spect to the requirements of §§ 50.34(a)(1), the submittal for review of a standard design shall include the site parameters postulated for the design, and an analysis and evaluation of the design in terms of such postulated site parameters. The information submitted pursuant to § 50.34(a)(7) shall be limited to the quality assurance program to be applied to the design, procurement and fabrication of the structures, systems, and components for which design review has been requested and the information submitsted pursuant to § 50.34(a)(9) shall be limited to the qualifications of the person submitting the standard design to design the reactor or major portion thereof. The submittal shall also include information pertaining to design features that affect plans for coping with emergencies in the operation of the reactor or major portion thereof.

4. Once the regulatory staff has initiated a technical review of a submittal under this appendix, the submittal will be referred to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) for a review and report.

5. Upon completion of their review of a submittal under this appendix, the regulatory staff shall publish in the FEDERAL REGISTER a determination as to whether or not the preliminary or final design is acceptable, subject to such conditions as may be appropriate, and make available in the Public Document Room an analysis of the design in the form of a report. An approved design shall be utilized by and relied upon by the regulatory staff and the ACRS in their review of any individual facility license application which incorporates by reference a design approved in accordance with this paragraph unless there exists significant new information which substantially affects the earlier determination or other good

cause.

6. The determination and report by the regulatory staff shall not constitute a commitment to issue a permit or license, or in any way affect the authority of the Commission, Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board, atomic safety and licensing boards, and other presiding officers in any proceeding under Subpart G of Part 2 of this chapter.

7. The Commission may, on its own initiative or in response to a petition for rule making, approve the design in a rule making proceeding and in that event, the approved design will be subject to challenge only as provided in § 2.758 of this chapter. An environmental impact statement may be prepared for such a rule making action in accordance with § 51.5 of this chapter. If an environmental impact statement is prepared, the Commission may require the petitioner for rule making to submit information to the Commission to aid the Commission in the preparation of the environmental impact statement.

[40 FR 2977, Jan. 17, 1975]

APPENDIX P—[RESERVED]

APPENDIX Q-PRE-APPLICATION EARLY REVIEW OF SITE SUITABILITY ISSUES

This appendix sets out procedures for the filing, Staff review, and referral to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards of requests for early review of one or more site suitability issues relating to the construction and operation of certain utilization facilities separately from and prior to the submittal of applications for construction permits for the facilities. This appendix also sets out procedures for the preparation and issuance of Staff Site Reports and for their incorporation by reference in applications for the construction and operation for certain utilization facilities. The utilization facilities are those which are subject to § 51.5(a) of this chapter and are of the type specified in § 50.21(b) (2) or (3) or § 50.22 or are testing facilities. This appendix does not apply to proceedings conducted pursuant to Subpart F of Part 2 of this chapter.

1. Any person may submit information regarding one or more site suitability issues to the Commission's Staff for its review separately from and prior to an application for a construction permit for a facility. Such a submittal shall be accompanied by any fee required by Part 170 of this chapter and shall consist of the portion of the information required of applicants for construction permits by §§ 50.33(a)-(c) and (e), and, insofar as it relates to the issue(s) of site suitability for which early review is sought, by §§ 50.34(a)(1) and 50.30(f), except that information with respect to operation of the facility at the projected initial power level need not be supplied.

2. The submittal for early review of site suitability issue(s) shall be made in the same manner and in the same number of copies as provided in § 50.30(a), (c)(1) and (c)(3) for license applications. The submittal shall include sufficient information concerning a range of postualted facility design and operation parameters to enable the Staff to perform the requested review of site suitability issues. The submittal shall contain suggested conclusions on the issues of site suitability submitted for review and shall be accompanied by a statement of the bases or the reasons for those conclusions. The submittal shall also list, to the extent possible, any long-range objectives for ultimate development of the site, state whether any site selection process was used in preparing the submittal, described any site selection process used, and explain what consideration, if any, was given to alternative sites.

3. The Staff shall publish a notice of docketing of the submittal in the FEDERAL REGISTER, and shall send a copy of the notice of docketing to the Governor or other appropriate official of the State in which the site

is located. This notice shall identify the location of the site, briefly describe the site suitability issue(s) under review, and invite comments from Federal, State, and local agencies and interested persons within 120 days of publication or such other time as may be specified, for consideration by the staff in connection with the initiation or outcome of the review and, if appropriate by the ACRS, in connection with the outcome of their review. The person requesting review shall serve a copy of the submittal on the Governor or other appropriate official of the State in which the site is located, and on the chief executive of the municipality in which the site is located or, if the site is not located in a municipality, on the chief executive of the county. The portion of the submittal containing information required of applicants for construction permits by §§ 50.33(a)-(c) and (e) and 50.34(a)(1) will be referred to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) for a review and report. There will be no referral to the ACRS unless early review of the site safety issues under § 50.34(a)(1) is requested.

4. Upon completion of review by the staff and, if appropriate by the ACRS, of a submittal under this appendix, the staff shall prepare a Staff Site Report which shall identify the location of the site, state the site suitability issues reviewed, explain the nature and scope of the review, state the conclusions of the staff regarding the issues reviewed and state the reasons for those conclusions. Upon issuance of a Staff Site Report, the Staff shall publish a notice of the availability of the report in the FEDERAL REGISTER and shall place copies of the report in the Commission's Public Document Room at 1717 H Streets NW., Washington, D.C. 20555, and in a local Public Document Room(s) located near the site identified in the Staff Site Report. The Staff shall also sent a copy of the report to the Governor or other appropriate official of the State in which the site is located, and to the chief executive of the municipality in which the site is located or, if the site is not located in a municipality, to the chief executive of the county.

5. Any Staff Site Report prepared and issued in accordance with this appendix may be incorporated by reference, as appropriate in an application for a construction permit for a utilization facility which is subject to § 51.5(a) of this chapter and is of the type specified in §§ 50.21(b) (2) or (3) or 50.22 of this chapter or is a testing facility. The conclusions of the Staff Site Report will be reexamined by the staff where five years or more have elapsed between the issuance of the Staff Site Report and its incorporation by reference in a construction permit application.

6. Issuance of a Staff Site Report shall not constitute a commitment to issue a permit or license, to permit on-site work under § 50.10(e), or in any way affect the authority of the Commission, Atomic Safety and Licensing Appeal Board, Atomic Safety and Licensing Boards, and other presiding officers in any proceeding under Subpart F and/or G of Part 2 of this chapter.

7. The staff will not conduct more than one review of site suitability issues with regard to a particular site prior to the full construction permit review required by Part 51. The staff may decline to prepare and issue a Staff Site Report in response to a submittal under this appendix where it appears that, (a) in cases where no review of the relative merits of the submitted site and alternative sites under Part 51 is requested, there is a reasonable likelihood that further Staff review would identify one or more preferable alternative sites and the Staff review of one or more site suitability issues would lead to an irreversible and irretrievable commitment of resources prior to the submittal of the analysis of alternative sites in the Environmental Report that would prejudice the later review and decision on alternative sites under Subpart F and/or G of Part 2 and Part 51 of this chapter; or (b) in cases where, in the judgment of the Staff, early review of any site suitability issue or issues would not be in the public interest, considering (1) the degree of likelihood that any early findings of those issues would retain their validity in later reviews, (2) the objections, if any, of cognizant state or local government agencies to the conduct of an early review on those issues, and (3) the possible effect on the public interest of having an early, if not necessarily conclusive, resolution of those issues.

(Sec. 102, Pub. L. 91-190, 83 Stat. 853 (42 U.S.C. 4332); sec. 201, as amended, Pub. L. 93-438, 83 Stat. 1242, Pub. L. 94-79, 89 Stat. 413 (42 U.S.C. 5341))

[42 FR 22887, May 5, 1977]

APPENDIX R-FIRE PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR NUCLEAR POWER FACILITIES OPERATING PRIOR TO JANUARY 1, 1979

I. INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE

This appendix applies to licensed nuclear power electric generating stations that were operating prior to January 1, 1979, except to the extent set forth in § 50.48(b) of this part. With respect to certain generic issues for such facilities it sets forth fire protec

tion features required to satisfy Criterion 3 of Appendix A to this part.'

Criterion 3 of Appendix A to this part specifies that "Structures, systems, and components important to safety shall be designed and located to minimize, consistent with other safety requirements, the probability and effect of fires and explosions." When considering the effects of fire, those systems associated with achieving and maintaining safe shutdown conditions assume major importance to safety because damage to them can lead to core damage resulting from loss of coolant through boiloff.

The phrases "important to safety," or "safety-related," will be used throughout this Appendix R as applying to all safety functions. The phrase "safe shutdown" will be used throughout this appendix as applying to both hot and cold shutdown functions.

Because fire may affect safe shutdown systems and because the loss of function of systems used to mitigate the consequences of design basis accidents under postfire conditions does not per se impact public safety, the need to limit fire damage to systems required to achieve and maintain safe shutdown conditions is greater than the need to limit fire damage to those systems required to mitigate the consequences of design basis accidents. Three levels of fire damage limits are established according to the safety functions of the structure, system, or component:

1 Clarification and guidance with respect to permissible alternatives to satisfy Appendix A to BTP APCSB 9.5-1 has been provided in four other NRC documents:

"Supplementary Guidance on Information Needed for Fire Protection Evaluation," dated October 21, 1976;

"Sample Technical Specification," dated May 12, 1977;

"Nuclear Plant Fire Protection Functional Responsibilities, Administrative Control and Quality Assurance," dated June 14, 1977;

"Manpower Requirements for Operating Reactors," dated May 11, 1978.

A Fire Protection Safety Evaluation Report that has been issued for each operating plant states how these guidelines were applied to each facility and identifies open fire protection issues that will be resolved when the facility satisfies the appropriate requirements of Appendix R to Part 50.

Safety function

Hot Shutdown

Cold Shutdown..

Design Basis Accidents.

Fire damage limits

One train of equipment necessary to achieve hot shutdown from either the control room or emergency control station(s) must be maintained free of fire damage by a single fire. including an exposure fire.1 Both trains of equipment necessary to achieve cold shutdown may be damaged by a single fire, including an exposure fire, but damage must be limited so that at least one train can be repaired or made operable within 72 hours using onsite capability.

Both trains of equipment necessary for mitigation of consequences following design basis accidents may be damaged by a single exposure fire.

1 Exposure Fire. An exposure fire is a fire in a given area that involves either in situ or transient combustibles and is external to any structures, systems, or components located in or adjacent to that same area. The effects of such fire (e.g., smoke, heat, or ignition) can adversely affect those structures, systems, or components important to safety Thus, a fire involving one train of safe shutdown equipment may constitute an exposure fire for the redundant train located in the same area, and a fire involving combustibles other than either redundant train may constitute an exposure fire to both redundant trains located in the same area

The most stringent fire damage limit shall apply for those systems that fall into more than one category. Redundant systems used to mitigate the consequences of other design basis accidents but not necessary for safe shutdown may be lost to a single exposure fire. However, protection shall be provided so that a fire within only one such system will not damage the redundant system.

II. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A. Fire protection program. A fire protection program shall be established at each nuclear power plant. The program shall establish the fire protection policy for the protection of structures, systems, and components important to safety at each plant and the procedures, equipment, and personnel required to implement the program at the plant site.

The fire protection program shall be under the direction of an individual who has been delegated authority commensurate with the responsibilities of the position and who has available staff personnel knowledgeable in both fire protection and nuclear safety.

The fire protection program shall extend the concept of defense-in-depth to fire protection in fire areas important to safety. with the following objectives:

⚫ to prevent fires from starting:

⚫ to detect rapidly, control, and extinguish promptly those fires that do occur;

⚫ to provide protection for structures, systems, and components important to safety

so that a fire that is not promptly extinguished by the fire suppression activities will not prevent the safe shutdown of the plant.

B. Fire hazards analysis. A fire hazards analysis shall be performed by qualified fire protection and reactor systems engineers to (1) consider potential in situ and transient fire hazards; (2) determine the consequences of fire in any location in the plant on the ability to safely shut down the reactor or on the ability to minimize and control the release of radioactivity to the environment; and (3) specify measures for fire prevention, fire detection, fire suppression, and fire containment and alternative shutdown capability as required for each fire area containing structures, systems, and components important to safety in accordance with NRC guidelines and regulations.

C. Fire prevention features. Fire protection features shall meet the following general requirements for all fire areas that contain or present a fire hazard to structures, systems, or components important to safety. 1. In situ fire hazards shall be identified and suitable protection provided.

2. Transient fire hazards associated with normal operation, maintenance, repair, or modification activities shall be identified and eliminated where possible. Those transient fire hazards that can not be eliminated shall be controlled and suitable protection provided.

3. Fire detection systems, portable extinguishers, and standpipe and hose stations shall be installed.

4. Fire barriers or automatic suppression systems or both shall be installed as necessary to protect redundant systems or components necessary for safe shutdown.

5. A site fire brigade shall be established, trained, and equipped and shall be on site at all times.

6. Fire detection and suppression systems shall be designed, installed, maintained, and tested by personnel properly qualified by experience and training in fire protection systems.

7. Surveillance procedures shall be established to ensure that fire barriers are in place and that fire suppression systems and components are operable.

D. Alternative or dedicated shutdown capability. In areas where the fire protection features cannot ensure safe shutdown capability in the event of a fire in that area, alternative or dedicated safe shutdown capability shall be provided.

III. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

A. Water supplies for fire suppression systems. Two separate water supplies shall be provided to furnish necessary water volume and pressure to the fire main loop.

Each supply shall consist of a storage tank, pump, piping, and appropriate isola

tion and control valves. Two separate redundant suctions in one or more intake structures from a large body of water (river, lake, etc.) will satisfy the requirement for two separated water storage tanks. These supplies shall be separated so that a failure of one supply will not result in a failure of the other supply.

Each supply of the fire water distribution system shall be capable of providing for a period of 2 hours the maximum expected water demands as determined by the fire hazards analysis for safety-related areas or other areas that present a fire exposure hazard to safety-related areas.

When storage tanks are used for combined service-water/fire-water uses the minimum volume for fire uses shall be ensured by means of dedicated tanks or by some physical means such as a vertical standpipe for other water service. Administrative controls, including locks for tank outlet valves, are unacceptable as the only means to ensure minimum water volume.

Other water systems used as one of the two fire water supplies shall be permanently connected to the fire main system and shall be capable of automatic alignment to the fire main system. Pumps, controls, and power supplies in these systems shall satisfy the requirements for the main fire pumps. The use of other water systems for fire protection shall not be incompatible with their functions required for safe plant shutdown. Failure of the other system shall not degrade the fire main system.

B. Sectional isolation valves. Sectional isolation valves such as post indicator valves or key operated valves shall be installed in the fire main loop to permit isolation of portions of the fire main loop for maintenance or repair without interrupting the entire water supply.

C. Hydrant isolation valves. Valves shall be installed to permit isolation of outside hydrants from the fire main for maintenance or repair without interrupting the water supply to automatic or manual fire suppression systems in any area containing or presenting a fire hazard to safety-related or safe shutdown equipment.

D. Manual fire suppression. Standpipe and hose systems shall be installed so that at least one effective hose stream will be able to reach any location that contains or presents an exposure fire hazard to structures, systems, or components important to safety.

Access to permit effective functioning of the fire brigade shall be provided to all areas that contain or present an exposure fire hazard to structures, systems, or components important to safety.

Standpipe and hose stations shall be inside PWR containments and BWR containments that are not inerted. Standpipe

and hose stations inside containment may be connected to a high quality water supply of sufficient quantity and pressure other than the fire main loop if plant-specific features prevent extending the fire main supply inside containment. For BWR drywells, standpipe and hose stations shall be placed outside the dry well with adequate lengths of hose to reach any location inside the dry well with an effective hose stream.

E. Hydrostatic hose tests. Fire hose shall be hydrostatically tested at a pressure of 150 psi or 50 psi above maximum fire main operating pressure, whichever is greater. Hose stored in outside hose houses shall be tested annually. Interior standpipe hose shall be tested every three years.

F. Automatic fire detection. Automatic fire detection systems shall be installed in all areas of the plant that contain or present an exposure fire hazard to safe shutdown or safety-related systems or components. These fire detection systems shall be capable of operating with or without offsite power.

G. Fire protection of safe shutdown capability. 1. Fire protection features shall be provided for structures, systems, and components important to safe shutdown. These features shall be capable of limiting fire damage so that:

a. One train of systems necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown conditions from either the control room or emergency control station(s) is free of fire damage; and

b. Systems necessary to achieve and maintain cold shutdown from either the control room or emergency control station(s) can be repaired within 72 hours.

2. Except as provided for in paragraph G.3 of this section, where cables or equipment, including associated non-safety circuits that could prevent operation or cause maloperation due to hot shorts, open circuits, or shorts to ground, of redundant trains of systems necessary to achieve and maintain hot shutdown conditions are located within the same fire area outside of primary containment, one of the following means of ensuring that one of the redundant trains is free of fire damage shall be provided:

a. Separation of cables and equipment and associated non-safety circuits of redundant trains by a fire barrier having a 3-hour rating. Structural steel forming a part of or supporting such fire barriers shall be protected to provide fire resistance equivalent to that required of the barrier;

b. Separation of cables and equipment and associated non-safety circuits of redundant trains by a horizontal distance of more than 20 feet with no intervening combustible or fire hazards. In addition, fire detectors and an automatic fire suppression system shall be installed in the fire area; or

c. Enclosure of cable and equipment and associated non-safety circuits of one redundant train in a fire barrier having a 1-hour rating, In addition, fire detectors and an automatic fire suppression system shall be installed in the fire area;

Inside noninerted containments one of the fire protection means specified above or one of the following fire protection means shall be provided:

d. Separation of cables and equipment and associated non-safety circuits of redundant trains by a horizontal distance of more than 20 feet with no intervening combustibles or fire hazards;

e. Installation of fire detectors and an automatic fire suppression system in the fire area; or

f. Separation of cables and equipment and associated non-safety circuits of redundant trains by a noncombustible radiant energy shield.

3. Alternative or dedicated shutdown capability and its associated circuits, independent of cables, systems or components in the area, room or zone under consideration, shall be provided:

a. Where the protection of systems whose function is required for hot shutdown does not satisfy the requirement of paragraph G.2 of this section; or

b. Where redundant trains of systems required for hot shutdown located in the same fire area may be subject to damage from fire suppression activities or from the rupture or inadvertent operation of fire suppression systems.

In addition, fire detection and a fixed fire suppression system shall be installed in the area, room, or zone under consideration.

H. Fire brigade. A site fire brigade trained and equipped for fire fighting shall be established to ensure adequate manual fire fighting capability for all areas of the plant containing structures, systems, or components important to safety. The fire brigade shall be at least five members on each shift. The brigade leader and at least two brigade members shall have sufficient training in or knowledge of plant safety-related systems to understand the effects of fire and fire suppressants on safe shutdown capability. The qualification of fire brigade members shall include an annual physical examination to determine their ability to perform stenuous fire fighting activities. The shift supervisor shall not be a member of the fire brigade. The brigade leader shall be competent to

Alternative shutdown capability is provided by rerouting, relocating or modificating of existing systems; dedicated shutdown capability is provided by installing new structures and systems for the function of post-fire shutdown.