ML21280A034

Update on Staff Response to the Office of the Inspector General'S Audit of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission'S Employee Reentry Plans (OIG-20-A-16)

ML21280A034
Person / Time
Issue date:	11/12/2021
From:	Mirela Gavrilas, Mark Lombard Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, NRC/OE
To:	Rivera E NRC/OIG/AIGA
Holiday S
References
OIG-20-A-16
Download: ML21280A034 (3)

Text

November 12, 2021 MEMORANDUM TO: Eric Rivera Acting Assistant Inspector General for Audits Signed by Gavrilas, Mirela FROM: Mirela Gavrilas, Director on 11/12/21 Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response Signed by Lombard, Mark Mark Lombard, Director on 11/10/21 Office of Enforcement

SUBJECT:

UPDATE ON STAFF RESPONSE TO THE OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERALS AUDIT OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS EMPLOYEE REENTRY PLANS (OIG-20-A-16)

On October 14, 2020, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff responded to the Office of the Inspector Generals (OIG) report for Audit OIG-20-A-16, Audit of the NRCs Employee Reentry Plans, dated September 21, 2020, and agreed with the recommendation. In the OIGs memorandum to the Executive Director for Operations, dated October 28, 2020, the OIG determined that the staffs proposed actions would resolve the recommendation. This memorandum provides an update on the staffs planned actions for the Recommendation.

Recommendation:

Capture and document lessons learned for future use during public health emergencies* or other events that could cause prolonged disruption of agency operations.

• This recommendation was previously issued to address the coronavirus-disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency, which has since been renamed the COVID-19 pandemic.

Current Status:

We recommend this recommendation be closed because the staff has collected, assessed, and implemented lessons learned throughout the pandemic for both regulatory programs and agency operations. Program office staff completed lessons-learned focused on agency CONTACT: Sophie J. Holiday, NSIR/DPR (301) 415-7865

E. Rivera licensing and oversight activities and incorporated the lessons into programs and processes.

Specifically:

• In January 2021, the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR), with support from the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) and the regions, published a report entitled, Initial Report on Challenges, Lessons Learned and Best Practices from the 2020 COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Focus on Regulatory Oversight of Operating Nuclear Reactors.1 The staff conducted surveys and interviews to develop recommendations that could help improve implementation of the Reactor Oversight Process during the continuing COVID-19 PHE; ensure the inspection program is adequately prepared for future emergencies; and identify processes and actions taken during the PHE that can be used during normal operations.

• In June 2021, the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards (NMSS) published a report entitled, COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Oversight Activities Assessment -

Phase A Report.2 The staff conducted surveys and interviews to develop recommendations that could help improve implementation of the Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety Programs during the COVID-19 PHE and share challenges and good practices.

• On June 10, 2021, the staff issued a memorandum3 to the NMSS and NRR Office Directors that described using Nuclepedia to capture COVID-19 pandemic lessons learned. This accommodates a myriad of lessons learned, including the aforementioned reports.

Moreover, the staff established a Re-entry Team, a re-entry web page and associated Frequently Asked Questions to complement those developed by the COVID-19 Team and obtained Office of Management and Budget approval of the NRC re-entry plan. The COVID-19 and Re-entry teams gathered, assessed, and implemented changes to the re-entry approach (including telework, safety of the workforce, information technology, and parking) to incorporate lessons learned throughout the pandemic. As a result, we successfully re-entered on November 7, 2021.

Finally, in September 2021, NSIR provided its annual update to the Agencys Continuity of Operations and Pandemic Plans. These updates incorporated lessons learned from the Agencys response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the development of a task force and working group structure to coordinate the internal agency response, communications, mitigation actions, vaccinations, and related issues.

1 Agencywide Documents and Access Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML21003A006 2 ADAMS Accession No. ML21158A229 3 ADAMS Accession No. ML21106A129

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