[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 244 (Friday, December 19, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70843-70844]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-31313]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Leakage from Reactor Pressure Vessel Lower Head Penetrations and 
Reactor Coolant Pressure Boundary Integrity

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of issuance.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued NRC 
Bulletin 2003-02 to all holders of operating licenses for pressurized-
water nuclear power reactors (PWRs) with penetrations in the lower head 
of the reactor pressure vessel, (RPV) except those who have permanently 
ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently 
removed from the RPV. The NRC issued this bulletin to (1) advise PWR 
addressees that current methods of inspecting the RPV lower heads may 
need to be supplemented with additional measures (e.g., bare-metal 
visual inspections) in order to detect reactor coolant pressure 
boundary (RCPB) leakage, (2) request PWR addressees to provide the NRC 
with information related to inspections that have been or will be 
performed to verify the integrity of the RPV lower head penetrations, 
and (3) require PWR addressees to provide a written response to the NRC 
in accordance with the provisions of Section 50.54(f) of Title 10 of 
the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR 50.54(f)).

DATES: The bulletin was issued on August 21, 2003.

ADDRESSEES: Not applicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edmund Sullivan at 301-415-2796, e-
mail [email protected] or Stephen Monarque at 415-1544, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NRC Bulletin 2003-02 may be examined and/or 
copied for a fee at the NRC's Public

[[Page 70844]]

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/reading-rm/adams.html. The ADAMS Accession No. for 
the bulletin is ML032320153.
    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 11th day of December 2003.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
William Beckner,
Chief, Reactor Operations Branch, Division of Inspection Program 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 03-31313 Filed 12-18-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P