Frequently Asked Questions/Emergency Preparedness Guidance Clarification

On this page:

• Nuclear Industry Expectations
• Question Criteria
• EPFAQs Under Review
• EPFAQs Out for Public Comment
• EPFAQs Completed
• Submit Your Question

Nuclear Industry Expectations

While any member of the public may submit an EPFAQ for NRC consideration, the staff expects the nuclear industry to work with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) to coordinate, discuss, and submit EPFAQs through NEI. This will ensure consistency and allows other nuclear industry representatives to assist in the development of the applicable EPFAQ.

Question Criteria

A potential EPFAQ should be a question addressing issues where the regulatory guidance may not be sufficiently clear, or where consistency in application would benefit both the NRC and licensees. To be considered as an EPFAQ, the initiator shall apply the following criteria:

• The question must be sufficiently generic (e.g., Does it affect more than one licensee or plant without consideration or evaluation of site-specific information?).

• The question does not involve unresolved inspection issues, enforcement actions, allegations, or other situations covered by existing regulatory processes.

• The question does not involve classified, safeguards, or official use only information.

• The question does not request interpretation of NRC regulations, clarification of guidance not yet published as final, or NEI/Industry documents submitted but not endorsed by the NRC.

• The question relates to guidance applicable to licensees.  Questions related to the development, implementation or evaluation of offsite emergency plans and preparedness are the responsibility of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), per the FEMA/NRC Memorandum of Understanding contained in Appendix A to 44 CFR 353, and will not be accepted under this EPFAQ process.

• The question does not request clarification of on-going licensing activities or issues processed by the licensee in accordance with 10 CFR 50.54(q) or Appendix E to 10 CFR Part 50.

• The question does not pertain to the EP Performance Indicators, Baseline EP Inspection Procedures, or Appendix Manual Chapter 0609 (EP Significance Determination Process).

If all of the above criteria are met, then an EPFAQ is appropriate.

Disclaimer: The information in any response to an email sent to this address is provided as a public service and solely for informational purposes and is not, nor should be deemed as, an official NRC position, opinion or guidance, or "a written interpretation by the General Counsel" under 10 CFR 50.3, on any matter to which the information may relate. The opinions, representations, positions, interpretations, guidance or recommendations which may be expressed by the NRC technical staff responding to an inquiry are solely the NRC technical staff's and do not necessarily represent the same for the NRC. Accordingly, the fact that the information was obtained through the NRC technical staff will not have a precedential effect in any legal or regulatory proceeding.

Final FAQ Resolution may be considered as part of the revision process for applicable EP guidance.

If you are reporting a safety or security concern, please see our Report a Safety or Security Concern page.

EPFAQs Under Review

These EPFAQs are under review and yet to be finalized.

• EPFAQ	Title	ADAMS Accession Number
  EPFAQ 2024-01	Clarification on Handling Emergency Action Levels (EALs) Declared in Error Prior to Offsite Response Organization (ORO) Notification	ML25059A244

EPFAQs Out for Public Comment

The following report provides a list of EPFAQs out for public comment.

• EPFAQ	Title	ADAMS Accession Number
  There are currently no EPFAQs Out for Public Comment.

EPFAQs Completed

The following report provides a list of completed EPFAQs that have not been adopted into regulatory guidance.

• EPFAQs Completed 2012-2015
   

• EPFAQ	Title	ADAMS Accession Number
  2015-009	Acceptability of Noble Gas Only Source Term for the Threshold Calculation of Effluent Monitor Readings for AS1 and AG1	ML16166A431
  2015-010	Usage of NUREG/BR-0150 Volume 1, Rev. 4 "RTM-96 Response Figures A.5 - A.12 to Determine Core Damage	ML16166A419
  2015-011	Usage of NEI 10-05 to support augmentation time changes EPFAQ was REJECTED as guidance is provided by NSIR/DPR ISG-001 and NUREG-0654/FEMA REP-1	N/A
  2015-012	Usage of plant parameter information not available in the Control Room as an information and data source in an EAL	ML16166A404
  2015-013	Hostile Action resulting in a loss of control of the facility declarations when fuel damage is likely within 4-hours or results in a loss of physical control of spent fuel	ML16166A366
  2015-014	Consideration to allow for specifying relevant operating modes identified for the inability to control a key safety function cannot be maintained following a transfer of plant control to an alternate location	ML16166A240
  2015-015	Consideration of listing site-specific power sources applicable for consideration for loss of power EALs	ML16166A191
  2016-001	Definition of Hostile Action and/or Projectile EPFAQ was withdrawn by the industry via letter	ML17083A795
  2016-002	Clarification of Equipment Damage as a Result of a Hazardous Event	ML17195A299
  2017-001	Clarification of Implementation of the revised EPA Protective Action Guide regarding revisions to EAL	ML17199F736
  2018-001	Reactor Coolant System Fission Product Barrier Loss Clarification	ML18338A290
  2018-002	Clarification of Boiling Water Reactor Classification of a Reator Coolant System Leak Leak that may be Isolated Locally	ML18338A308
  2018-003	Clarification of Site-Specific List of Plant Rooms or Areas that should be regarding Single Containment Fire Alarms	ML18338A397
  2018-004	Hazardous Events Effects On Safety Systems Clarification	ML18340A051
  2019-001	Clarification of Initiating Conditions CU1 (15 minutes) and CA1 (significance)	ML19275E817
  2019-002	A question regarding the inclusion of a revision of 10CFR21 in purchase orders was REJECTED as purchase orders are outside the scope of EPFAQs.	N/A
  2019-003	A question regarding a clarification of EPFAQ 2013-004 was REJECTED because NUREG-0654, Revision 1, Supplement 3 (ADAMS Accession No. ML113010596).  Further clarification is provided in the NRC response to EPFAQ 2019-003.	ML19354A835
  2019-004	Clarification Based On Implementation Of The Impact Of BWROG EPG/SAG Revision 4 On Various Emergency Action Levels.	ML20238C050
  2020-001	Relief from Annual Evacuation Time Estimate (ETE) Update When Performing A Census Baseline ETE Study.	ML20206L127
  2020-002	Clarification of emergency preparedness communication equipment relative to extended loss of all power communication equipment.	ML20206K985
  2021-001	Clarification of Section 4.3 of NUREG-7002, "Criteria for Development of Evacuation Time Estimate Studies," regarding acceptable error and/or confidence interval	ML22203A071
  2021-002	Clarification of NUREG-7002, "Criteria for Development of Evacuation Time Estimate Studies," regarding availability date for 2021 Census data	ML22203A088

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