The NRC or INPO? We received an INPO limited distribution document that sounds very familiar to what you're talking about.
.......nuclear utilities across the country are taking actions to address vulnerabilities
identified as a result of considering the occurrence of extreme events at U.S. nuclear power
plants that are well beyond those that were considered in the design of the plants. Several
of these actions are being coordinated by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO),
an industry organization which promotes excellence and the highest levels of reliability in
the operation of commercial nuclear power plants.
INPO distributed a Level 1 Event Report this week that provides recommendations for
utilities to take due to the unusual nature of events and significant damage that has
occurred to the six units of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station following a
magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11, 2011.
The teams staffing centralized response centers and satellite centers at the nuclear
sites will ensure actions associated with INPO’s recommendations are performed as
expected. Even though the full extent of damage to the Fukushima Daiichi reactors is still unknown,
this represents a significant challenge to the safety of these units. As more is learned
about the Japanese events, INPO said that more long-term actions will be developed. The
recommendations provided by INPO this week to senior executives representing all U.S.
nuclear power plants include:
Verify each company’s capability to mitigate conditions that result from severe adverse
events, including the loss of significant operational and safety systems due to natural
events, fires, aircraft impact and explosions. Specific actions include testing and
inspecting equipment required to mitigate these events and verifying that qualifications
of operators and support staff required to implement them are current.
Verify that the capability to mitigate a total loss of electric power to a nuclear power
plant is proper and functional. This will require inspections verifying that all required
materials are adequate and properly staged and that procedures are implemented.
Verify the capability to mitigate flooding and the impact of floods on systems inside
and outside the plant. Specific actions include verifying required materials and
equipment are properly located to protect them from flood.
Perform walk downs and inspection of important equipment needed to successfully
respond to fire and flood events. Identify the potential that the equipment’s function
could be lost during seismic events appropriate for the site and develop mitigating
strategies for potential vulnerabilities.
The nuclear industry’s priority remains providing Japan with any support requested to help
maintain safety at the Fukushima reactors. Industry updates on the situation in Japan are
available from the Nuclear Energy Institute and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
