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UNITED STATEDNUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOFFICE       OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATIONWASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001

January 14,1999
NRC GENERIC LETTER NO. 98-01 SUPPLEMENT 1:YEAR 2000 READINESS OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS           - Addressees 
- Purpose 
- Description         of Circumstances 
- Discussion 
- Voluntary         Response 
- Backfit         Discussion 
- Paperwork         Reduction Act Statement 
Addressees
All holders of operating licenses for nuclear power plants, except       those who have permanently ceased operations and have certified that fuel       has been permanently removed from the reactor vessel.
Purpose
The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this generic letter       supplement to provide addresses with a voluntary alternative response to       that required in Generic       Letter 98-01 on Year 2000 (Y2K) readiness of their respective       facilities. This offer is consistent with the Nuclear 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 the plant, including those       systems necessary for continued plant operation which are not covered by       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 the licensee's programs, planned or implemented, to       address the year 2000 (Y2K) problem in computer systems at their       facilities. Specifically, item (2) under Required Response, requires       addressees 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 year 2000 with regard to compliance       with the terms and conditions of the license and NRC regulations. 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 be ready by the year 2000.

Since issuance of GL 98-01, increased public awareness and government       attention to the Y2K problem have resulted in concern over not only public       health and safety of nuclear power plants but also concern over the       ability of nuclear power plants to continue to provide power to the       national electric power grid. A key aspect of this concern is the       recognition of the need for significant disclosure and sharing of       information on the Y2K problem and its impact on the nation'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 requested in this supplement to GL 98-01 is       consistent with this Act.
Discussion
As discussed in Generic Letter 98-01, the Y2K computer problem pertains       to the potential for date-related problems that may be experienced by a       computer system or an application. The Y2K problem has the potential of       interfering with the proper operation of computer systems, hardware that       is microprocessor-based (embedded software), and software or databases       relied upon at nuclear power plants. Diverse concerns are associated with       the potential impact of the Y2K problem on nuclear power plants because of       the variety and types of computer systems in use. The concerns result from       a reliance upon (1) software to schedule maintenance and technical       specification surveillance, (2) programmable logic controllers and other       commercial off-the-shelf software and hardware, (3) digital process       control systems, (4) software to support facility operation, (5) digital       systems for collection of operating data, and (6) digital systems to       monitor post-accident plant conditions.

Some examples of systems and computer equipment that may be affected by       Y2K problems follow:
- Security computers         
- Plant process (data scan, log, and alarm) and safety parameter         display system computers         
- Radiation monitoring systems         
- Dosimeters and readers         
- Plant simulators         
- Engineering programs         
- Communication systems         
- Inventory control systems         
- Surveillance and maintenance tracking systems         
- Control systems 

The NRC and the nuclear industry recognized the importance of the Y2K       concern to the above systems, even though some of the systems may not be       covered by specific requirements of the facility license, because of their       impact on the ability of the plant to support the grid and the nation's       electric power infrastructure. For this reason, the NRC will permit       addressees to provide an alternative response to that identified in item       (2) of GL 98-01 which addresses overall plant Y2K readiness. Addressees       may still provide the more narrowly focused response required by GL 98-01       on the readiness of only those systems within the scope of the facility       license and NRC regulations under the provisions of 10       CFR 50.54 (f). However, addressees are reminded that existing       reporting requirements under the provisions of 10       CFR Part 21, 10       CFR 50.72, 10       CFR 50.73 and 10       CFR 50.9 are still applicable as appropriate when Y2K problems in       safety-related systems are identified.
Voluntary Response
Addressees may respond to this supplement to GL 98-01 on or before July       1, 1999, in lieu of item (2) of GL 98-01 but must respond to one or the       other. In responding to this supplement to GL 98-01, the addressee should       confirm Y2K readiness of the facility with regard to those systems within       the scope of the license and NRC regulations, and those systems required       for continued operation of the facility after January 1, 2000. For those       systems which are not Y2K ready as of July 1, 1999, the addressee should       provide a status and completion schedule for achieving 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 Federal Regulations (10       CFR 50.109), does not apply to this generic letter because it only       requests information from addressees (in particular, those addressees who       choose to respond to the NRC in the manner described herein, rather than       in accordance with item (2) of GL 98-01) that will enable the NRC staff to       confirm that a facility is Y2K ready, or will be ready, by the year 2000       with regard to complying with the terms and conditions of the facility       license and NRC regulations. Therefore, no backfit analysis was       prepared.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement
This generic letter contains information collections that are subject       to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). These       information collections were approved by the Office of Management and       Budget (OMB), approval number 3150-0011, which expires on September 30,       2000.

The public reporting burden for this collection of information is       estimated to average 100 hours per response, including the time for       reviewing the instructions, searching data sources, gathering and       maintaining the needed data, and completing and reviewing the information       collected. This estimate assumes a licensee's response simply confirms       that the Y2K program will be completed by July 1, 1999. Licensees whose       Y2K program will not be completed by July 1, 1999, must submit additional       information to the NRC.

The NRC is seeking public comment on the potential impact of the       collection of information contained in this generic letter and on the       following issues:
- Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the proper         performance of the functions of the NRC, including whether the         information will have practical utility?        
- Is the estimate of burden accurate?        
- Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the         information to be collected?        
- How can the burden of the collection of information be minimized,         including the use of automated 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 Management Branch, T-6 F33, U.S. Nuclear       Regulatory Commission, Washington, D.C. 20555-0001, and to the 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 collection of 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 listed below or the appropriate office of Nuclear       Reactor Regulation (NRR) project manager.
        /s/'d by             
David B. Matthews, DirectorDivision of Reactor Program             ManagementOffice of Nuclear Reactor Regulation       
Technical Contact:Matt Chiramal, NRR 301-415-2845 E-Mail: mxc@nrc.govLead Project Manager:   Allen G. Hansen, NRR301-415-1390E-Mail:         agh@nrc.gov
Attachment:  List       of Recently Issued NRC Generic Letters
      (NUDOCS Accession Number 9901130297)       
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