ML19350E428
| ML19350E428 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/29/1981 |
| From: | Hendrie J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Whitten J HOUSE OF REP., APPROPRIATIONS |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8106230041 | |
| Download: ML19350E428 (3) | |
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UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSK E
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May 29, 1981 1
. CHAlftMAN 0
y The Honorable Jamie L. Whitten, Chairman
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Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives 1
-Washington, D. C.
20515-1
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The House and Senate have each passed versions of the Supplemental y
Appropriations and Rescission Bill for-FY 1981, H.R. 3512.
The Comission i
strongly supports the bill as passed by the Senate and the accompanying report language restoring the personnel ceiling to the 3300 allowed by the Administration and granting the agency greater flexibility in the reallocation of personnel to licensing activities.
As the Senate report notes, if the House rescission and its attendant restrictions on the number and allocation of personnel are allowed to stand, the combined impact would amount to a total reduction of 250 positions in NRC's programs other than the power plant licensing program.
Most of the reduction would have to be taken from safety-related programs, including reductions of at least 10 percent in the inspecticn and enforcement, waste management, and safety research staffs.
Several restrictions contained in the House report directed at the personal activities and staff of the Commissioners are of little consequence from a budgetary standpoint but are potentially important to the smooth operation of the Commission itself. The House report states that "no funds may be used for non-emergency trSel by the Commissioners; no funds may be used for official entertainment expenses; no Commissioner, except the Chairman, may have more than three personal staff members (includingdetailees, consultants,contractpersonnel, fellows,etc.)
unless specifically approved by request to reprogram funds or personnel to the Committees on Appropriations." Wi.ile we appreciate that the intent of these provisions is to concentrate Commissioner attention on the licensing of power plants, thereby potentially expediting the process, the_effect may be the opposite.
-The restriction or, non-emergency travel m y be unintentionally broad and
, rather than expedite, Commission activities.
is likely to slow The Comission's ations are currently dispersed to ten locations in the Washington netiopolitan area, five regional offices, the National Laboratories and other contractors carryir; out NRC programs, and the many licensee sites.
The ban on Commissioner travel would appear to 8106 23 0 0 t/1 -
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The Honorable Jamie L Whitten May 29,1981 impede necessary travel to these locations, needlessly compounding the already difficult problems of dispersion.
Travel by Commissioners to our regional offices,' to meetings on safety and other regulatory programs, and to visit and gain first-hand knowledge at operating plants and units N
under construction contributes substantially to the acquiring of necessary background information that enables-Commissioners to make sound and expeditious decisions on licensing matters and other agency business.
The-Comission's entertainment budget is small and is -used principally in connection with its international cooperation activities for entertaining foreign dignitaries representing the nuclear safety agencies and governments of other nations.
Such " parties" as occur at the Commission for retire-ments and other occasions are privately funded.
Commissioners' personal staffs are not now excessively large.
Each Commissioner currently has a personal staff 'of five (except for the Chairman, who has six) including two secretaries, legal, technical and administrative (or special) assistants.
Given the varied and highly complex nature of the workload, this does not seem an unduly large number.
The chief impact of reducing personal staffs is'likely to be an increased backlog of work in the offices of the Commissioners and a consequent slowdown of activity at tb Commission level.
The budgetary impact of these three restrictions is negligible but their potential effect on the effectiveness, integrity, and independence of the Comission is substantial. The lengthy vacancies that have occurred on the Commission throughout its short history have hurt its functioning and both the current Administration and its predecessor have encountered difficulty finding qualified persons willing to serve on the Commission.
These restrictions can only contribute to the difficulty.
The House report rescinds funds for public hearings on the " safety goal" project. While no " hearings" were planned by the Commission, four public meetings had been planned for various parts of the country to provide members of the public with an opportunity to communicate their views on the safety goal.
The meetings have been postponed in view of the uncertainty created by the House language.
However, the Commission continues to believe that solicitation and consideration of the views of persons who have a stake in the outcome should be an integral part of the safety goal plan and that public involvemcnt in the development process will be a major factor in earning acceptance of the results.
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' The Honorable.Jamie. L.' Whitten May 29, 1981 For the reasons stated above, the Commission. urges the conferees to maintain NRC funding and personnel at the, levels provided by the Senate, to retain' the flexibility for reassignment of personnel allowed by the Senate' report-and to not accept the restrictive language in the House report relating to the use of funds.hy Commissioners _for travel, staff and official entertainment and-for public meetings on the safety goal project.
Sincerely, i
ph M. Hendrie
. i cc: House conferees
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