NRC REMINDS NEW REACTOR APPLICANTS AND EXISTING PLANTS OF
NEED TO GUARD AGAINST COUNTERFEIT PARTS
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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reminding reactor license applicants and nuclear power plant operators of their responsibility to prevent counterfeit parts from posing a safety concern.

The agency issued an Information Notice to ensure the nuclear power industry is aware of two counterfeit part incidents from 2007, neither of which affected plant safety.

“Nuclear power plants require high-quality components that meet rigorous standards,” said Bill Borchardt, Director of the NRC’s Office of New Reactors. “As the industry prepares for possible new plants, we want both utilities and construction companies to ensure their suppliers are up to the job.”

The notice recounts previous NRC documents covering counterfeit or misrepresented products, and lists three keys to effectively ensuring the use of quality nuclear-grade products:

• Involve engineering staff in procuring and accepting products;
• Inspect parts both at the vendor’s plant and after receipt, along with testing parts before use, and;
• Extensively review and test any commercial products before considering their use in safety-related applications.

The Information Notice is available on the NRC’s Web site here: http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/gen-comm/info-notices/2008/index.html.

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Wednesday, February 25, 2009