ML20140H615

Informs of Completed Preliminary Survey of Areas of Common Interest & Potential Overlap in Activities of ACRS & NSRRC

ML20140H615
Person / Time
Issue date:	09/10/1996
From:	Morrison D NRC OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY RESEARCH (RES)
To:	Shirley Ann Jackson, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM)
Shared Package
ML20140H556	List: ML20140H552 ML20140H561 ML20140H586 ML20140H592 ML20140H600 ML20140H615 ML20140H622 ML20140H630 ML20140H635 ML20140J225
References
ACRS-3042, DSI-19, NUDOCS 9705130198
Download: ML20140H615 (2)

Text

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l MEMDRANDUM TO:

Chairman Jackson l

THRU:

James M. Taylor, Executive Direct 3r for Operations j

FROM:

David L. Morrison, Director j

office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

SUBJECT:

REVIEW ACTIVITIES OF NSRRC IN EVOLVING REGULATORY

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j NEEDS (INDEPENDENT OVERSIGHT - DSI 19) l l

[COMSECY-96-028/ WITS 9600118) i i

The Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) has completed a preliminary j

survey of the areas of common interest and potential overlap in the activities j

of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) and the Nuclear Safety Research Review Committee (NSRRC). Further examination of this initial information will be made to determine the extent of overlap of the two j

oversight Comittees with particular focus on the charter of the NSRRC which l

1 includes assessment and recommendations concerning: conformance of the NRC

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research program to the NRC Philosophy of Nuclear Regulatory Research and to j

specific Commission directions; likelihood of the program meeting the needs of the users; appropriateness of longer range research programs and the l

correctness of their direction; whether the best people are doing the work at j

the best places; whether the program is free of obvious bias; and whether the j

research products have been given adequate, unbiased peer review. The results i

of this examination wiil be used by the NSRRC to evaluate what value the NSRRC l

is contributing the Agency's mission, and to produce a set of criteria under which the performance of the NSRRC would be evaluated in the future. A I

meeting of the NSRRC is scheduled for November 14 -15, 1996, to address these items.

I In parallel with the evaluation described above, the Chairman of the NSRRC and

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the Director, RES, discussed coordination of NSRRC activities with the ACRS at a meeting of the ACRS on September 13, 1996. This discussion was motivated by i

the SRM, M960826, dated September 10, 1996, to E. Thomas Boulette, Chairman, NSRRC, that requested the NSRRC to coordinate its activities with those of the j

ACRS in areas of joint interest to ensure that the activities are supportive and complimentary and not duplicative. Joint meetings of the subcommittees of ACRS and NSRRC on topics of mutual interest were posed as an initial step to i

ensure better coordination. The ACRS PRA subcosmittee will hold a meeting on j

October 31-November 1,1996, to discuss with the staff their draft regulatory guide, "An Approach for Plant Specific Risk-Informed Decision Making: General 1

1 CONTACT: David L. Morrison, RES j

(301) 415-6641 I

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i 9705130198 961206

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Chairman Jackson 2

Guidance."

I have recommended that this meeting be a joint meeting with the NSRRC PRA subcommittee. An initial discussion was held on a joint meeting i

on digital I&C which will be scheduled later in 1996 pending the publication of the report from the National Research Council. These meetings, if they 1

transpire, will serve as prototypes for the process of improving i

coordination, help to identify if the overlap between the Committees' l

activities can be reduced, atd will contribute additional insights to answer i

the question of the value of NSRRC to the Agency's mission.

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cc: Commissioner Rogers i

Commissioner Dieus Commissioner Diaz i

Commissioner McGaffigan SECY K. Cyr, OGC i

D. Rathbun, OCA N. Bell, OIG James L. Milhoan, SARSC James W. Johnson, SARSC Distribution:

JMTaylor JBlaha MBridgers TPSpets i

MWHodges FCoffman MACunningham JAMurphy JLMCortez SYoung TSKress, ACRS ETBoulette, NSRRC CF Y

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OFC :RES:DIR Mf ACRS EDO NAME:DLMorrisds I JMTay1or DATE:9//f/96 9/

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IN RESPONSE, PLEASE REFER TO:

M960826 j

September 10, 1996 i

MEMORANDUM TO:

E. Thomas Boulette, Chairman j

Nuclear Safety Research Review Committee i

FROM:

John C. Hoyle, Secretary

/s/

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SUBJECT:

STAFF REQUIREMENTS - MEETING WITH CHAIRMAN OF NUCLEAR SAFETY RESEARCH REVIEW COMMITTEE (NSRRC), 2:00 P.M.,

MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 1996, COMMISSIONERS' CONFERENCE ROOM, ONE WHITE FLINT NORTH, ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND (OPEN TO PUBLIC ATTENDANCE)

The Commission was briefed by Dr. E. Thomas Boulette, Chairman of the Nuclear Safety Research Review Committee (NSRRC), and Dr.

l David Morrison, Director of the Office of Research, on the results of the NSRRC's June 27-28, 1996 meeting.

The Commission requested that the NSRRC coordinate its activities with those of the ACRS in areas of joint interest to ensure that the activities are supportive and complimentary and not duplicative.

The NSRRC should also continue to review the progress of human factors research.

The Committee should identify those human factor aspects that can be treated adequately in PRA, as well as those human factor areas where progress for inclusion in PRA is likely.

The Committee should also provide recommendations for integrating these human factors considerations into PRA methods.

(NSRRC)

(SECY Suspense:

3/7/97) cc:

Chairman Jackson Commissioner Rogers Commissioner Dieus Commissioner Diaz Csnmissioner McGaffigan 1:DO OGC OCA OIG Office Directors, Regions, ACRS, ACNW, ASLBP (via E-Mail)

PDR - Advance DCS - P1-24

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UNITED STATES g

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION e

I ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON REACTOR SAFEGUARDS CASMHwGTON, D. C. 20SSS j;

December 9, 1991 i

MENORANDUN FOR:

ACRS Staff 1

ACNW Staff FROM:

i Executive Dir EUBJECT:

INTERACTION WITN THE NUCLEAR SAFETY RESEARCN i

REVIEW CONNITTEE i

1 l-Both the ACRS and the ACNW have agreed to an improved working relationship with the NRC Nuclear Safety Research Review Committee (NSRRC).

Specifically, the NSRRC and the ACRS and ACNW have agreed i

that:

1)

The Chairman of the NSRRC or his designee will be invited to meet with the ACRS and the ACNW at mutually agreed times.

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2)

NSbc will be informed of ACRS and ACNW meetings, including i

Subconsittee and Working Group meetings, at which research j

program activities or results will be discussed, and will be welcome to attend, and participate as appropriate.

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The ACRS and ACNW will be provided copies of all NSRRC l

reports.

j 4)

The NSRRC will be provided copies of all reports issued by the j

ACRS and ACNW related to NRC research activities.

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5)

Inform ACRS and ACNW members of anticipated NSRRC meetings as far in advance as possible.

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l 6)

ACRS and ACNW members and/or cognizant staff members should i

attend NSRRC meetings as appropriate.

Cognizant consultants should also be invited to attend as appropriate.

j In order to help make sure that all of the above get implemented i

properly, a few specific assignments and bits of guidance are noted below.

If you have any questions or problems, let's discuss them.

1 Item 1:

MSRRC Representatives attend /narticinate in ACRS/ACNW

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meetings Neither Committee has provided specific guidance i

regarding what " mutually agreed times" might be. The following are i

possibilities:

1 After the NSRRC has issued a specific report on a topic the e

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2 ACRS or ACNW might be interested in hearing more about.

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When the Committee schedules a briefing or discussion on a i

specific part of the research program or an overview of the l

NRC research program, NSRRC input might be helpful, i

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In connection with Chet Siess' recent suggestion (at the ACRS

" retreat") that the ACRS review the purpose of/need for an NRC i

research program.

Annually, just to keep in touch if there has been no other e

interaction.

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Project engineers should remind cognisant Subcosmittee Chairmen of i

this arrangement and the availability of Mr. Morrison or his designee whenever substantive discussion of a research topic is planned.

This will provide an opportunity to determine on a case-by-case basis whether or not we should invite him.

The degree of participation should be settled on a case-by-case basis.

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Item 2:

Inform NSRRC of ACRS/ACNN Me= tires "

Barbara Jo White i

will send the coadinated " monthly" Federal Register Notice of both l

ACRS and ACNW meetings to the NSRRC Designated Federal Employee 1

(DFE) (Walph Meyer, RES).

Federal Register notices of individual i

meetings should be sent to Mr. Meyer by the cognisant. project l

engineers.

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sand ACRs and ACNN reports to manne' - ACRS and ACNW reports that involve safety research issues will be sent by Carol l

Ann Rowe and Ruby Stapler, respectively, to the NSRRC DFE as part i

of the internal NRC distribution of these reports.

Any questions j

about which particular reports are relevant should be discussed with me or Dick Savio.

Item 4:

Forward NSRRC reports to ACRS and ACNW ima=hara - Members of the ACRS and ACNW have asked that they be provided copies of all NSRRC reports.

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The NSRRC has agreed to provide this office copies of its reports and is already doing so.

Copies of NSRRC reports received in this office should be forwarded to all ACRS and ACNN members routinely by Paul Boehnert (ACRS matters) and Rich Major (ACNW matters).

(If specific members request that copies not be provided to them, adjustments can be made later.)

Item 5:

Inform ACRS/ACNW me=hara of NSRRC===tinas - Copies of NSRRC meeting notices will be sent by the Mail Room to Paul Boehnert and Rich Major for distribution to Committee members, consultants, and staff. engineers who say have an interest in attending, depending on the subject of meeting.

Copies should be sent by the cognizant staff engineer to all Committee members as

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J soon as possible so they can make appropriate plans to attend.

I I have asked the NSRRC tn provide any long-range list they may have of planned meetings to give the ACRS/ACNW members as auch notice as i

possible to plan related activities.

cc:

D. W. Noeller, ACNW D. A. Ward, ACRS I. Catton, ACRS l

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