Why doesn’t the NRC test fire barriers, instead of relying on the word of licensees?
A cornerstone of the NRC’s regulatory oversight principle is the expectation that licensees, as opposed to the NRC, bear the responsibility to take all necessary measures to safely operate their plants. Testing the capability of fire barriers is one of a large number of such licensee responsibilities. Nonetheless, the NRC does not rely on the word of licensees to determine the adequacy of fire barriers. Rather, the NRC reviews the detailed procedures and results of tests performed by licensees, to determine the adequacy of fire barriers. Additionally, on an as needed basis, the NRC may choose to perform confirmatory research to determine the adequacy of research performed by the licensees. The NRC has also commissioned its own fire barrier tests in several instances. In addition, the NRC continues to use advances in the state-of-the-art (e.g., new test methods) to further refine its assessment and understanding of the adequacy of these barriers.
Related Questions
- Why does it take the NRC so long to make licensees change their plants, once an issue (such as the failure of Hemyc fire barriers) has been identified?
- Did the word processing software change with the introduction of the GRE revised General Test on August 1, 2011?
- Why doesn’t an ERMI test require an outside sample like a spore trap analysis?
