Document: NRC Regulatory Guide
Document ID: 666e1303-0170-4974-a7d6-af27eb586524
Document Type: regulatory_guide
Title: Risk-Informed, Performance-Based Fire Protection for Existing Light-Water Nuclear Power Plants (Rev. 2)
Source: NRC Regulatory Guide Division 1
Source URL: https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2104/ML21048A448.pdf
Revision Date: 2023-05
Chapter: 
Section ID: RG-1.205
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CFR Title: 

Content:
nse conditions and technical specifications. The fire protection requirements of 10 CFR 50.48(b) and Appendix R to 10 CFR Part 50, and the associated regulatory guidance, are prescriptive in that they identify specific methods for ensuring nuclear safety in the event of a fire. The industry and some members of the public have characterized these requirements as creating an unnecessary regulatory burden to achieve an acceptable level of fire safety and comply with the general, performance-based requirements of GDC 3. On March 26, 1998, in SECY-98-058, “Development of a Risk-Informed, Performance-Based Regulation for Fire Protection at Nuclear Power Plants” (Ref. 12), the staff proposed to work with NFPA and the industry to develop a risk-informed, performance-based consensus standard for nuclear power plant fire protection. The SECY noted that the NRC could endorse this consensus standard in a future rulemaking as an alternative set of fire protection requirements to the existing regulations in 10 CFR 50.48, “Fire Protection.” In SECY-00-0009, “Rulemaking Plan, Reactor Fire Protection Risk- Informed, Performance-Based Rulemaking,” dated January 13, 2000 (Ref. 13), the NRC staff requested and received Commission approval to proceed with a rulemaking to permit power reactor licensees to adopt NFPA 805 as an alternative to existing fire protection requirements. On February 9, 2001, the NFPA Standards Council approved the 2001 Edition of NFPA 805 as an American National Standard for performance-based fire protection for light-water nuclear power plants. Effective July 16, 2004 (Ref. 14), the Commission amended its fire protection requirements in 10 CFR 50.48 to add 10 CFR 50.48(c), which incorporates by reference the 2001 Edition of NFPA 805, with certain exceptions, and allows licensees to apply for a license amendment to comply with the 2001 Edition of NFPA 805. In parallel with the Commission’s efforts to issue a rule incorporating the risk-informed,