ML20210L461
| ML20210L461 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 07/26/1999 |
| From: | Dicus G, The Chairman NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | J. J. Barton, Domenici P, Inhofe J, Packard R HOUSE OF REP., APPROPRIATIONS, HOUSE OF REP., ENERGY & COMMERCE, SENATE, SENATE, APPROPRIATIONS, SENATE, ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC WORKS |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20210L464 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 9908090131 | |
| Download: ML20210L461 (10) | |
Text
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4 UNITED STATES g
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20566 4001 k.....
July 26, 1999 CHAMMAN The Honorable James M. Inhofe, Chairman Subcommittee on Clean Air, Wetlands, Private Property and Nuclear Safety Committee on Environment and Public Works United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 I
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Fiscal Year 1999 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, Senate Report 105-206, directed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide a monthly report on the status of its licensing and regulatory duties. I am pleased to transmit the seventh report which covers the month of June (enclosed).
- The May report highlighted the substantial progress that we were making on licensing and regulatory improvement initiatives; specifically, the progress on several risk-informed technical specification revisions that will reduce unnecessary regulatory burden while maintaining safety at 20 licensee facilities and the commencement of the pilot program for the new reactor licensee oversight process.
During Jme, the Commission took severalimportant actions. It approved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50.59, the rule under which reactor licensees consider whether changes to their facility require prior NRC approval. The rule change resolves a decade-old issue and provides licensees more flexibility to make physical or operational changes to their facilities which have minimalimpact on safety, without first obtaining NRC approval. The Commission also appreved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50.65, the maintenance rule, which will require reactor licensees to assess and manage the increase in risk that may result from maintenance activities.
The Commission made an important ruling eliminating anti-trust contentions in license transfer proceedings. Kansas Gas and Electric Comoany, CLI-99-19; 64 Federal Register 33916 (June g3 24,1999). The Commission found that the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, neither requires
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nor authorizes antitrust reviews of post-operating license transfer applications.
The Commission also approved the export of '30 kilograms of highly enriched uranium to I
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Canada to be used for targets in two new medical isotope production reactors. However, the
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Commission required annual reports from the applicants and the Executive Branch on the status of the ongoing program to develop low enriched uranium targets for the reactors P> ensure that the provisions of the Schumer amendment (42 U.S.C. 2160d) continue to be met.
The Commission approved the staff's recommendations to fundamentally revise the NRC Enforcement Policy, including removing the reference in the Policy to " regulatory significance" as a consideration for escalated enforcement, and for making the Enforcement Policy more risk-9908090131 990726 PDR COMMS NRCC CORRESPONDENCE PDR J
l l
2 informed The goal of these changes is to make the Enforcement Policy consistent with the new reactor licensee oversight process.
l Since the last report, the NRC staff also:
continued to meet all license renewal milestones, including issuance of the Oconee license renewal draft environmental statement.
met with congressional staff from the House Commerce Committee on June 9,1999, to provide them information on the status of revised oversight process improvements and conducted the Revised Regulatory Oversight Process Pilot Workshop in Irving, Texas, on June 21,1999.
issued a draft safety evaluation and a certificate of compliance for the TN-68 dual l
I purpose spent fuel cask system.
issued improved Standard Technical Specifications Amendments to Diablo Canyon and l
Callaway nuclear power stations.
j continued to make substantial progress towards meeting the reactor licensing action inventory and age goals. Particularly noteworthy is the reduction in the licensing action inventory as a result of continuing high productivity in processing licensing amendments.
As of May 31 - eight months into FY 1999 - the staff has reduced the reactor licensing action inventory to 838 licensing actions, well below the original FY 1999 target of 1000.
I have 3nclosed the June update to the Tasking Memorandum which delineate: the specific initiatives completed by the agency since August 1998 and future milestones.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may provide additional information.
Sincerely, tch i
C ta Joy Dicus
Enclosures:
- 1. June Monthly Report
- 2. Tasking Memorandum cc: Senator Bob Graham l
_/
UNITED STATES p
j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g
g WASHINGTON, D.C. 20565-0001 g
July 26, 1999 CHAIRMAN The Honorable Joe Barton, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and Power Committee on Commerce United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Fiscal Year 1999 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, Senate Report 105-206, directed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide a monthly report on the status of its licensing and regulatory duties. I am pleased to transmit the seventh report which covers the month of June (enclosed).
The May report highlighted the substantial progress that we were making on licensing and regulatory improvement initiatives; specifically, the progress on several risk-informed technical specification revisions that will reduce unnecessary regulatory burden while maintaining safety at 20 licensee facilities and the commencement of the pilot program for the new reactor licensee oversight process.
During June, the Commission took several important actions. It approved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50.59, the rule under which reactor licensees consider whether changes to their. facility require prior NRC approval. The rule change resolves a decade-old issue ar.d provides licensees more flexibility to make physical or operational changes to their facilities which have minimal impact on safety, without first obtaining NRC approval. The Commission also approved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50 S5, the maintenance rule, which will require reactor licensees to assess and manage the increase in risk that may result from maintenance activities.
The Commission made an important ruling eliminating anti-trust contentions in license transfer proceedings. Kansas Gas and Electric Company, CLI-99-19; 64 Federal Register 33916 (June 24,1999). The Commission found that the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, neither requires nor authorizes antitrust reviews of post-operating license transfer applications.
The Commission also approved the export of 130 kilograms of highly enriched uranium to Canada to be used for targets in two new medical isotope production reactors. However, the Commission required annual reports from the applicants and the Executive Branch on the status of the ongoing program to develop low enriched uranium targets for the reactors to ensure that the provisions of the Schumer amendment (42 U.S.C. 2160d) continue to be met.
The Commission approved the staff's recommendations to fundamentally revise the NRC Enforcement Policy, including removing the reference in the Policy to " regulatory significance" as a consideration for escalated enforcement, and for making the Enforcement Policy more risk-informed. The goal of these changes is to make the Enforcement Policy consistent with the new reactor licensee oversight process.
2 Since the last report, the NRC staff also:
continued to meet all license renewal milestones, including issuance of the Oconee license renewal draft environmental statement.
met with congressional staff from the House Commerce Committee on June 9,1999, to a
provide them information on the status of revised oversight process improvements and conducted the Revised Regulatory Oversight Process Pilot Workshop in Irving, Texas, on June 21,1999.
issued a draft safety evaluation and a certificate of compliance for the TN-68 dual purpose spent fuel cask system.
issued improved Standard Technical Specifications Amendments to Diablo Canyon and Callaway nuclear power stations.
continued to make substantial progress towards meeting the reactor licensing action inventory and age goals. Particularly noteworthy is the reduction in the licensing action inventory as a result of continuing high productivity in processing licensing amendments.
As of May 31 -- eight months into FY 1009 -- the staff has reduced the reactor licensing -
action inventory to 838 licensing actions, well below the original FY 1999 target of 1000.
l l
l l have enclosed the June update to the Tasking Memorandum which delineates the specific initiatives completed by the agency since August 1998 and future milestones.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may provide additional information.
Sincerely, d
b 6
i V
l reta Joy Dicus
Enclosures:
- 1. June Monthly Report
'2.. Tasking Memorandum cc: Representative Ralph M. Hall 1
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UNITED STATES f
}g NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20665-0001 D
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July 26, 1999 CHAIRMAN The Honorable Ron Packard, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Committee on Appropriations United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Fiscal Year 1999 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, Senate Report 105-206, directed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide a monthly report on the status of its licensing and regulatory duties. I am pleased to transmit the seventh report which covers the month of June (enclosed).
The May report highlighted the substantial progress that we were making on licensing and regulatory improvement initiatives; specifically, the progress on several risk-informed techocal specification revisions that will reduce unnecessary regulatory burden while maintaining safety at 20 licensee facilities and the commencement of the pilot program for the new reactor licensee oversight process.
During June, the Commission took severalimportant actions. It approved a final rule change to 10 CFP 50.59, the rule under which reactor licensees consider whether changes to their facility require prior NRC approval. The rule change resolves a decade-old issue and provides
' licensees more flexibility to make physical or operational changes to their facilities which have minimalimpact on safety, without first obtaining NRC approval. The Commission also approved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50.65, the maintenance rule, which will require reactor licensees to assess and manage the increase in risk that may result from maintenance activities.
The Commission made an important ruling eliminating anti-trust contentions in license transfer proceedings. Kansas Gas and Electric Company, CLI-99-19; 64 Federal Register 33916 (June 24,1999). The Commission found that the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, neither requires nor authorizes antitrust reviews of post-operating license transfer applications.
The Commission also approved the export of 130 kilograms of highly enriched uranium to Canada to be used for targets in two new medical isotope production reactors. However, the Commission required annual reports from the applicants and the Executive Branch on the status of the ongoing program to develop low enriched uranium targets for the reactors to ensure that the provisions of the Schumer amendment (42 U.S.C. 2160d) continue to be met.
The Commission approved the staff's recommendations to fundamentally revise the NRC Enforcement Policy, including removing the reference in the Policy to " regulatory significance" as a consideration for escalated enforcement, and for making the Enforcement Policy more risk-informed. The goal of these changes is to make the Enforcement Policy consistent with the new reactor licensee oversight process.
2 A
- Since the last report, the NRC staff alsof continued to meet all license renewal milestones, including issuance of the Oconee
.. license renewal draft environmental statement.
met with congressional staff from the House Commerce Committee on June 9,1999, to prov_ide them information on the status of revised oversight process improvements and conducted the Revised Regulatory Oversight Process Pilot Workshop in Irving, Texas, on June 21,1999.
issued a draft safety evaluation and a certificate of compliance for the TN-68 dual purpose spent fuel cask system.
issued improved Standard Technical Specifications Amendments to Diablo Canyon and Callaway nuclear power stations.
continued to make substantial progress towards meeting the rer: tor licensing action
. inventory and age goals. Particularly noteworthy is the reduction in the licensing action inventory as a resuit of continuing high productivity in processing licensing amendments.
As of May 31 - eight months into FY 1999 - the staff has reduced the reactor licensing action inventory to 838 licensing actions, well below the original FY 1999 target of 1000.
I have enclosed the June update to the Tasking Memorandum which delineates the specific
_ initiatives completed by the agency since August 1998 and future milestones.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may provide additional information.
Sincerely, l
l l
3
' scup i
J.
l reta Joy icus
Enclosures:
- 1. June Monthly Report
- 2. Tasking Memorandum cc: Representative Peter J. Visclosky
E 1
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\\)*g UNITED STATES y
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION g
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20655-0001 July 26, 1999 CHAIRMAN The Honorable Pete V. Domenici, Chairman i
Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Committee on Appropriations United States Senate.
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
The Fiscal Year 1999 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, Senate Report 105-206, directed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide a monthly report on the status of its licensing and regulatory duties. I am pleased to transmit the seventh report which covers the month of June (enclosed).
The May report highlighted the substantial progress that we were making on licensing and i
regulatory improvement initiatives; specifically, the progress on several risk-informed technical specification revisions that will reduce unnecessary regulatory burden while maintaining safety at 20 licensee facilities and the commencement of the pilot program for the new reactor licensee oversight process.
During June, the Commission took severalimportant actions, it approved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50.59, the rule under which reactor licensees consider whether changes to their facility l
require prior NRC approval. The rule change resolves a decade-old issue and provides licensees more flexibility to make physical or operational changes to their facilities which have minimalimpact on safety, without first obtaining NRC approval. The Commission also approved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50.65, the maintenance rule, which will require reactor licensees to assess and manage the increase in risk that may result from maintenance activities.
The Commission made an important ruling eliminating anti-trust contentions in license transfer i
proceedings. Kansas Gas and Electric Company, CLl-99-19; 64 Federal Register 33916 (June 24,1999). The Commission found that the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, neither requires nor authorizes antitrust reviews of post-operating license transfer applications.
The Commission also approved the export of 130 kilograms of highly enriched uranium to Canada to be used for targets in two new medical isotope production reactors. However, the Commission required annual reports from the applicants and the Executive Branch on the status of the ongoing program to develop low enriched uranium targets for the reactors to ensure that the provisions of the Schumer amendment (42 U.S.C. 2160d) continue to be met.
The Commission approved the staff's recommendations to fundamentally revise the NRC Enforcement Policy, including removing the reference in the Policy to " regulatory significance" as a consideration for escalated enforcement, and for making the Enforcement Policy more risk-informed. The goal of these changes is to make the Enforcement Policy consistent with the new reactor licensee oversight process.
2 Since the last repurt, the NRC staff also:
continued to meet all license renewal milestones, including issuance of the Oconee a
license renewal draft environmental statement.
met with congressional staff from the House Commerce Committee on June 9,1999, to provide them information on the status of revised oversight process improvements and conducted the Revised Regulatory Oversight Process Pilot Workshop in Irving, Texas, on June 21,1999.
issued a draft safety evaluation and a certificate of compliance for the TN-68 dual purpose spent fuel cask system.
issued improved Standard Technical Specifications Amendments to Diablo Canyon and Callaway nuclear power stations.
' continued to make substantial progress towards meeting the reactor licensing action
+
I inventory and age goals. Particularly noteworthy is the reduction in the licensing action inventory as a result of continuing high productivity in processing licensing amendments.
l As of May 31 - eight months into FY 1999 - the staff has reduced the reactor licensing
'~
action inventory to 838 licensing actions, w. ell below the original FY 1999 target of 1000.
I i
I have enclosed the June update to the Tasking Memorandum which delineates the specific initiatives completed by the agency since August 1998 and future milestones.
j Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may provide additional information.
Sincerely, b
teta Joy Dieus
Enclosures:
- 1. June Monthly Report
- 2. Tasking Memorandum
'cc: Senator Harry Reid i
f 4
UNITED STATES
[#
\\
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 1
WASHINGTON, D.C. 206B4001 e
...../
July 26, 1999 CHARMAN The Honorable Pete V. Domenici United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Domenici:
The Fiscal Year 1999 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, Senate Report 105-206, directed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to provide a monthly report on the status of its licensing and regulatory duties. I am pleased to transmit the seventh report which covers the month of June (enclosed).
The May report highlighted the substantial progress that we were making on licensing and regulatory improvement initiatives; specifically, the progress on several risk-informed technical i
specification revisions that will reduce unnecessary regulatory burden while maintaining safety at 20 licensee facilities and the commencement of the pilot program for the new reactor licensee oversight process.
i During June, the Commission took several important actions. It approved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50.59, the rule under which reactor licensees consider whether changes to their facility require prior NRC approval. The rule change resolves a decade-old issue and provides licensees more flexibility to make physical or operational changes to their facilities which have minimal!.npact on safety, without first obtaining NRC approval. The Commission also approved a final rule change to 10 CFR 50.65, the maintenance rule, which will require reactor licensees to assess and manage the increase in risk that may result from maintenance activities.
The Commission made an important ruling eliminating anti-trust contentions in license transfer proceedings. Kansas Gas and Electric Comoany, CLI-99-19; 64 Federal Register 33916 (June 24,1999). The Commission found that the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, neither requires nor authorizes antitrust reviews of post-operating license transfer applications.
The Commission also approved the export of 130 kilograms of highly enriched uranium to Canada to be used for targets in two new medicalisotope production reactors. However, the Commission required annual reports from the applicants and the Executive Branch on the status of the ongoing program to develop low enriched uranium targets for the reactors to ensure that the provisions of the Schumer amendment (42 U.S.C. 2160d) continue to be met.
The Commission approved the staff's recommendations to fundamentally revise the NRC l
Enforcement Policy, including removing the reference in the Policy to " regulatory significance" l
as a consideration for escalated enforcement, and for making the Enforcement Policy more risk-informed. The goal of these changes is to make the Enforcement Policy consistent with the new reactor licensee oversight process.
Since the last report, the NRC staff also:
i
2 continued to meet all license renewat milestones, including issuance of the Oconee license renewal draft environmental statement.
met with congressional staff from the House Commerce Committee on June 9,1999, to provide them information on the status of revised oversight process improvements and conducted the Revised Regulatory Oversight Process Pilot Workshop in Irving, Texas, on June 21,1999.
issued a draft safety evaluation and a certificate of compliance for the TN-68 dual purpose spent fuel cask system.
issued improved Standard Technical Specifications Amendments to Diablo Canyon and Callaway nuclear power stations.
continued to make substantial progress towards meeting the reactor licensing action inventory and age goals. Particularly noteworthy is the reduction in the licensing action inventory as a result of continuing high productivity in processing licensing amendments.
As of May 31 - eight months into FY 1999 - the staff has reduced the reactor licensing action inventory to 838 licensing actions, well below the origina? FY 1999 target of 1000.
I have enclosed the June update to the Tasking Memorandum which delineates the specific initiatives completed by the agency since August 1998 and future milestones.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if I may provide additional information.
Sincerely, sc o w
j l
geta Joy Di us i
Enclosures:
- 1. June Monthly Report
- 2. Tasking Memorandum I