ML18134A066
| ML18134A066 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/15/2018 |
| From: | Frederick Brown Office of New Reactors |
| To: | Cowan P Nuclear Energy Institute |
| References | |
| Download: ML18134A066 (2) | |
Text
May 15, 2018 Ms. Pamela Cowan Vice President Nuclear Generation Nuclear Energy Institute 1201 F Street N.W., Suite 1100 Washington, DC 20004
Dear Ms. Cowan:
I acknowledge receipt of your letter, dated April 25, 2018, on Recommendations for Enhancing the Safety Focus of New Reactor Regulatory Reviews, and the attached report of the same title.
As an organization that continually seeks to learn and improve, we welcome hearing the perspectives of our licensees and applicants. I agree with the reports observations that since 2015, the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has taken action that is improving the efficiency of our New Reactor regulatory reviews, but that continued improvement opportunities exist for us to maintain the effectiveness of our safety and security mission while improving efficiency, consistent with the NRCs Principles of Good Regulation (NRCs Agencywide Document Access and Management System Number ML14135A076). I dont necessarily agree that the brief descriptions of licensing experiences cited in the Appendix to your report fully explain the specific circumstances of each situation; however, that does not change my appreciation of the willingness of the involved parties to share their perspectives, or my assessment of the opportunity, and need, for continued efficiency improvements.
The Office of New Reactors (NRO) was already working on additional improvements to our internal processes for audits and requests for additional information. In addition, as you know, the agency-wide Transformation Team will be reporting to the Commission in the near future. The staff and management team in NRO coordinated closely with the Transformation Team in both the identification of opportunities to significantly change our processes and practices, and on the development of associated recommendations.
Once the Transition Teams paper is publically available, NRO will schedule a public meeting to discuss, with all our interested stakeholders, the actions that we have recently taken, plan to take, and will take subject to Commission approval, to improve our efficiency while maintaining regulatory effectiveness. I would expect that meeting to occur in July of this year.
Sincerely,
/RA/
Frederick D. Brown, Director Office of New Reactors
P. Cowan 2
SUBJECT:
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ENHANCING THE SAFETY FOCUS OF NEW REACTOR REGULATORY REVIEWS Dated: May 15, 2018 DISTRIBUTION:
R. Taylor, NRO A. Bradford, NRO A. Campbell, NRO RidsNroOd RidsOgcMailCenter RidsEdoMailCenter RidsNrrOd RidsNsirOd RidsRgn2MailCenter ADAMS Accession Number: ML18134A066 NRO-002 OFFICE NRO NRO:DD NRO:D NAME DRoyer VOrdaz FBrown DATE 5/15/18 5/15/18 5/15/18 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY