ML20137L890
| ML20137L890 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/22/1997 |
| From: | Rogers K NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Diaz N, Dicus G, Shirley Ann Jackson, Mcgaffigan E, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20137L805 | List: |
| References | |
| COMSECY-96-064, COMSECY-96-64, DSI-20, SECY-96-064-C, SECY-96-64-C, NUDOCS 9704070337 | |
| Download: ML20137L890 (2) | |
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EIEDEE NUCLEAR R U A OR COM 5
- WASHINGTON,0.C. 20555 ,
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date '
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I OFFICE OF THE
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . initials COMutsSIONER January 22, 1997 i
MEMORANDUM TO: Chairman Jackson Commissioner Dicus Commissioner Diaz Commissioner McGaffigan FROM: Commissioner Rogers f h. [
SUBJECT:
COMSECY-96-064: INTERNATIONAL ACTIVITIES, DSI-20 After a review of the Phase II Stakeholder Interaction Report and '
after listening to the Steering Committee briefing on January 13, I am in substantial agreement with the Commission's preliminary views, and recommend that they be adopted with two modifications. '
The first is that regulatory research is a separate issue from the activities that are the focus of this paper. In particular, research priorities and budgets should be established on the ,
basis of research needs, and there should be no implied trade- ;
offs between research (international or otherwise) and other international activities. The question of whether or not a particular research project is carried out in the U.S.. or is made the subject of an international cooperative research program should be decided on the basis of getting the best project for !
the least cost.
The second modification I suggest is to recognize that other )
entities (DOE, IAEA, NEA, and WANO, to name a few) also have an ,
international agenda. NRC's activities should be planned to avoid duplication with activities of others who may be equally 3' (or better) qualified to conduct a particular activity, and who may have fewer funding confid~ts.
With the above thoughts in mind, I recommend that the Commission's preliminary views be modified as indicated in the following line-in/line-out format:
"The Commission agrees that option 4, which fundamentally allows the Commission to conduct international activities of importance and benefit to NRC's domestic mission or U.S. national interests, is a desirable goal. However, modifications are expected to be required because of expected continued reductions in NRC budgets.
Therefore, we need to examine individual international activities with respect to budget and priority to provide the basis for an orderly reduction and/or sunsetting of certain activities to meet expected future constraints on the program.
9704070337 970403 PDR NRCSA I 20 PDR
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" Option 4 reaffirms NRC's current policy basis for participation in international activities. Under option 4, NRC would continue l to perform its current statutory role in matters related to )
export-import licensing and its current and prospective role in treaty implementation and would, in addition, actively participate in international activities that support and benefit NRC domestic safety and security responsibilities or U.S.
national interests. Also, the NRC would participate in exchange l activities of benefit to its domestic responsibilities or U.S. )
national interests and would provide a wide but carefully selected range of safety and safeguards assistance. 1 "The Commission believes that international activities performed i in support of U.S. national interests actually undergird our i domestic mission. For cxamplc, NRC'c nuclear cafety cooperctive j rcccarch agreemente .:ith other countrica allow NRC to obtain '
valuabic information, often at a comparatively cmall cost, to support our own programmatic necdc. NRC's own program's allow it 1 to play a leadership role in such international organizations as the Nuclear Energy Agency and the International Atomic Energy l Agency, thus providing substantial benefit to the U.S. +n i addition, NRC's role in export licensing has direct impact on I overall U.S. commercial interest.
1 "Recognicing that we must also address the issue of future l constraints on the NRC's international program, staff should !
develop a plan tc include criteria which would addrecc the basic for prioritizing NRC's international activities,_ including -
- eecarch. Such . ajl'anishouldi consider 7 the?internat'icinal I Ectiipit~iss?and Jcapabilitiestof L6therf organizations isuch ' as l Department of4 Energy,JIAEA,fNEA::and WANO to assure that NRC does l
'notTundertake? tasks <thatlare bestifunded by,'oriare_better I performed;by,gotherfentities. .This~'will' assist'the Commission in !
determlHing'where appfopriate programmatic expansion or i reductions may be made, depending on future budget constraints. I In particular, since NRC is licensee fee based, careful j consideration of international programs and their primacy to i I
NRC's mission are important considerations. The plan should also identify areas where efficiencies can be considered and develop criteria for sunsetting certain activities."
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