FYI

Joint Hearing of the
 

House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology,
Committee on Government Reform
and
House Subcommittee on Technology, Committee on Science
 

"Y2K and Nuclear Power:
Will Reactors React Responsibly?"

10 a.m., Tuesday
October 26,  1999
Room 2154, Rayburn House Office Building
 
 
 

Congressman
Stephen Horn
Chairman,
Subcommittee on Government Management, Information, and Technology
 
 
 

WITNESSES

Joel Willemssen
Director, Civil Agencies Information Systems
U.S. General Accounting Office

Keith Rhodes
Chief Scientist
U.S. General Accounting Office

Frank Miraglia
Deputy Executive Director for Reactor Programs
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Ralph Beedle
Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer
Nuclear Energy Institute

Summary from Joel Willemssen

In summary, while progress has been made in making the nations nuclear power plants and fuel processing facilities Y2K ready, some risk remains. At particular risk are the seven plants that do not yet have their non-safety systems ready, especially the two with completion dates scheduled for more than 30 days from now, ever closer to the turn of the century. Similarly, the four nuclear fuel facilities that were not Y2K ready by September 1, 1999, raise concern. Likewise, not knowing the current Y2K status of all 14 decommissioned plants with spent fuel also raises concern. Finally, the lack of information on two key issuesindependent reviews of Y2K testing and emergency Y2K exercisesand the lack of requirements for Day One planning increases the Y2K risk to the nuclear power industry.

To further reduce risks, NRC and the nuclear power industry can still take specific actions to ensure Y2K-related plant safety. First, NRC should evaluate and report on the Y2K status of all decommissioned plants with spent fuel status that previously reported they were not Y2K ready. Second, NRC should survey the 103 operational nuclear power plants to gain an understanding of what independent reviews were completed. Based on this information, NRC could then identify plants that may need additional reviews. Third, it should obtain information on the scope and extent of nuclear power plants emergency exercises, and whether these exercises have incorporated Y2K scenarios. Finally, NRC should ensure that all nuclear facilities have developed Day One plans.
 
 

-- Brian (imager@home.com), October 27, 1999

Answers

Thanks for posting this.

Some other references that people may want to look into are the Nuclear Information Resource Service at http://www.nirs.org and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). A review of a July 28, 1999 panel on nuclear power plant safety can be found at my website at http://www.gwu.edu/~y2k/keypeople/gordon. The panel included representatives from NIRS, UCS, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Nuclear Energy Institute. Selections from the videotaped proceedings of the July 1999 GW Y2K Conference will soon be posted at http://www.y2kapproaches.com/real/pgordon.htm.

-- Paula Gordon (pgordon@erols.com), November 14, 1999.

Brian--

Thank you in spades! I have truly come to value your posts.

;-)

-- #5isalive (karlacalif@aol.com), November 14, 1999.