ML19224D477
| ML19224D477 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/09/1979 |
| From: | Chilk S NRC OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SECY) |
| To: | Gossick L NRC OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR OPERATIONS (EDO) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19224D478 | List: |
| References | |
| SECY-79-215, NUDOCS 7907120273 | |
| Download: ML19224D477 (20) | |
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UNIItU diAi=d NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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OFFICE 08 THE SE"RETARY
.. CANDUM FOR:
Lee V. Gossick Executive Director for Op'e'..tions i
FROM :
Samuel J. Chilk, Secretir l
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r-RESEARCH PROGRAM WITF ELBC kIC POWER RESEARCH
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(COM"ISSIONER ACTION ITEM) is is co advise you that the Commission (with four Commissioners n
concurrinc and Commissioner Gilinsky non-concurring) has approved the e: rendation mace in tne pa;;er.
Ccamissioner Gilinsky will provide
.is views separately.
The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research was informed af this action by teleoncne on May 9,1979.
Yca should execute the waiver of conflicts of interest 00iicy rceommended and have :ne Director, Division of Contracts execute the contract.
cc:
Cnairman Hencrie Com.issicner Gilinsky m
C:.issicner Kennedy
":mmissicner 3radford C:nmissi:ner ;hearne
-3eneral Counsel A::ing Cire: cr, Policy Evaluation Ci'eC00r, Research D", r e c t o r. -: vision of Contracts E
0i2 7907120273
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i May 16, 1979
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EEPARATE VIEWS OF COMMISSIONER GILINSKY ON SECY-79-215:
FROPOSED BWR LOCA/ECC COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM WITH ELECTRIC POWER RESEARCH INSTITUTE (EPRI) AND GENERAL ELECTRIC (GE) e I have been oncerned for some time about NRC saf ety research programs which are conducted jointly with nuclear vendor and utility orga nizations, the safety of whose equipment the NRC is assessing, in view-of the inherent problems in protecting the independent judgment of this agency.
In 1977 in response to questions I raised about a pending NRC/ Westinghouse / Electric Power Research :nstitute col. tract I received a memorandum
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from the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) which noted that aside from the Westinghouse program there was also a joint boiling water reactor research program with General Electric and EPRI which was approved by the Commission in 1975 and was expected to be completed in 1978.
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memorandum stated that "no further test programs with; P
industry are currently contemplated by RES, and these joint contracts will be terminated ;pon completion of the present scope of work."
Clearly the research proposed here is an expansion of the work approved by the Commission in 1975.
In deciding to fund NRC/ industry programs in 1975, the Commission marked these arrangements as unusual and ones to be entered into only if the information to be obtained is directly necessary to accomplish NRC objectives and alternative means of acquiring the information are not reasonably;available.
The clear message to the research staff *tas that these were interim arrangements that should be phased out.
The -message seems to have f allen on. dea' ears.
In my view, if the research in question is essential for assuring safe design of vendor systems NRC should require vendors to do it.
If the NRC needs to conduct additional esearch to audit the work performed by the industry then the government regulators nhould pay.
In the joint arrange-ment in question, either government funds are being used to replace private funds, or private funds are replacing govern-ment funds.
In either case the arrangement is not a proper I
one.
My concern about these matters has not been allayed by the contract waiver which states that "it is impracticable to secure cc= petition by formal advertising because it is impossible to draft for an invitation for bids, adequate st=cifications cr any cther deca 11ed descripticr cf the rewired sersices."
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