Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 4774af39-208c-4761-97e8-2d66c6d14794
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Performance-Based Containment Leak-Test Program (Rev. 1)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2200/ML22006A317.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-05
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.163
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
hould follow the regulatory positions identified in Section C of this RG in lieu of the “Limitations and Conditions” identified in the safety evaluation appended to NEI 94-01, Revision 3-A. 1. NEI 94-01, Revision 3-A, references ANSI/ANS-56.8-2002, “Containment System Leakage Testing Requirements” (Ref. 17), for detailed descriptions of the technical methods and techniques used for performing Types A, B, and C tests under Option B of Appendix J to 10 CFR Part 50. The NRC staff agrees with the methodology used in ANSI/ANS-56.8-2002 as well as the most recent methodology used in ANSI/ANS-56.8-2020 and accepts these as references for how licensees should perform the tests. The NRC staff has one condition for licensees referencing these standards. Specifically, for calculating the Type A leakage rate, the licensee should use the performance leakage rate definition in NEI 94-01, Revision 3-A, in lieu of that in ANSI/ANS-56.8-2002 or ANSI/ANS-56.8-2020. The definition contained in NEI 94-01, Revision 3-A, is more inclusive because it considers excessive leakage in the performance determination. 2. The licensee should submit a schedule of containment inspections to be performed before and between Type A tests as part of the LAR submittal for a Type A test interval extension. 3. The LAR should address the areas of the containment structure potentially subject to degradation. Specifically, the licensee should identify inaccessible areas of containment and describe consideration of inspections or viable, commercially available nondestructive examination (NDE) to monitor these areas for degradation. Specific areas identified that should be addressed include a number of containment pressure-retaining boundary components (e.g., seals and gaskets of mechanical and electrical penetrations, bolting penetration bellows) and a number of the accessible and inaccessible areas of the containment structures (e.g., moisture barriers, steel shells, and liners backed by concrete,