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:
the leakage rate was acceptable. Containment Inspections Together, the licensee’s 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix J, Option B containment leakage testing program (consisting of ILRTs and LLRTs) and the 10 CFR 50.55a containment inservice inspection DG-1391, Page 6 program (consistent with ASME BPV Code, Section XI, Subsections IWE and IWL (Ref. 12)) are intended to ensure that containment structural and leakage integrity are maintained. Licensees approved for Option B, must perform a general visual inspection of accessible interior and exterior surfaces of the containment system for structural deterioration that may affect the containment leak-tight integrity before each Type A test and at a periodic interval between tests based on the performance of the containment system. For those plants that have extended Type A test intervals to 15 years, a general visual inspection should be conducted prior to each Type A test and during at least three other outages before the next Type A test. These inspections should be performed in conjunction or in coordination with the ASME BPV Code, Section XI, Subsections IWE and IWL inspections required under 10 CFR 50.55a. An important element of performance-based approaches to testing is the monitoring of performance to ensure that requirements and expectations are met. NUREG-1493 considered approximately 180 ILRT reports of tests performed under the original deterministic test intervals. It found five ILRT failures that could not be detected by local leakage rate testing. Tests under the extended intervals permitted by the performance-based approach show similar results. In 2001, many licensees began to submit requests for one-time ILRT interval extensions beyond 10 years, and it was deemed appropriate to assess the risk involved in extending ILRT intervals beyond ten years. For the operating reactors that received approval for a one-time, 15-year ILRT interval, no test failures have been reported as of this RG’s issuance. Based upon