16 Tex. Admin. Code § 65.610 - Nuclear Boilers

(a) Nuclear boilers shall be inspected in-service by the owner or operator, in accordance with ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section XI.

(b) The owner or operator shall engage the services of an inspection agency, qualified in accordance with American National Standards Institute/American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ANSI/ASME) N626.1, licensed by the Texas State Board of Insurance, and authorized to provide inspection services by the department.

(c) The department shall assign, after receipt of the completed N-3 owner's data report, a state serial number to the nuclear boiler.

(1) All N-5 data reports for piping systems and N-3 owner's data reports shall be filed with the department.

(2) National Board registration described in § 65.200 is not required.

(d) The certificate of operation will be issued after receipt of the preservice inspection summary report and prior to commercial service. The summary report shall include all activities required by ASME Code, Section XI, except for the results of examinations or test of items obtainable only during power ascension testing. These items shall be filed as an amendment to the summary report within sixty (60) days of the completion of the power ascension testing. The items identified to be submitted in the amendment, shall be agreed upon by mutual consent as provided for in subsection (k), prior to power ascension testing and issuance of the certificate of operation.

(e) The in-service inspection plan shall be submitted to the department by the owner or operator prior to commercial service.

(f) The department shall review the in-service inspection plan and select those items necessary to verify compliance with Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 755 and ASME Code, Section XI. Items selected for verification shall be from within the verification boundary of the nuclear boiler consisting of the components and component supports of the systems illustrated in § 65.615, Exhibit 6.

(g) The department shall, upon reasonable notification by the owner or operator, of in-service inspection activities to be accomplished during any outage on items selected in subsection (h), coordinate with the owner or operator the verification activities.

(h) The department shall review and maintain summary reports of the in-service inspections that are submitted by the owner or operator in accordance with ASME Code, Section XI.

(i) Repairs and/or replacements shall conform to the requirements of ASME Code, Section XI.

(j) The owner or operator shall, in case of serious accidents to a nuclear boiler involving a breach of the pressure boundary integrity of components included in § 65.615, Exhibit 6, immediately notify the chief inspector by the most expeditious means available and report the nature of the accident. The chief inspector shall assess the nature of the accident, formulate inspection activities as required, and coordinate these activities with the owner or operator and as necessary with other state and federal agencies having jurisdiction.

(k) If exceptions or situations arise, which are not specifically addressed in this section or other sections of the boiler law and rules, or in ASME Code, Section XI, the owner or operator shall contact the chief inspector for guidance or interpretation.

Notes

16 Tex. Admin. Code § 65.610

Adopted by Texas Register, Volume 40, Number 22, May 29, 2015, TexReg 3132, eff. 6/15/2015; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 41, Number 05, January 29, 2016, TexReg 798, eff. 2/15/2016