NRC to Finish 'Station Blackout' Rulemaking in 2014
It is one of seven recommendations the agency's staff is beginning to implement immediately from the task force examining lessons from the Fukushima Daiichi crisis.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission staffers are beginning work immediately to implement seven recommendations of the NRC Near-Term Task Force studying the lessons of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant crisis in Japan, NRC announced Oct. 20. One of the major ones to be implemented is a "station blackout" rulemaking covering actions to be taken in response to the loss of all A/C electrical power at a reactor.
The commission set a goal of completing the rulemaking process by April 2014.
The task force issued 12 recommendations in its report, which was completed in July 2011. The seven moving forward now also include reviews of seismic and flooding hazards, emergency equipment, and plants' staff training.
"I am pleased that the commission has taken this first step in responding to and implementing the safety recommendations of the task force," said NRC Chairman Gregory B. Jaczko. "My colleagues and I expect that within five years, and significantly sooner in some cases, the staff will have enhanced our already robust safety standards by carrying out these recommendations."
He said addressing station blackout "is a high priority, and I will do my best to lead the staff in accomplishing this effort.
The task force's remaining recommendations are pending before the commission.