ML20249C440
| ML20249C440 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 05/21/1998 |
| From: | Rathbun D NRC OFFICE OF CONGRESSIONAL AFFAIRS (OCA) |
| To: | Schaefer D HOUSE OF REP., ENERGY & COMMERCE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML20249C441 | List: |
| References | |
| CCS, NUDOCS 9806290359 | |
| Download: ML20249C440 (6) | |
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UNITED STATES g
,j NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION o
WASHINGTON, D.C. 2086&4001 l
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l May 21,1998 l
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The Honorsble Dan Schaefer, Chairman Subcommittee on Energy and Power Committee on Commerce United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 l
Dear Mr. Chairman:
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Enclosed for your information are the responses to post-hearing questions submitted by
. Representative Ed Markey in conjunction with the NRC Reauthorization Hearing of March 25, 1998. Also enclosed is post-hearing question 3A which was revised from the package that was previously sent on April 28th.
Sincerely, 1
l Dennis K. Rathbun, Director Office of Congressional Affairs cc:
Rep. John D. Dingell Rep. Ralph M. Hall L
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(;csa' 9806290359 980521 PDR ORG MtCCO PDR i
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3 QUESTION 1.
What criteria does the NRC use to determine when a reactor gets put on the Watchlist?
ANSWER.
Decisions regarding which plants are placed on or removed from the Watchlist are made at the NRC senior management meeting (SMM). At the SMM, senior managers rely on their experience and judgment to reach decisions regarding what additional agency action, if any, should be considered for each nuclear plant discussed. Although managers rely on their experience and judgment, the concepts outlined in the SMM Nuclear Power Plant Performance Evaluation Template, and the Watchlist Removal Matrix help guide their deliberations. The Template provides a framework for assessing the plant performance information from the various NRC evaluative processes and includes both subjective and plant-specific criteria. The criteria evaluate items such as the effectiveness of a licensee's corrective actions, licensee management awareness of, and involvement in, day to day plant activities, and the comprehensiveness and accuracy of a plant's licensing basis documentation and how effectively it is maintained. Examples of plant-specific criteria include: scrams, safety systems actuations, personnel errors, equipment availability rates, maintenance backlog, and corrective action backlog.
In preparing for SMMs, the staff analyzes licensee performance information from inspection reports, performance indicators and analyses, enforcement history, and other pe.1 ent data.
The information is integrated and is provided to NRC senior managers in advance of the meeting.
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QUESTION 1. (continued) 2 The Removal Matrix examines the depth and the breath of the licensee's corrective action in the broad areas of root cause identification and corrective actions, self assessment and problem resolution, improvement in licensee management organization and oversight, and results of NRC assessments.
Based on the SMM discussions, the senior managers may modify the agency's approach to address the performance problems at a facility. This may include adding or removing plants from the NRC Watch List, or issuing a Trending Letter to inform the licensee that the plant has exhibited an adverse trend in performance.
The NRC staff has implemented several recent changes to the SMM process to improve its overall effectiveness. The improvements were initiated at the request of the Commission in response to reviews of the NRC assessment processes conducted by the GAO and a contractor (Arthur Andersen). Changes to the SMM process have provided for increased objectivity and scrutability.
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.t OUESTION 2.
Where are these criteria written down? (Reference Question 1 "What criteria does the NRC use to determine when a reactor gets put on the Watchlist?")
l ANSWER.
l NRC Management Directive 8.13, " Evaluating tha Safety Performance of Nuclear Power l
Reactor Licensees" describes the interrelationships of the NRC inspection and assessment programs and processes used for evaluating the safety performance of nuclear power reactor licensees. The process that the NRC uses for determining when a reactor gets put on the l
l Watchlist is described in NRC Management Directive 8.14, " Senior Management Meeting l
l (SMM)."
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OUESTION 3.
Is placement on the Watchlist driven by safety events or accidents, or by non-compliance with NRC guidelines?
ANSWER.
In general there is no one dominant factor in reaching the decision to place a plant on the Watch List. NRC senior managers look at a compilation of performance and regulatory problems to identi'y those licensees with poor performance cr adverse performance trends before the performance problems reveal themselves as significant events.
1 in reaching decisions on Watch List plants NRC senior managers review each reactor's performance, including inspection findings (non-complianc6s with NRC regulations), operating experience, performance indicators, and enforcement history. Safety events or accidents are considered in the discussions.
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U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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DIRECTIVE TRANSMITTAL TN: DT-96-30 To:
NRC Management Directives Custodians.
Subject:
Transmittal of New Management Directive 8.13, " Evaluating the Safety Performance of Nuclear Power Reactor Licensees" Purpose-New Directive and Handbook 8.13 are being issued to establish the process for evaluating the safety performance of nuclear power l
reactor licensees, to identify ai y trends associated with that performance, and to coordinate the activities of the various NRC j
offices and regions in these efforts.
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Office and Divison of Origin:
Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Division of Inspection and Support Programs
Contact:
Tom Boyce,415-1130 Date Approved:
October 24,1996 Volume:
8 Licensee Oversight Programs Directive:
8.13 Evaluating the Safety Performance of Nuclear Power Reactor Licensees Availability:
U.S. Government Printing Office, (202) 512-2409 i
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OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION j