Unreviewed safety questions DOE

DOE Order 5480.21, Unreviewed Safety Questions (DOE 1991), This order specifies the applicable conditions and basis for determining the existence of an Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) for proposed changes or modifications to the facility design or operation. More specifically, implementation of this order requires consideration of whether a proposed activity involves a conflict with the facility Technical Safety Requirements. 

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), 1991b, Unreviewed Safety Questions, DOE Order. 5480.21, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C., December 24,1991. 

DOE 5480.21, UNREVIEWED SAFETY QUESTIONS, which gives the basis for determining the existence of an Unreviewed Safety Questions. 

Plans for decontamination of the HCF in response to an accidental release would be formulated subsequent to a detailed assessment of the event All in-situ decontamination of HCF structures and equipment will be conducted in accordance with DOE and SNL radiation-safety and contamination-control policy. Ail decontamination plans would be submitted through the appropriate unreviewed safety question determination (USQD) channels for approval before implementation. 

DOE Order 5480.21 (DOE 1991b), Discovery communication, and determination of proper review level of unreviewed safety questions. 

In the late 1980s, DOE initiated tasks to provide new DOE orders that addressed nuclear safety documents and nuclear criticality safety. These documents were necessary to establish DOE nuclear safety policy and requirements in anticipation of the change to a regulated process. In 1991-1992, the DOE issued four DOE orders that defined the requirements for preparing Unreviewed Safety Questions (USQs) (DOE Order 5480.21), TSRs (DOE Order 5480.22), Safety Analysis Reports (DOE Order 5480.23), and Nuclear Criticality Safety (DOE Order 5480.24). They were used for the specification of nuclear safety requirements and used in conjunction with 10 CFR, Part 830 (10 CFR 830), Subpart A—Quality Assurance (QA) Requirements—for enforcement action under the PAAA regulatory process. These orders were deactivated on the issuance of 10 CFR 830, Subpart B—Safety Basis Requirements—and replaced by DOE guides. 

DOE G 424.1-1A Implementation Guide for Use in Addressing Unreviewed Safety Question Requirements... 

This guide was developed to support DOE Order 5480.21 USQs. The guide has been revised to provide guidance for the requirements defined in 10 CFR 830, Subpart B, 203 (10 CFR 830.203)—Unreviewed Safety Question Process. This guide imposes no requirements. 

DOE G 424.1-1 A, Implementation guide for use in addressing unreviewed safety question requirements. Document is available from Department of Energy, AD-631/FORS, Washington, DC. 

As a part of the Unreviewed Safety Question (USQ) review, the proposed activity must be evaluated to the criteria set forth in the Technical Specifications and the Safety Analysis Report (SAR). Seismic concerns and designs are both covered by the Technical Specifications and the SAR and are addressed by the USQ process. The procedure further requires that the USQ evaluation be approved by DOE prior to implementation of the activity when a USQ is determined to exist. The requirement to use the USQ process applies to all systems thereby enveloping the requirements of restart criterion 3. 

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