NRC to Review Buried Piping at Nuclear Power Reactors
September 4, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
According to the NRC, recent instances of leaks in buried pipes have primarily involved water containing elevated levels of tritium, a mildly radioactive isotope of hydrogen.
The NRC said it continues to review how nuclear power plants dealing with these leaks are using monitoring programs to confirm there is no significant effect on public health, safety and the environment.
NRC staff will provide the commission with information on ongoing and planned generic activities that address leaks from buried piping, and will discuss:
- Evaluating the adequacy of NRC requirements for designing, inspecting and maintaining safety-related buried piping, including rules governing operating reactors, reactor license renewal and new reactor licensing.
- Evaluating the adequacy of ASME International code for designing, inspecting and maintaining safety-related buried piping.
- Evaluating how effective current rules and voluntary initiatives for designing, inspecting and maintaining all nuclear power plant buried piping are in ensuring public health and protecting the environment.
- Recommending any necessary revisions to existing regulations, requirements, practices or oversight regarding the integrity of buried piping.
"Although they have not jeopardized public health and safety, leaks from buried pipes continue to occur and we need to assess the NRC's and licensee's efforts to prevent them," said NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko.
"The agency's handling of these events has focused on each incident as it occurs, but we need to look at what we're doing on a generic level to determine what additional actions may be necessary.”
Source: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).