[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 10, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 10CFR50.48]

[Page 738-739]
 
                            TITLE 10--ENERGY
 
                CHAPTER I--NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
 
PART 50--DOMESTIC LICENSING OF PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION FACILITIES--Table 
of Contents
 
Sec. 50.48  Fire protection.

    (a)(1) Each operating nuclear power plant must have a fire 
protection plan that satisfies Criterion 3 of appendix A to this part. 
This fire protection plan must:
    (i) Describe the overall fire protection program for the facility;
    (ii) Identify the various positions within the licensee's 
organization that are responsible for the program;
    (iii) State the authorities that are delegated to each of these 
positions to implement those responsibilities; and
    (iv) Outline the plans for fire protection, fire detection and 
suppression capability, and limitation of fire damage.
    (2) The plan must also describe specific features necessary to 
implement the program described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section such 
as--
    (i) Administrative controls and personnel requirements for fire 
prevention and manual fire suppression activities;
    (ii) Automatic and manually operated fire detection and suppression 
systems; and
    (iii) The means to limit fire damage to structures, systems, or 
components important to safety so that the capability to shut down the 
plant safely is ensured.
    (3) The licensee shall retain the fire protection plan and each 
change to the plan as a record until the Commission

[[Page 739]]

terminates the reactor license. The licensee shall retain each 
superseded revision of the procedures for 3 years from the date it was 
superseded.
    (b) Appendix R to this part establishes fire protection features 
required to satisfy Criterion 3 of appendix A to this part with respect 
to certain generic issues for nuclear power plants licensed to operate 
before January 1, 1979.
    (1) Except for the requirements of Sections III.G, III.J, and III.O, 
the provisions of Appendix R to this part do not apply to nuclear power 
plants licensed to operate before January 1, 1979, to the extent that--
    (i) Fire protection features proposed or implemented by the licensee 
have been accepted by the NRC staff as satisfying the provisions of 
Appendix A to Branch Technical Position (BTP) APCSB 9.5-1 reflected in 
NRC fire protection safety evaluation reports issued before the 
effective date of February 19, 1981; or
    (ii) Fire protection features were accepted by the NRC staff in 
comprehensive fire protection safety evaluation reports issued before 
Appendix A to Branch Technical Position (BTP) APCSB 9.5-1 was published 
in August 1976.
    (2) With respect to all other fire protection features covered by 
Appendix R, all nuclear power plants licensed to operate before January 
1, 1979, must satisfy the applicable requirements of Appendix R to this 
part, including specifically the requirements of Sections III.G, III.J, 
and III.O.
    (c)-(e) [Reserved]
    (f) Licensees that have submitted the certifications required under 
Sec. 50.82(a)(1) shall maintain a fire protection program to address 
the potential for fires that could cause the release or spread of 
radioactive materials (i.e., that could result in a radiological 
hazard).
    (1) The objectives of the fire protection program are to--
    (i) Reasonably prevent these fires from occurring;
    (ii) Rapidly detect, control, and extinguish those fires that do 
occur and that could result in a radiological hazard; and
    (iii) Ensure that the risk of fire-induced radiological hazards to 
the public, environment and plant personnel is minimized.
    (2) The licensee shall assess the fire protection program on a 
regular basis. The licensee shall revise the plan as appropriate 
throughout the various stages of facility decommissioning.
    (3) The licensee may make changes to the fire protection program 
without NRC approval if these changes do not reduce the effectiveness of 
fire protection for facilities, systems, and equipment that could result 
in a radiological hazard, taking into account the decommissioning plant 
conditions and activities.

[65 FR 38190, June 20, 2000]