Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 3e914c02-41b3-4c0b-9c94-7e4a07215354
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Guidance on Making Changes to Emergency Plans for Nuclear Power Reactors (Rev. 1)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML1505/ML15054A370.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-06
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.219
CFR Part: 
CFR Title: 

Content:
(51 FR 30028; August 4, 1986) (Ref. 9), states that emergency preparedness is a “defense-in-depth measure.” Emergency preparedness is carried out as a matter of prudence rather than in response to a quantitative analysis of accident probabilities. The effectiveness of an emergency plan is independent of probability. The planning basis in NUREG-0654 states that the objective of emergency planning is to provide dose savings for a “spectrum” of accidents that could produce offsite doses in excess of those given in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) protective action guides (Ref. 10). The basis goes on to state that no “single specific accident sequence” should be chosen as the one for which to plan because each accident could have different consequences both in nature and degree. The selected planning basis described in NUREG-0654 is independent of specific accident sequences. The probability of a reactor accident requiring the implementation of a licensee’s emergency plan has no relevance in determining whether a particular change reduces the effectiveness of the emergency plan. Accordingly, licensees should not consider risk insights about specific accident initiation or progression in performing 10 CFR 50.54(q) evaluations. 1.4 Timeliness as an Evaluation Consideration a. By its very nature, an emergency instills a sense of urgency and dictates the necessity for prompt action, which is a fundamental aspect of the licensee’s emergency plan. Consistent with this imperative, the NRC has specified timeliness criteria in regulations for three specific emergency response activities: emergency declaration, emergency notifications, and public alerts. The NRC’s emergency planning guidance provides other time-based criteria. Licensees commit to staff augmentation times for their ERFs as part of their compliance with the planning standard in 10 CFR 50.47(b)(2). Licensees’ initial emergency notifications must contain a PAR. Because the licensee