ML21231A258
| ML21231A258 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 09/03/2021 |
| From: | Dan Dorman NRC/EDO |
| To: | Rivera E NRC/OIG |
| Anthony Masters, NRR/DRO/IRAB, 415-0108 | |
| References | |
| OEDO-21-00333, OIG-21-A-13 | |
| Download: ML21231A258 (3) | |
Text
September 3, 2021 MEMORANDUM TO: Eric Rivera Acting Assistant Inspector General for Audits Office of the Inspector General Signed by Dorman, Dan FROM: Daniel H. Dorman on 09/03/21 Deputy Executive Director for Reactor and Preparedness Programs Office of the Executive Director for Operations
SUBJECT:
STAFF RESPONSE TO THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALS AUDIT OF THE NRCS PANDEMIC OVERSIGHT OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (OIG-21-A-13)
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) with the agencys response to the subject audit report, including the agencys intended or completed actions to address the recommendation in OIG-21-A-13, Audit of the NRCs Pandemic Oversight of Nuclear Power Plants (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System Accession Number ML21214A042).
The Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) is the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRC's) program to inspect, measure, and assess the safety and security performance of operating commercial nuclear power plants, and to respond to any decline in their performance. The ROP, which includes the inspection program for operating commercial nuclear power plants, is an effective program that continues to evolve and improve to ensure that it continues to meet the program goals of being risk-informed, performance-based, objective, predictable, and understandable. The NRC staff, working with internal and external stakeholders, is continuously seeking and receiving feedback about the ROP.
Recommendation 1:
Conduct an assessment that presents agency management with options for modifying inspection program documents and procedures to give staff flexibility for conducting inspections under irregular conditions.
CONTACT: Daniel Merzke, NRR/DRO 301-415-1457
E. Rivera NRC Staff Response:
The NRC staff agrees with the recommendation. In March 2021, the staff created a working group composed of senior inspectors from the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, and all four NRC Regions to review all ROP baseline inspection procedures (IPs) to determine which elements of each IP could be accomplished remotely, and which elements must be accomplished onsite for the IP to be considered complete; to identify potential compensatory or alternate inspection activities, if any, in lieu of the required elements if circumstances preclude an inspector from being onsite to complete specific required elements of IPs; and to interview inspectors to identify best practices for accomplishing inspections, both in person and remotely. The objective of the working group is to recommend to management revisions to inspection program guidance based on lessons learned from the pandemic to standardize implementation of the inspection program and facilitate completing the baseline inspection program if travel and site access for inspectors are restricted in the future.
Following that effort, the staff plans to conduct a comprehensive review of lessons learned and best practices that will consider the additional experience gained from conducting inspections during the pandemic. This review will include engagement with external stakeholders and explore the impacts of the increased flexibilities utilized during COVID-19 on the effectiveness and efficiency of the inspection program overall in order to identify potential enhancements to the program for both emergency and non-emergency use.
Target date for completion: July 2022
E. Rivera
SUBJECT:
STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE AUDIT OF THE NRCS PANDEMIC OVERSIGHT OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS (OIG-21-A-13)
DATED: September 3, 2021 DISTRIBUTION: OEDO-21-00333 PUBLIC RidsNrrOd RidsNrrDro RidsNrrDroIrib RidsNsirMailCenter Resource RidsOigMailCenter Resource RidsOgcMailCenter Resource RidsNrrMailCenter Resource RidsRgn1MailCenter Resource RidsRgn2MailCenter Resource RidsRgn3MailCenter Resource RidsRgn4MailCenter Resource DLew, RI LDudes, RII JGeissner, RIII SMorris, RIV MKing, NRR KMorgan-Butler, NRR JNakowski, NRR ADAMS ACCESSION Number: ML21231A258 *via-e-mail OFFICE NRR/DRO/IRAB NRR/DRO/IRAB NRR/DRO NRR
- (MKing for)
NAME *DMerzke *AMasters *KMorgan-Butler AVeil DATE 8/17/2021 8/17/2021 8/18/2021 8/25/2021 OFFICE OGC DEDR NAME MClark DDorman DATE 8/23/2021 09/03/2021 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY