ML18232A192
| ML18232A192 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/11/2018 |
| From: | Jacqueline Thompson NRC/NRR/DIRS/IOEB |
| To: | Gody A, Louden P, Joel Munday, O'Brien K, David Pelton, Mark Shaffer, Anton Vegel, Jimi Yerokun Division Reactor Projects I, Division of Reactor Safety I, Division Reactor Projects II, Division of Reactor Safety II, Division Reactor Projects III, Division of Reactor Safety III, NRC/RGN-IV/DRP, Division of Reactor Safety IV |
| Thompson J, NRR/DIRS, 415-1011 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML18232A192 (7) | |
Text
UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 December 11, 2018 MEMORANDUM TO: David L. Pelton, Director, Division of Reactor Projects, RI Jimi T. Yerokun, Director, Division of Reactor Safety, RI Joel T. Munday, Director, Division of Reactor Projects, RII Anthony T. Gody, Director, Division of Reactor Safety, RII Patrick L. Louden, Division of Reactor Projects, RIII Kenneth G. OBrien, Director, Division of Reactor Safety, RIII Anton Vegel, Director, Division of Reactor Projects, RIV Mark R. Shaffer, Director, Division of Reactor Safety, RIV FROM: Christopher G. Miller, Director /RA/
Division of Inspection and Regional Support Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
GENERIC CHARTER FOR CROSS-REGIONAL PANELS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF SERVICE LIFE PANEL This memorandum establishes a generic charter to be used to create topic-specific, cross-regional panels whose purpose is to promote consistent application and resolution of inspection findings and proposed enforcement actions. This generic charter may be used for any topic-specific issue where it is desired that a cross-regional panel may improve the consistency in dispositioning inspection findings.
Topic-specific cross-regional panels formed under this charter will be staffed by representatives from the program office and the regions. Additionally, these panels will also record and share their results for knowledge management and training purposes. Panels formed under the generic charter are temporary, but will stay in existence based on the need to review issues and inspection findings until there is sufficient familiarity and direction with how to disposition such inspection findings and issues.
Additionally, a new topic-specific cross-regional panel has been created to address service life issues. Enclosure contains the topic panel template.
CONTACT: John Thompson, NRR/DIRS (301) 415-1011
2 Cross-Regional Panel Guidance Purpose This guidance defines the process and requirements for establishing topic-specific cross-regional panels for the review of proposed performance deficiencies (PDs) and inspection findings.
- Topic-specific, cross-regional panels will promote consistent application and resolution of inspection findings by providing a forum for Regional and Headquarters staff to review, discuss, and obtain final consensus of Reactor Oversight Process ROP actions related to specific issues.
- Topic-specific, cross-regional panels may be used for any issue where consistency in dispositioning inspection findings has been problematic or has generated controversy with stakeholders.
- The topic-specific, cross-regional panel is temporary. Once the staff becomes familiar with the expectations for dispositioning findings for a specific issue, the panel can be disbanded.
- The topic-specific, cross-regional panel will record and share the results for knowledge management and training purposes.
Process for Approving New Topics for Cross-Regional Panels For any situation that needs to be considered for a topic-specific cross-regional panel, the topic first needs to be proposed and discussed at the bi-weekly regional directors call. The issue advocate should fill out the panel template for the specific issue of concern and submit it to his/her regional director for approval (see Enclosure, [Topic] Panel Template). If the issue is approved for discussion, the template should be distributed to all the regional directors for comment and approval at the bi-weekly regional directors call. At the next Division Director Counterpart Meeting (DDCM) meeting, the details of the proposed panel can be discussed and finalized.
Once a panel has been formed, it is expected that all topic-specific issues will be addressed by the panel (e.g., the template will be filled out for each specific issue of concern - usually by the lead inspector or team leader, and used as documentation for the issue). For any issues of concern that have the potential for risk-significance (i.e., greater than green), the issue will continue to be evaluated by a Significance and Enforcement Review Panel (SERP).
Process for Ending Cross-Regional Panels Panels formed under the generic charter are temporary, but will stay in existence based on the need to review issues and inspection findings until there is sufficient familiarity and direction with how to disposition such inspection findings and issues. Once sufficient familiarity and consistency has been achieved, a discussion of dissolving the panel can be brought with the Division of Inspection and Regional Support (DIRS) and regional directors call. The topic can then be added to the next DDCM for full discussion and decision. Following this discussion, the panel can be ended with approval of the DIRS Director.
3 Core Membership Participation in cross-regional panels will consist of designated representatives as indicated in Table 1, List of Participants.
Depending on the issue, a quorum consists of: either the Chief, Reactor Assessment and Human Factors Branch, Division of Inspection and Regional Support (IRAB/DIRS) or the Chief, Reactor Inspection Branch (IRIB/DIRS) (or their designees); plus the assigned Division of Reactor Safety, Division of Reactor Project (DRS/DRP) branch chief in each region (or their designee); the inspection team leader or senior resident inspector (who will be the presenter); and the senior reactor analyst from the respective region.
The responsible DIRS BC or designee will serve as the panel chair.
A quorum is required for initial presentation and final issue resolution. Other Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) offices will be included depending on the issues discussed.
Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) will ensure participation by the appropriate technical subject matter experts on the issues presented.
In preparation for each meeting, the presenter shall complete the panel template, for each issue that will be presented (e.g. if there are two issues at one site, two templates will be completed) and provide it to the panel chair four working days before in order to share with all the participants in advance of a scheduled meeting.
Decision-Making Process The panel chair will facilitate the discussion and help the panel reach consensus on the final disposition of the issue of concern, performance deficiency, and inspection finding. Similar to SERP panel consensus decision-making, unanimous agreement of the cross-regional panel voting members is not needed to establish consensus; rather, a consensus decision is one in which all members at least generally accept the position, agreement, or decision reached. Each panel member has the opportunity to question or challenge any of the information and analyses presented. If consensus is not reached at the conclusion of the panel, the issue will be elevated to a discussion with the decision makers (senior regional management (DRS)/(DRP) Division Directors (DDs) or their designees, with the DIRS Director/Deputy Director facilitating the decision making. For potentially greater than green issues, the SERP process will be followed (IMC 609, Attachment 1, Significance and Enforcement Review Panel (SERP) Process).
The panels decision will serve as the final MTM determination for these PDs.
Panel Documentation For each topic-specific panel, the panel template will serve as the documentation for panel decisions. The template is usually filled out by the lead inspector or inspection team leader.
The panel template should be modified as necessary to capture panel specific details, such as specific panel membership, panel chair, scope, and basis for the decision reached by the panel).
4 The lead inspector or inspection team leader will place the completed template into Agencywide Documents Access and Management System ADAMS as Sensitive Unclassified Non-Safeguards Information (SUNSI) Group Classification: Sensitive Internal Information. The ML number for the panel decision will be made available to regional staff at the NRR/DIRS/IRAB SharePoint site. The final panel template documentation should be posted on the DIRS Reactor Inspection Branch (IRIB) SharePoint site.
Table 1: List of Participants Panel Member Role IRIB/IRAB Branch Chief or designee* **Chair/Participant Regional DRS/DRP Branch Chiefs Participants responsible for the issue (or designees)*
Inspection Team Leader* Presenter Regional Enforcement Coordinator* Participant Regional Senior Reactor Analyst, as needed Participant Staff technical experts, as needed Participant (NRR/NSIR)
- required for quorum (only one DIRS BC is required)
- Chair determination based on topic
Enclosure:
As stated
ML18232A192 OFFICE NRR/DIRS/IOEB NRR/DIRS/IOEB/BC NRR/DIRS/IRIB/BC NAME JThompson RElliott THipschman (SCampbell for)
DATE 08/23/2018 10/ 05 /2018 11/ 07 /2018 OFFICE NRR/DIRS/IRAB/BC NRR/DIRS/D NAME GBowman CMiller (DMerzke for)
DATE 11/ 07 /2018 12/ 11 /2018
[Topic] Panel Template Note: The standard IMC 0611 four-part write-up can be submitted in lieu of this worksheet.
Date of Panel Inspection Date Licensee Exit Date Region Report Number Panel Chair* Regional Enforcement Coordinator*
Regional Regional SRA DRS/DRP BCs*
Inspection Staff technical Team Leader* experts (as needed)
Lead other Inspector
- required for quorum (only one DIRS BC is required)
Performance deficiency (including regulation or standard not met)
Brief summary of the issue Minor/more-than-minor (including basis) and proposed significance Enclosure
Cross-cutting aspect and basis Enforcement (if applicable)
Comments Decision Reached 2