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	NRC NEWS U. S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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No. 98-219

December 8, 1998

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is making available a draft "Contingency Plan for the Year 2000 Issue in the Nuclear Industry."

The NRC is working with its licensees to ensure that their potential Year 2000 (Y2K) issues have been identified and corrected and that the agency's own computer-based systems will continue to function properly during the transition from 1999 into 2000.

Nuclear power plant licensees indicate no significant Year 2000 problems with computer systems required for safe operation or shutdown of plants, since most are controlled by analog equipment that does not use computers. However, other non-safety computer systems used in such areas as control room displays, radiation monitoring and security functions may have potential problems. For this reason, the NRC is developing a contingency plan for ensuring that public health and safety and the environment will continue to be protected, even if unforeseen Y2K problems occur.

The draft plan, built around a reasonably conservative planning scenario, would establish NRC expectations for staff coordination with external stakeholders and staff actions to be taken beginning December 31, 1999.

The plan was developed by an NRC task force made up of seven agency employees and chaired by Joseph G. Giitter, Office for Evaluation and Analysis of Operational Data. The Commission is currently reviewing the draft.

A copy of the draft contingency plan is available for review in the NRC Public Document Room, 2120 L Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20555, and electronically on the NRC's Internet web page at http://www.nrc.gov/NRC/Y2K/Y2KCP.html. A copy may also be ordered from Joseph G. Giitter, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office for Evaluation and Analysis of Operational Data, Washington, D.C. 20555; telephone: 301/415-7485.