[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 8, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 41631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-19891]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Circumferential Cracking of Reactor Pressure Vessel Head 
Penetration Nozzles; Issue

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of issuance.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued Bulletin 
(BL) 2001-01 to all holders of operating licenses for pressurized-water 
nuclear power reactors, except those who have permanently ceased 
operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently removed 
from the reactor vessel. BL 2001-01 addresses the recent discoveries of 
cracked and leaking reactor pressure vessel head (VHP) nozzles at 
several pressurized water reactors (PWRs) and the concerns raised about 
the structural integrity of VHP nozzles throughout the PWR industry. 
The purpose of the bulletin is to (1) request PWR licensees to provide 
information related to the structural integrity of the VHP nozzles for 
their respective facilities, including the extent of VHP nozzle leakage 
and cracking that has been found to date, the inspections and repairs 
that have been undertaken to satisfy applicable regulatory 
requirements, and the basis for concluding that their plans for future 
inspections will ensure compliance with applicable regulatory 
requirements, and (2) require PWR licensees to provide to the NRC a 
written response in accordance with the provisions of 10 CFR 50.54(f). 
This information request is necessary to permit the assessment of 
plant-specific compliance with NRC regulations. The information will 
also be used by the NRC staff to determine the need for and to guide 
the development of additional regulatory actions to address cracking in 
VHP nozzles.

DATES: The bulletin was issued on August 3, 2001.

ADDRESSEES: Not applicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Allen L. Hiser, Jr., at 301-415-1034 
or by e-mail to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bulletin 2001-01 may be examined and/or 
copied for a fee at the NRC's Public Document Room, located at One 
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike (first floor), Rockville, 
Maryland, and is accessible electronically from the Agencywide 
Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Public Electronic 
Reading Room on the Internet at the NRC web site, http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/ADAMS/index.html. The ADAMS Accession No. for the bulletin is 
ML012080284.
    If you do not have access to ADAMS or if there are problems in 
accessing documents located in ADAMS, contact the NRC Public Document 
Room (PDR) Reference staff at 301-415-4737 or 1-800-397-4209, or by e-
mail to [email protected].

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 3rd day of August 2001.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
David B. Matthews,
Director, Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs, Office of 
Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 01-19891 Filed 8-7-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P