Which document requires that reactor coolant and containment samples be obtained and analyzed within hours after an accident and that instruments be environmentally qualified to withstand the post-LOCA containment atmosphere?

Which document requires that reactor coolant and containment samples be obtained and analyzed within hours after an accident and that instruments be environmentally qualified to withstand the post-LOCA containment atmosphere?

• A. 10 CFR 20
• B. IEEE 1012
• C. US NUREG 0737
• D. NRC Regulatory Guide 1.206

Answer: (C)

After a reactor accident, having timely, reliable data and instruments that can survive harsh post-accident conditions is essential for informed response decisions. US NUREG-0737, born from the Three Mile Island Action Plan, sets those requirements. It explicitly requires obtaining reactor coolant and containment samples within hours after an accident to give early, actionable information, and it also requires that instrumentation be environmentally qualified to withstand the post-LOCA containment atmosphere, which can be hot, humid, and radiologically challenging. The other documents don’t specify these post-accident sampling timelines or environmental qualification requirements. 10 CFR 20 governs radiation protection principles for workers and the public, not post-accident sampling windows or instrument survivability. IEEE 1012 is about software verification and validation for safety systems, not field sampling or environmental qualification. NRC Regulatory Guide 1.206 offers guidance on digital I&C in licensing contexts but does not establish the specific post-LOCA sampling and qualification requirements found in NUREG-0737.

After a reactor accident, having timely, reliable data and instruments that can survive harsh post-accident conditions is essential for informed response decisions. US NUREG-0737, born from the Three Mile Island Action Plan, sets those requirements. It explicitly requires obtaining reactor coolant and containment samples within hours after an accident to give early, actionable information, and it also requires that instrumentation be environmentally qualified to withstand the post-LOCA containment atmosphere, which can be hot, humid, and radiologically challenging.

The other documents don’t specify these post-accident sampling timelines or environmental qualification requirements. 10 CFR 20 governs radiation protection principles for workers and the public, not post-accident sampling windows or instrument survivability. IEEE 1012 is about software verification and validation for safety systems, not field sampling or environmental qualification. NRC Regulatory Guide 1.206 offers guidance on digital I&C in licensing contexts but does not establish the specific post-LOCA sampling and qualification requirements found in NUREG-0737.