[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 174 (Thursday, September 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54706-54707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20390]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Requirements for Steam Generator Tube Inspections

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of issuance.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued Generic 
Letter (GL) 2004-01 to all holders of operating licenses for 
pressurized-water reactors (PWRs) except those who have permanently 
ceased operations and have certified that fuel has been permanently 
removed from the reactor vessel. The generic letter:
    (1) Advises addressees that the NRC's interpretation of the 
technical specification (TS) requirements in conjunction with 10 CFR 
Part 50, Appendix B, raises questions as to whether certain licensee 
steam generator (SG) tube inspection practices ensure compliance with 
these requirements;
    (2) Requests that addressees submit a description of the tube 
inspections performed at their plants, including an assessment of 
whether these inspections ensure compliance with the TS requirements in 
conjunction with 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B;
    (3) Requests that addressees who conclude they are not in 
compliance with the SG tube inspection requirements contained in their 
TS in conjunction with 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, propose plans for 
coming into compliance with these requirements; and
    (4) Requests that addressees submit a tube structural and leakage 
integrity safety assessment that addresses any differences between 
their practices and the NRC's position regarding the requirements of 
the TS in conjunction with 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B. A safety 
assessment should be submitted for all areas of the tube required to be 
inspected by the TS, where flaws have the potential to exist and 
inspection techniques capable of detecting these flaws are not being 
used. This assessment should include an evaluation of whether the 
inspection practices rely on an acceptance standard different from the 
TS acceptance standards and whether the technical basis for these 
inspection practices constitutes a change to the ``method of 
evaluation'' (as defined in 10 CFR 50.59) for establishing the 
structural and leakage integrity of the tube-to-tubesheet joint.

DATES: The generic letter was issued on August 30, 2004.

[[Page 54707]]


ADDRESSES: Not applicable.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Klein, NRR, (301) 415-4030; e-
mail: [email protected] or Maitri Banerjee, NRR; (301) 415-2277; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Generic Letter 2004-01 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/reading-rm/adams.html. The ADAMS Accession No. for the generic letter 
ML042370766.
    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].

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 1st day of September 2004.
Francis M. Costello,
Acting Chief, Reactor Operations Branch, Division of Inspection Program 
Management, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
[FR Doc. 04-20390 Filed 9-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P