s oversight of these activities provide reasonable assurance of adequate

protection of public health and safety. The agency believes that the petitions’ issues are being

addressed effectively without the need for new rules.

The first petition requested that all licensed facilities -- nuclear power plants,

decommissioned nuclear plants, research reactors, and fuel cycle facilities -- should be shut

down by December 1 if their safety systems are not “Y2K compliant” and should remain shut

down until all Y2K repairs, modifications, replacements, and testing are completed.

The NRC denied this petition, in large part, based on agency inspections of Y2K

program activities at 103 commercial nuclear power plants. The NRC has concluded that the

safety systems necessary for the safe operation and safe shutdown of U.S. nuclear plants are

Y2K ready.

The “Year 2000" or Y2K problem refers to a computer’s potential inability to recognize

dates beginning with January 1, 2000, and beyond. It arises from computer programs that use

two-digit numbers to represent a calendar year (such as “98" for 1998). For example, a

computer system could read “00" as 1900, rather than 2000, potentially causing a computer

system to malfunction. “Y2K compliant” means that a digital system and computer will

accurately process date/time data during the Y2K transition from 1999 to 2000. This may

require system repairs or replacements. “Y2K ready” means that functions provided by a

computer system will be carried out successfully with the coming of the Year 2000.

The second petition for rulemaking requested that NRC require nuclear power plant

licensees to conduct a successful, full-scale emergency planning exercise involving the failure

of computers or other digital systems as a result of the Y2K problem. A plant would have to

shut down by December 1, if the licensee had not conducted such an exercise and would

remain shut down until it conducted such an exercise.
The NRC denied this petition because although the cause of computer or digital

systems failures may be different under Y2K, the result and expected response from such

failures are basically the same as situations encountered and handled effectively during many

previous emergency exercises and drills conducted by licensees. In addition, licensees have

developed Y2K contingency plans which build on existing contingency plans that deal with a

variety of circumstances, such as with the loss of pagers, radios, sirens, meteorology

information, satellites, telephones, water and security police and fire-fighting capability. Also,

considered in licensee’s Y2K contingency planning process is the need for simulated exercises,

development of special procedures, and training specific to Y2K contingencies. In October of

this year, the NRC, with participation by several utilities, has scheduled a Y2K exercise that will

test Y2K contingency plans. For these reasons, the NRC does not see a need to require

additional emergency exercises.

The third petition requested NRC to require, during the Y2K transition, that nuclear

facilities have operational emergency diesel generators that provide backup power to nuclear

facilities; that there be a 60-day supply of fuel for these generators; and that there are alternate

means of backup power such as solar panels, wind turbines, hydroelectric power, or biomass

power. It also requested that spent fuel pools at nuclear plants have a backup power supply to

cool the fuel in case offsite power is lost. Any plants not meeting these requirements would

have to shut down.

The NRC agrees that maintaining reliable emergency power is important and considered

the petitioner’s request as part of NRC’s review of existing regulatory requirements and

licensee actions to assure reliable emergency power during the Y2K transition. Based on this

review, the NRC denied this petition because current regulations require sufficient redundant

backup power sources of onsite emergency power, normally provided by multiple emergency

diesel generators, capable of supplying the electricity necessary to operate essential safety

systems at nuclear power plants. Diesel generators are routinely tested and have

demonstrated 98% reliability. In addition, licensees are required under NRC’s maintenance rule

to monitor the performance of diesel generators. With multiple sources of power, the need for

alternate backup sources is not considered necessary to provide reasonable assurance of

adequate protection against Y2K-induced problems.

Redundant power sources are not necessary at other facilities, such as

decommissioned nuclear power plants, research reactors, and fuel cycle facilities, either

because such power is not required to shut down and maintain the facilities in a safe condition,

or because adequate measures are already in place to address loss of power. For spent fuel

pools, emergency onsite power systems can provide adequate cooling if primary systems are

lost. Upon detection of low levels of water in the pools, licensees have plans in place to provide

make-up water. Even if no actions were taken immediately, there would be between three days

and two weeks for the licensee to make up the water, lost through evaporation, to assure the

fuel would remain covered.

The NRC considers the current 7-day fuel supply on site at nuclear power plants to be

sufficient to handle operation of diesel generators in the event that offsite power is lost. As part

of Y2K preparations, licensees are putting arrangements in place to replenish the fuel supply, if

needed. However, Y2K problems are not expected to prolong the duration of a loss of offsite

power for longer than that assumed in the licensee’s normal emergency plans.
In developing decisions on the NIRS petitions, NRC considered the information provided

in the petitions and comments received on the petitions. Based on the nuclear industry’s Y2K

planning and implementation activities, the oversight provided by the NRC in addressing the

Y2K problem at licensed nuclear facilities, and the existing regulations, the agency decided to

deny the three petitions.

More details on the NRC’s decisions are contained in a staff paper, SECY-99-173,

which should be available at: http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/COMMISSION/activities.html. A notice of

denial will be published soon in the Federal Register.

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