BASIS FOR ACCEPTABILITY OF CONTINUED PLANT OPERATION

The procedure described in Section 6 should be followed to identify any differences between the safety status of a nuclear power plant and current safety standards and practices (a reference level used for comparison). Some differences may actually be strengths because the safety status of a plant on particular issues may be better than for current standards and practices. The procedure does not require that a nuclear power plant meet all current standards however, practicable improvements should be made as steps towards meeting them. It is recognized that some safety features, such as current seismic features, cannot easily be backfitted, and some design aspects, such as plant layout, are difficult to modify. For these cases, the procedure requires that the risk associated with the shortcomings be assessed and that a justification for continued plant operation be provided. 

The plant operating organization should commit itself effectively to the integrated plan of implementation of corrective actions and/or safety improvements. 

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