Document: NUREG-0800
Document ID: 32179098-f78d-4852-9c29-1e5e3abb2705
Document Type: srp
Title: RISK-INFORMED DECISION MAKING:  TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Source: NUREG-0800
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0703/ML070380228.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 16
Section ID: 16.1
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
The NRC policy statement on probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) (Reference 1) encourages greater use of this analytic technique to improve safety decision making and improve regulatory efficiency. The NRC staff’s PRA Implementation Plan (Reference 2) describes activities planned or under way to expand this use. One activity under way in response to the policy statement is PRA use in support of decisions to modify an individual plant's technical specifications (TSs). Licensee-initiated TS changes consistent with currently approved staff positions (e.g., regulatory guides (RGs), standard review plans (SRPs), branch technical positions, or the Standard Technical Specifications (STSs) (References 3-7)) normally are evaluated by the staff using traditional engineering analyses. Licensees are not expected to submit risk information in support of proposed changes. Licensee-initiated TS change requests that go beyond current staff positions may be evaluated by the staff using traditional engineering analyses as well as the risk-informed approach of RG 1.177, "An Approach for Plant-Specific Risk-Informed Decision Making: Technical Specifications" (Reference 8). A licensee may be asked to submit supplemental risk information not in the original submission. If risk information on the proposed TS change is not provided, the staff reviews the licensee’s information for whether the application can be approved using traditional methods to approve or reject the application. Section 182a of the Atomic Energy Act requires applicants for nuclear power plant operating licenses to state: 1 The improved STSs (NUREGs 1430-1434) (References 3-7) use the terminology "Completion Times" and "Surveillance Frequency" in place of 'Allowed Outage Time" and Surveillance Test Interval." 16.1-2 Revision 1 - March 2007 Such technical specifications, including information of the amount, kind, and source of special nuclear material required, the place of the use, the specific characteristics of the