Concepedia

TLDR

In April 1989, the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research published the draft report NUREG‑1150, Severe Accident Risks: An Assessment for Five US Nuclear Power Plants. The NRC sought a peer review of NUREG‑1150 to ensure its methods, safety insights and conclusions were credible and reflected current reactor safety knowledge, given its importance for implementing the Severe Accident Policy. RES convened a special committee of national and international nuclear safety experts in June 1989 under the Federal Advisory Committee Act to evaluate the adequacy of NUREG‑1150’s methods, data, analysis and conclusions. The peer‑review report updated, extended and improved upon the 1974 Reactor Safety Study and documented the results of the review.

Abstract

In April 1989, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) published a draft report Severe Accident Risks: An Assessment for Five US Nuclear Power Plants,'' NUREG-1150. This report updated, extended and improved upon the information presented in the 1974 Reactor Safety Study,'' WASH-1400. Because the information in NUREG-1150 will play a significant role in implementing the NRC's Severe Accident Policy, its quality and credibility are of critical importance. Accordingly, the Commission requested that the RES conduct a peer review of NUREG-1150 to ensure that the methods, safety insights and conclusions presented are appropriate and adequately reflect the current state of knowledge with respect to reactor safety. To this end, RES formed a special committee in June of 1989 under the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The Committee, composed of a group of recognized national and international experts in nuclear reactor safety, was charged with preparing a report reflecting their review of NUREG-1150 with respect to the adequacy of the methods, data, analysis and conclusions it set forth. The report which precedes reflects the results of this peer review.