Information Notice No. 86-97: Emergency Communications System
SSINS No. 6835
IN 86-97
UNITED STATES
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555
NOVEMBER 28, 1986
Information Notice No. 86-97: EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
Addressees:
All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license and the
following fuel facilities: Nuclear Fuel Services of Erwin, General Atomics,
UNC Montville, B&W LCR Lynchburgh, and B&W Lynchburgh.
Purpose:
This notice is being issued to more clearly define the emergency
communications system (i.e., the emergency notification system and health
physics network) and to provide guidance on the operation and testing of the
system. No specific action or written response is required by this
information notice.
Discussion:
Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 50, Appendix E, Paragraph
E.9, requires that the licensee have an emergency communications system. The
System currently in use and acceptable to the NRC consists of two subsystems
- the emergency notification system (ENS) and the health physics network
(HPN). These networks are funded by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
The ENS is an automatic ring-down service that provides dedicated telephone
service to the NRC Operations Center. Originally, the HPN system was a dial-
up dedicated circuit between the licensee's facilities, the regions and the
NRC headquarters. The HPN requires special equipment that has been subject
to reliability and maintainability problems and can no longer economically
provide the necessary level of service. The NRC is replacing the original
HPN equipment With normal commercial dial-up service pending a permanent
solution.
The ENS portion of the emergency communications system is designed to (1)
facilitate the licensee's timely notifications to the NRC of off-normal
incidents affecting the facility and (2) provide information concerning the
operation and status of the plant to the NRC Operations Center. The HPN is
designed to provide health physics and environmental information to the NRC
Operations Center in the event of an ongoing emergency. Licensees must
provide qualified personnel to maintain an open, continuous communications
channel with the NRC Operations Center upon request by the NRC, as required
by 10 CFR 50.72(c)(3). The licensee is responsible for supplying timely,
reliable information concerning an event to the NRC via the Operations
Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Members of the NRC will not relieve the
licensee of this responsibility.
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IN 86-97
November 28, 1986
Page 2 of 3
The ENS system is exercised each morning, usually between the hours of 0400
and 0800 Eastern time, by the Headquarters Operations Officer's placement of
a call to each licensed facility to collect status information. However,
this call does not fully satisfy 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix E, Paragraph
E.9.d., which requires each licensee to perform monthly testing from the
control room, the technical support center (TSC) and the emergency
operations facility (EOF).
The monthly tests of the ENS and HPN instruments from all installed
locations except the NRC Resident Inspector's Office should be done at the
initiative of the licensee. It should be noted that it is not necessary to
conduct monthly tests of the ENS and HPN instruments to the NRC regional
office because that connection is made through the Operations Center. In the
case of the ENS, it is necessary for the licensee to call from each ENS
location and establish contact with the NRC Headquarters Operations Officer.
The Headquarters Operations Officer should be requested to return the
licensee's call at each of the locations. The licensee also should be aware
that on occasion it may be necessary to delay a particular test because of
the heavy volume of traffic being experienced at the NRC Operations Center.
All HPN instruments installed at the licensees facilities should be tested
by placing a local call to any other telephone and request a call back to
ensure the instrument is working. No call to the NRC Operations Center is
required. Documentation of the monthly test for the entire emergency
communications system is required to be maintained by the licensee.
The following information is provided to the licensee in recognition that
the new commercial service for the HPN has raised questions about its use
and operation:
The new system is standard commercial telephone service and requires no
complicated or sophisticated operating instruction. It is only
necessary to lift the receiver and dial (301)-951-1212 to get the NRC
Operations Center. This telephone is installed and operated at the
expense of the NRC. Its intended use is to permit licensee personnel to
transmit health physics and environmental information to the NRC
through the Operations Center in Bethesda, Maryland in radiological
events and exercises. No other licensee use other than required testing
is permitted. Licensees must take appropriate precautions to ensure
that the telephone is readily available for the purpose described here
and for the monthly tests.
Licensees should ensure that the system is not used for other purposes.
The development and implementation of appropriate precautions is left
to the discretion of the licensee, but should be consistent with the
general administrative controls and procedures of the individual facil-
ity.
The HPN telephone instrument, manufactured by ITT, is a distinct ash/
almond color, and is identified as "HPN Telephone." Stickers are
attached to each instrument providing the primary and backup phone
numbers of the NRC Operations Center. Most facilities have installed
these instruments in the TSC and EOF, although some plants will need to
deviate from those locations based on where protective measure
information is centrally collected.
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IN 86-97
November 28, 1986
Page 3 of 3
Should either or both of the emergency communications subsystems (ENS and
HPN) fail, the Operations Center in Bethesda, Maryland, should be so
informed over normal commercial telephone systems by calling 301-951-0550 or
one of the following backup numbers:
301-427-4056
301-427-4259
301-492-8893
A collect call to any of these numbers will be accepted. NRC will make
arrangements to have the failed system returned to normal operation. At the
time the failure is reported, the licensee should be prepared to supply the
following information to expedite repair: (1) name of contact at location of
failure, (2) commercial phone number of contact, (3) location of contact
(i.e., street address, building number, room number, etc.), and (4) any
other information that would expedite repair.
No specific action or written response is required by this information
notice. If you have questions about this matter, please contact the Regional
Administrator of the appropriate regional office or the technical contact
listed below.
Edward L. Jordan, Director
Division of Emergency Preparedness
and Engineering Response
Office of Inspection and Enforcement
Technical Contact: H. Michael Hawkins, IE
301-492-4145
Attachment: List of Previously Issued IE Information Notices
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Tuesday, March 09, 2021