ML20132E101

Press Release 96-187, NRC Reaction to Dept of Energy Announcement Concerning External Oversight of DOE Facilities

ML20132E101
Person / Time
Issue date:	12/20/1996
From:	NRC OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS (OPA)
To:
References
PR-96-187, NUDOCS 9612230046
Download: ML20132E101 (1)

Text

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United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Office of Public Affairs  :

Washington, DC 20555 i Phone 301-415-8200 Fax 301-415-2234 l Internet:opa@nrc. gov .

No.96-187 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  :

(Friday. December 20, 1996)  !

NRC REACTION TO DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ANN 0UNCEMENT  !

CONCERNING EXTERNAL OVERSIGHT OF DOE FACILITIES  ;

i Today's announcement that the Department of Energy (DOE) favors NRC  ;

oversight of certain DOE facilities is the result of more than two years of i work by an internal DOE task force and. prior to that, by the Advisory  ;

Committee on External Regulation of DOE Nuclear Safety. l During this time, the NRC has provided considerable information to the '

partici) ants in those efforts on how NRC might go about its pros)ective  ;

oversig1t role and what resources. planning, and legislation mig 1t be needed  ;

for NRC to undertake such a role. NRC already provides oversight of certain  :

DOE activities. such as the West Valley high-level waste vitrification '

demonstration project and clean-up of high-level waste leaking from tanks stored at Hanford, Washington.

Keys to successful transition to further NRC oversight include obtaining legislative authority from Congress, along with resources to take on this major challenge, and allowance for a smooth transition to full compliance with the legislative mandate.

NRC stands ready to work with the Administration to address all the actions needed to implement this important announcement.

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