ML19350A477
| ML19350A477 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/04/1981 |
| From: | Zech G Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| To: | Stroud S AFFILIATION NOT ASSIGNED |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19350A478 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8103160272 | |
| Download: ML19350A477 (3) | |
Text
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NUCLE AR REGULATORY CP.*4 MISSION g ;...g j 7
a i N,. K V. ASHINGT ON. D. C. 20555 2[
March 4, 1981 8'
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Miss Shirley Stroud is c/o Rosemarie Stroud A.
Nuernberg American High School APO New York 09696
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Dear Miss Stroud:
This is in reply to your letter of February 7,1981, about making nuclear power safer for people and the environment.
In May 1980, the U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) stated the following policies to be followed in achieving adequate protection of the public health and safety:
Priority will be given to NRC activities expected to have the greatest effect on reducing risks to the public health and safety.
NRC will require careful consideration of the benefits and costs of alternative ways to achieve regul: tory objectives.
NRC will consider the public health and safety implications of not operating a nuclear facility as well as the potential radiological or other hazards associated with its operation.
NRC will emphasize prompt and vigorous enforcement in dealing with licensees who are unable or unwilling to comply with NRC requirements.
Licensees who cannot achieve an adequate level of protection will not be pennitted to operate.
NRC will not license or permit the continued operation of a facility unless it is confident that, after ter-inath of the operating license, there will be adequate,. otectka of future generations from potential hazards of the decommissioned l
facility itself and from wastes associated with it.
Licensee initiatives to provide a higher level of public protection than the minimum NRC level will be encouraged and supported.
Maintenance of radiation exposures as low as reasonably achievable under normal conditions is a fundamental objective.
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Miss Sntriey Stroud March 4, 1931 NRC will emphasize measures to minimize the consequences of possible accidents, thef t or diversion of nuclear materials, and r,abotage or other illegal acts.
The NRC waste management program is critical to the success of an urgent national task and will be organized and planned to be consistent with the President's policy on waste management.
The focus of NRC research will be on assisting in detemining adequate levels of public health and safety protection and exploring ways to achieve improved protection levels.
Enclosed is a description of the licensing proccss for nuclear power plants. Every effort is being made to ensure the protection of the public health and safety and of the envirornent for those plants currently in operation or that may begin operation in the f;sture.
Sincerely, Gary G ech, Chief Technical Support Branch Planning and Program Analysis Staff Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
Enclosure:
As stated
1 l
3 THE LICENSING PROCESS presenting the results of its mdegreent n aJuanon a.wi reemmend.
Obtaimng an NBC construccon permit-or a bmited *ork mg whether or not a construccon ;wrmit should be inued. The staff authoruauon, pen 6ng a dmoon on issuance of a corutruccon pr.
me-is the hnt objectne of a utaty or other compans we'ung to usues a supplement to the Sa.fety Esa!uat2on Report incorporating operate a nuclear power reactor or other nuclear f acihty under NRC any changes or accons adopted as a result of ACRS rernmenda.
tions. A pubbe heanng can then be held, gerera'Jy in a community bcense. The process u set in motion =ith the fihng and acceptance of rwar the propued ute, on safety as;wts of the hcensing dmuon.
the appbcabon, generaEy comprtung ten or more large volumes of matenal cosenng both safety and ennronrnental f actors, sn accord.
In appropnate cases. NRC may grant a Limited Work Authorus-ance w3th NRC requ.rements and guidance. The second phuc con.
suts of safety and envenmental f acton,in accordance sith NRC re-tson to an appbcant m adsance of the final datuon on the.onstrue.
quirements an:1 giudance. The second phase cons.sts of safety, tion grmit in order to aDow certain =ork to kg:n at the ste, sanns ennronmental, safeguards and ant 2tnat rmews undertalen by the as much as snen months eme. The authorumbon ut!! not be gnen, bosner, unt: NRC staff has completed emuermental impact and NRC staff. Third, a safety miew is conducted by the independent ste suitabity rmews and the appointed A$LB has conducted a Adusory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS); tha rem is pubbe Manng on emironmental impact and site s:.utabiLtv utth a required by law. Fourth, a mandatory pubbe heanng u
' :ad favorable finang. To reahze tk desired saong of t2me, the appbcant by a three member Atomic Safety and Lacensing Boar,ASLB),
= hach then males an truttal dectuon as to whether 6 mit should must submit the emvonmental portion of the apphcat2on early.
be groted. Thu decuion is subpct to appeal to an.*.naic Safety and The emuoreentalin ew beg 2ns with a rmcw of the appeant's i m.ratng Appeal Board (ASLAB) and could r ;timately go to the Emironmental Report (ER) for acceptabihty. Assummg the ER u Commisuoners for final NRC dectuon. The law provides for appeal su'ficiently complete to warrant rmew, it is docketed and an bnend the Commusson in the Federal courts.
analpa of the consequences to the emnonment of the construction As soon as an mzual appbeataon u accepted, or " docketed," by the NRC, a notice of that f act is publuhed in the Federal Reguter, and and operabon of the prepoicd facihty at the prqued ute is begun.
copies of the apphcation are furmshed to appropnate State and local l'pon completson of thu analpas, a Draft Emvenmental Statement and is publuhed and d.stnbuted with s;ec.fic rer;uests for rmem authontaes and to a local pubbe document room (LFDR) estab'.ished comment bs Federal, State and local agencies, other interested par.
in the nciruty of the proposed ste, as we!! as to the NRC.PDR in ties and memben of the pubbe. All of their comments are then taken Washington, D.C. At the sarne eme, a notice of a pubbe beanng is into account in the preparabon of a Final Ernironmenta! Stateraent.
pubbshed in the Feders! Erguter and local newspapen) wh2ch pro-Both the draft and the final statements are made asadable to the ndes 30 dag for memben of the pubbe to pettion to intersene in the public at the tune of respectne pubhcanon. Dunng thu same t2me procee6cg. Such petinons are entertained and adjud2cated by the penod NRC is conductng an analyr.s and prepanng a report on site ASLB appointsd to the case, with nghts of appealby the pettioner to suitabihty aspects of the propowd bcens:ng acton. L' pen completon the ASLAB.
cd these actinues, a pubhe hearirg. with the ap;ctnted ASLB The NRC staffs safety, safeguards, emvonmental and antitrust renews promed in parallel. With the guidance of the Standard For.
presiang. may be conducted on emtronmenta! and site suitabiht; aspects of the propied Lcer. sing act2on (or a unge beanns on both mat (Regulatory Cuide 130), the appheant for a construction permit safety and emironmental matten may be held, if that is m6catedb lap out the proposed nuclear plant design in a Prehrt rary Safety Analpu Report (PSAR). If and = hen thu report has been e ade suffi-The anutrust rmesi of hcense appbeat2ons are carned out by the ciently complete to = arrant rmew, the appbeation is docleted and NRC and the Attorney Generalin ads ance of, or concurrently with.
NRC staff e a!uabons begin. Even prior to submission of the report, other brensmg resiews. If an anttrust heanng u required, it is held NRC staff conducts a substantne renew and inspctron of the apph.
cant's quabty assurance program costring design and procurement.
separately from thcae on safety and emtronmental aspects-The safety renew is performed by NRC staff in accordance with the About two or three years before ccratn.ction of the plant is Standard Renew Flan for Light Water. Cooled Reacton, initially scheduled to be complete, the appbcant f1!cs an appbcahon for an pubbshed in September 19*S and updated prio6cally. This plan operat2ng hcense. A process similar to that for the construction per.
states the acceptance critena used in esaluating the s anous sptems, mit is followed. The apphescon is fi!cd, NRC staff and the ACRS components and structures important to safety and in assessing the rmew it, a Sa!cty Esa!uaton Report and an updated Emironmental prcpowd site, and it decnba the procedures used in perfonntng the Statement are issued. A pubbe heanng is not mandatory at this stage.
safety rmew.
but one may be held if requeted by affected memben of the puW The NRC staff examines the applicanrs PSAR to determine or at the initadse of the Cc mmission. Each bcense for operanon of a w hether the plant design is safe and consistent with NRC rules and nuclear reactor contains technical sprifications uhich set for+h the regulators; hether salid methods of calculation were employed rarticular safety and emvonmental protection measures to be im.
and accurately car.ied out; = hether the appheant has conducted his posed upon the facihty and the cenit: ens that must be met for tk analpis and esaluation in sufficient depth and breadth to support staff apprmal with respect to safety. When the staff is satisfied that facihty to cyrate.
the acteptance en sna of the Standard Resiew Plan have bwn met Once hcenwd. a nuelcar facihty remains under NRC sunci!!ance bv the appbeant's preliminary report, a Safety Esaluation Report is
.nd undergas pno6e mspections throughout its operating hie. In prepared by the s'aff sur marizing the results of the r redew regard-cases where tk NRC finds taat substantal, editional pectection is irg the anticipated effuts of the propowd facihty on the public nemary for the pubhc health and safety or the cemmon defense and beaiS and safety.
secunty, the NRC may require backf;tunif of a heensed plant, that FoCosing pubheaton of the staff Safety Esaluabon Report, the ACRS comp!-to its rmew and mee's with staff arvi appheant. The
- u. the adidon, ehmination or i uification of struc%res, sptems er ACRS then preparts a letter report to the Chairman of the NRC cornponents of the plant.
As4asa.
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