ML14342A172
| ML14342A172 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/16/2014 |
| From: | Marissa Bailey Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards, and Environmental Review |
| To: | Schlueter J Nuclear Energy Institute |
| Bartlett M | |
| References | |
| Download: ML14342A172 (3) | |
Text
December 16, 2014 Ms. Janet R. Schlueter, Senior Director Fuel and Materials Safety Nuclear Energy Institute 1201 F Street NW, Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20004
SUBJECT:
ENDORSEMENT OF INDUSTRY GUIDANCE REGARDING REGULATORY ISSUE RESOLUTION PROTOCOL FOR FUEL CYCLE FACILITIES
Dear Ms. Schlueter:
On December 2, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received the formal submittal of Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) 14-14, Regulatory Issue Resolution Protocol (RIRP or protocol) with a request for NRC endorsement (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System [ADAMS] Accession No. ML14337A168). The RIRP defines a process that NEI, industry and NRC can use to address new generic regulatory issues. It provides a step-by-step process to discuss the issues in public meetings, define the issues, establish an agreed-upon path forward, and develop a durable resolution. NEI provided a draft of the RIRP to the NRC on May 29, 2014 (ML14149A423). The NRC provided comments, which were discussed during a public meeting on September 22-23, 2014 (ML14280A256), and subsequently resolved.
The NRC staff endorses use of the NEI 14-14 Regulatory Issue Resolution Protocol as an option to work with NEI and stakeholders to resolve generic issues. Previous experience implementing RIRP for reactors and spent fuel storage and transportation indicates RIRP should not be superimposed on issues subject to the enforcement policy or items with an established regulatory process. This is recognized in the RIRP which states:
This protocol does not in any way limit the NRCs regulatory options should new information come to light that would change the safety or security significance or urgency of an issue. Additionally, use of the regulatory issue resolution protocol is not a replacement for taking immediate action as necessary to address nuclear safety, security or compliance matters, and does not alleviate the responsibility of licensees to comply with all applicable regulatory requirements.
Previous experience indicates the protocol works best when applied to generic issues with well-defined, mutually agreed upon goals.
The NRC staff considers conformance with the RIRP to be an acceptable approach to resolve applicable generic issues. This protocol will be used to identify, screen, plan, implement, and closeout these type of issues. The NRC will determine the applicability of the RIRP on a case-by-case basis.
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
If you have any questions, please contact Matt Bartlett of my staff at (301) 287-9112, or via e-mail at Matthew.Bartlett@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Marissa G. Bailey, Director Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards, and Environmental Review Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards
In accordance with 10 CFR 2.390 of the NRCs Agency Rules of Practice and Procedure, a copy of this letter will be available electronically for public inspection in the NRC Public Document Room or from the Publicly Available Records component of NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS). ADAMS is accessible from the NRC Web site at http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html.
If you have any questions, please contact Matt Bartlett of my staff at (301) 287-9112, or via e-mail at Matthew.Bartlett@nrc.gov.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Marissa G. Bailey, Director Division of Fuel Cycle Safety, Safeguards, and Environmental Review Office of Nuclear Materials Safety and Safeguards DISTRIBUTION:
FCSE r/f PHabighorst, FCSE RJohnson, FCSE MKotzalas, FCSE LChang, FCSE ADAMS ACCESSION No. ML14342A172 OFFICE FCSE/ECB FCSE/ECB FCSE/ECB FCSE FCSE NAME MBartlett DMiller BSmith CErlanger MBailey DATE 12/ 8/2014 12/8 /2014 12/15/2014 12/16 /2014 12/16/2014 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY