Regulatory considerations for extending the life of nuclear plants

This study provides the nuclear industry with its first systematic evaluation of the regulatory implications of nuclear plant life extension. The report recommends courses of action that might be followed by the industry and its regulators to ensure the development of a process that is both reasonable and predictable. The study holds that ''license renewal should be a reaffirmation of the ongoing and continuous process of hardware renewal that is already an integral part of every nuclear power plant's operating program.'' The report's findings can be used by the new AIF Subcommittee on License Renewal, by other industry groups, and by individual licensees in making constructive recommendations to NRC for the development of a workable license renewal policy. No such policy now exists, and the establishment of one is preferable to allowing the consideration of life extension matters on a case-by-case basis