ML22168A061
| ML22168A061 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/08/2022 |
| From: | NRC/OGC |
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| Download: ML22168A061 (37) | |
Text
Official Transcript of Proceedings NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Title:
34th Regulatory Information Conference (RIC)
Commissioner Wright Plenary Docket Number:
(n/a)
Location:
teleconference Date:
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 Work Order No.:
NRC-1861 Pages 1-36 NEAL R. GROSS AND CO., INC.
Court Reporters and Transcribers 1716 14th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20009 (202) 234-4433
1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1
NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 2
+ + + + +
3 34TH REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE (RIC) 4
+ + + + +
5 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT PLENARY 6
+ + + + +
7
- TUESDAY, 8
MARCH 8, 2022 9
+ + + + +
10 The Technical Session met via Video-11 Teleconference, at 9:45 a.m. EST, David A. Wright, 12 Commissioner, NRC, presiding.
13 14 PRESENT:
15 DAVID A. WRIGHT, Commissioner, NRC 16 17 ANDREA VEIL, Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor 18 Regulation, NRC 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
2 P R O C E E D I N G S 1
10:46 a.m.
2 MS. VEIL: Good morning, everyone, and 3
welcome back. I have the honor of introducing 4
Commissioner David A. Wright. The Honorable David A.
5 Wright was first sworn in as a Commissioner of the 6
United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission on May 7
30th, 2018. He is currently serving a term ending on 8
June 30th, 2025.
9 Before joining the NRC, Commissioner 10 Wright served as energy and water consultant and 11 policy advisor on nuclear waste issues. He is a 12 former President of the National Association of 13 Regulatory Utility Commissioners and served as Vice 14 Chairman and Chairman of the South Carolina Public 15 Service Commission.
16 He was also elected Councilman and Mayor 17 in Irmo, South Carolina, and to the South Carolina 18 House of Representatives. A colon cancer survivor, 19 Commissioner Wright is a strong advocate for cancer 20 awareness and education. He is a proud father and 21 grandfather and has enjoyed umpiring baseball for 22 nearly 50 years. He's also a graduate of Clemson 23 University.
24 Commissioner Wright, we look forward to 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
3 your remarks.
1 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Good morning, and 2
welcome to the NRC's 2022 Regulatory Information 3
Conference, also known as the RIC. My name is David 4
Wright, and I've had the honor of serving as an NRC 5
Commissioner since May 24th of 2018, which was also my 6
late father's birthday.
7 This is my third RIC as a Commissioner.
8 As I stand here today, I never imagined that my first 9
RIC would be my only in-person RIC so far. But I 10 think it's safe to say that none of us imagined many 11 of the things that we've had to deal with over the 12 past several years with COVID and how it's impacted 13 our personal and professional lives.
14 I wish we were meeting down the street at 15 the Marriott because I miss seeing everyone in person.
16 But at the same time, I'm grateful that we are able to 17 gather this way, share information, and include a 18 broader audience given the capabilities of technology, 19 in particular increasing participation in general, and 20 especially with our counterparts from around the 21 world.
22 Before I begin my formal remarks, I'd like 23 to congratulate my colleagues on their plenary remarks 24 and publicly acknowledge how much I appreciate their 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
4 friendship, their work ethic, and their collegiality.
1 My appreciation and thanks extends to their staffs as 2
well.
3 To the Chairman, thank you for your 4
leadership during a challenging time both due to the 5
impacts of COVID and because of the evolving nature of 6
the nuclear industry.
7 The NRC is tackling the regulation of new 8
and emerging reactor and medical technologies, the 9
extension of licenses for the current fleet, and the 10 planned and unplanned decommissioning of facilities, 11 as well as a myriad of other issues, including cyber 12 and physical security. It's a busy time and an 13 important time in our Agency's history.
14 I'd also like to extend my thanks to the 15 RIC organizers. For those of you who have never 16 attended a RIC, I hope you find the panels informative 17 and helpful. The NRC staff works very hard to 18 organize and put on this conference, which features 19 panel breakout sessions along with a handful of 20 plenary sessions like this one, and many general 21 sessions.
22 And finally, I would like to take a moment 23 to say how proud I am to be a part of the NRC team and 24 to say thank you to my team, Team Wright. Thank each 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
5 of you for the ways that you support me and each other 1
as we do the important work of this Agency.
2 My family in South Carolina is a big part 3
of my team too, and I especially want to say thank you 4
to them because they totally support me being here at 5
the NRC. I have said this before: while I serve, my 6
family is serving too. And I appreciate their 7
sacrifices and support of my being here.
8 As was the case last year, this past year 9
has given me reason to reflect on many things, to 10 remember my past, where I came from, and where I am 11 today. As I reflected, I kept coming back to how 12 goals, goal planning, and executing plans to achieve 13 my goals have played a huge role in my life. So my 14 remarks today will focus on that.
15 I will share a few examples of personal 16 goals that have shaped my life and my approach as 17 Commissioner, and I'll discuss the NRC's goal of 18 transforming as an Agency and my perspectives on how 19 the Agency can best achieve that goal. With both 20 professional and personal goals, you always have to 21 factor in change and the unknown.
22 Certainly, if the last few years has 23 taught us anything, it's that change is inevitable and 24 we must adapt. Take this RIC, for example. As you 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
6 know, the NRC's goal was to have this year's RIC in 1
person. Omicron changed that. But I have found and 2
will discuss with you this morning some of the ways 3
that changes and challenges in meeting goals can 4
ultimately give greater purpose and help achieve a 5
greater goal in the end.
6 I actually have a wooden block in my 7
office that says, a goal without a plan is just a 8
wish. It's one of many motivational wooden block 9
signs I have in my Rockville office and in my home in 10 South Carolina. But of all the signs I have, this one 11 speaks to an everyday truth in my life.
12 Having goals is important, but having a 13 plan to achieve that goal is critical to success.
14 Last year, my personal goal was to find laughter 15 despite the change and chaos that COVID-19 brought.
16 It was actually the subject of my RIC plenary remarks, 17 the power of laughter and the importance of taking 18 time to take care of yourself.
19 I encouraged you to get outside and 20 experience what is happening in nature around you. I 21 asked you to take the time to smile and say hello to 22 people you meet each day because that recognition may 23 be the best thing that happens to that person all day, 24 and you can see their smile in their eyes even with a 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
7 mask on.
1 I urged you to step away from the computer 2
and the phone and return to and experience the things 3
that make you smile, that make you laugh and make you 4
happy. That's because laughter and taking time for 5
yourself improves you in many ways, from your health 6
to your relationships to your work product. I truly 7
believe that this personal goal has huge impact on 8
one's success at work and focusing on tasks, 9
interacting with colleagues, and being productive and 10 successful.
11 My goal from last year has not changed.
12 I attribute my goal to find laughter to my dad, who 13 among other abilities was a stand-up comic. And let 14 me tell you there was very little he wouldn't do for 15 a laugh. Bringing laughter to his audience, to his 16 family and friends was his mission.
17 When I was very young, he had a safari-18 themed television show that ran for nearly a decade, 19 and he would bring all kinds of animals on the show.
20 He would get bit and kicked, even strangled by a 21 python, all for laughs. Don't worry, though. I won't 22 go that far, and I assure you there will be no live 23 animals here with me today.
24 Another goal that I attribute to my dad 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
8 led me to public service and ultimately here to the 1
NRC. You see, the television station where Dad filmed 2
his safari show was about two blocks from the South 3
Carolina State House. He took me to be on his show 4
when I was an eight-year-old third grader studying 5
South Carolina history in school.
6 On the way home, Dad slowed down to show 7
me the State House. It was an impressive structure, 8
and I remember asking him how people got to go to work 9
there. After he explained elections to me, I told him 10 I wanted to serve there one day. That day, a goal of 11 public service was set in my mind. And what my dad 12 said next really resonated with me. He smiled and 13 nodded and told me, anything is possible for you, son, 14 if you want it bad enough.
15 And I wanted it bad enough. Through 16 planning and executing, I achieved that goal at 30 17 years of age. Achieving that goal brought other 18 opportunities into my path, up to and including my 19 current position as an NRC Commissioner. I'm truly 20 honored and blessed to be in this role, and I can 21 assure you that I would not have imagined I could ever 22 be hired to work here, much less lead this great 23 Agency. What an honor.
24 At the NRC, our main goal is set for us.
25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
9 It's meeting our vital safety mission, reasonable 1
assurance of adequate protection. But there are 2
different ways of planning and executing that goal, 3
and there have been many changes and hardships, 4
especially in the last several years.
5 Through all of the change and hardships, 6
though, I'm encouraged by what I've seen accomplished 7
at the NRC. Together, through unity of purpose and 8
resolve, the NRC staff has shown that we can still 9
achieve our mission. And we have achieved some really 10 good things along the way.
11 And I'd like to acknowledge the efforts of 12 all our stakeholders, particularly licensees. Their 13 dedication to keeping nuclear facilities running 14 safely in compliance with our regulations was no small 15 task, particularly during COVID. Our counterparts 16 around the world also provide incredible help and 17 insights and work closely with us, sharing challenges, 18 successes, and lessons learned on licensing and 19 regulating.
20 Although reasonable assurance of adequate 21 protection is our main goal, the NRC has other goals 22 as well. One of the top goals of the NRC for the past 23 several years has been transformation. I'll be the 24 first to admit I was initially hesitant about this 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
10 effort, primarily because I wasn't sure what the goal 1
of transformation was. Was there unity of purpose at 2
the Agency for what success meant or looked like?
3 What was the plan for executing the goal?
4 As you may have heard me say before, I 5
have always seen transformation as not a huge change 6
in what or how the NRC is doing things; instead, I see 7
it as a recalibration in our regulatory approach and 8
acceptance that the way we have always done something 9
might not be the best or only approach. It's about 10 being ready for what is before us and what we can 11 expect in the future, and ultimately for the NRC not 12 to be a barrier to innovation.
13 As with any goal, I wanted to understand 14 the staff's plan and how they were executing that 15 plan. I've been impressed with much of what I've 16 seen. The staff has been focused on four areas: one, 17 recruiting, developing, and retaining a strong 18 workforce; two, moving towards making more decisions 19 in a risk-informed manner; three, establishing a 20 culture that embraces innovation; and four, adopting 21 new and existing information technology resources.
22 I'll touch on each of these four areas, 23 with a focus on the last three. We've had to embrace 24 innovation and adopt new and existing technological 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
11 resources in adapting to the new and changing world 1
and regulatory environment around us in recent years.
2 There are two areas that I think are real success 3
stories when it comes to innovation and use of 4
technology at the NRC.
5 The first is the Agency's response to 6
COVID. Similar to what happened for all of you and 7
your organizations in the March 2020 time frame, 8
things changed almost overnight for the NRC with the 9
issuance of stay-at-home orders and a move to almost 10 complete telework.
11 For the NRC, as a safety regulator that is 12 responsible for licensing and inspecting the civilian 13 nuclear fleet, this raised a number of unprecedented 14 and difficult challenges and decisions. It created 15 emergent licensing needs, forced us to prioritize 16 inspections to ensure the health and safety of our 17 inspectors and plant personnel. It put us in a 18 virtual environment with each other, our stakeholders, 19 and the public. And it required us to consider our 20 statutory and regulatory requirements to ensure we 21 were meeting them despite the changed circumstances.
22 To say decisions needed to be made quickly 23 is an understatement. Resident inspectors' presence 24 at plants, requests from licensees for exemptions and 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
12 amendments, and how to handle the need for secure 1
communications and in-person interactions were just a 2
few of the challenges. We had to transform on the 3
spot. All of our processes and procedures were in 4
question. And we did it. In every area, we 5
recalibrated how we did things, using technology in 6
new ways to address something I doubt anyone could 7
have expected. And we never lost focus of our 8
mission.
9 I cannot overstate how proud I am of the 10 way NRC planned for and executed the goal of dealing 11 with COVID impacts. The other area where I've seen 12 real success at the NRC in executing its 13 transformation goal is staff-led efforts to innovate.
14 A few examples that come to mind are EMBARK Venture 15 Studios, the Be RiskSMART initiative, Nuclepedia, 16 IdeaScale, and the variety of staff-level efforts to 17 streamline our environmental review processes.
18 It's exciting to see staff at every level 19 of the Agency being energized and encouraged by 20 management to think creatively about new and different 21 ways to achieve our mission. I personally want to 22 thank every staff member and external stakeholder 23 watching or listening, including other federal 24 agencies, domestic and international organizations, 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
13 and members of the public that have been brave enough 1
to put their idea out there.
2 I'd like to encourage each individual 3
watching and listening today that has a new, 4
innovative idea to keep those innovative thoughts 5
coming, even if some question you. I recall when the 6
NRC's EMBARK Studios was first introduced, and there 7
were chuckles in the hall: what a silly name. What is 8
this?
9 This isn't uncommon, though, when there's 10 change or new ideas. There's often initial skepticism 11 or some level of discomfort. But, thankfully, the 12 staff kept moving and kept thinking. Now EMBARK 13 Venture Studios is a launching ground for innovative 14
- ideas, including initiatives that support Be 15 RiskSMART.
16 EMBARK Venture Studios is leveraging data 17 and risk information to help inform its licensing 18 review and inspections. This is exactly the type of 19 technological innovation that ensures that we're 20 working in a risk-informed, innovative, and effective 21 way.
22 The NRC's Jam in 2019 likewise was met 23 with some resistance and questions about what it was 24 and how useful it would be, and it ultimately led to 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
14 many thoughtful conversations and ideas. I hope that 1
the staff considers another Jam in the near term.
2 To me, this is success in achieving our 3
transformation goal, but by no means does it mean that 4
every staff-level idea or ideas from external 5
stakeholders are accepted or tried, because they're 6
not. The ideas have to be vetted, and each idea that 7
goes forward must meet our mission. But I love 8
innovative thinking and action without too many layers 9
of management keeping it simple and not 10 overcomplicating the plan or its execution.
11 There are other areas where the staff has 12 looked to transform that have been more challenging.
13 One example that comes to mind is the advanced reactor 14 area. As most of you know, there are many state and 15 federal legislative efforts related to supporting or 16 expediting advanced nuclear reactors and technology.
17 There are many vendors and licensees developing a 18 variety of designs and concepts.
19 There is also considerable focus on 20 whether and when an effective regulatory framework 21 will be in place for these technologies. The NRC is 22 at the heart of making that happen, and there are many 23 perspectives, too, both internal and from external 24 stakeholders, on our plan and execution of meeting the 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
15 goal of transforming our regulatory framework to 1
support advanced nuclear technologies.
2 One of the NRC's many efforts in this area 3
is developing a rule required by the Nuclear Energy 4
Innovation and Modernization Act, or NEIMA. This is 5
referred to as the Part 53 Rule, and many of you 6
listening have been actively watching or engaging with 7
the NRC on this effort.
8 I appreciate all of the input and 9
conversations on this important effort, and I'm 10 excited that the Commission has directed and the staff 11 is proceeding on a schedule that would have this rule 12 ready well before the required deadline in NEIMA.
13 However, recently, the NRC has had growing criticism 14 on its approach, with multiple stakeholders submitting 15 extensive comments suggesting that there are some 16 challenges that need to be addressed.
17 First, I appreciate the staff's work and 18 the extensive outreach done. And make no mistake:
19 there has been transformative thinking and approaches 20 in developing Part 53 thus far, including early 21 release of draft rule language for discussion and 22 consideration of the Commission's Advanced Reactor 23 Policy Statement.
24 I also appreciate the detailed feedback 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
16 from stakeholders, in particular feedback pointing out 1
particular technical areas where more clarity from the 2
NRC is needed or would be helpful. Overall, I would 3
say the feedback we are hearing on Part 53 is that the 4
timing of the rule isn't as important as the rule 5
being useful and usable. Of course, that's easier 6
said than done when you're talking about a rule that's 7
supposed to cover a broad spectrum of technologies.
8 But I encourage staff to push forward, 9
think creatively, and recognize that not only are we 10 not constrained by how we've done things in the past; 11 perhaps we should approach things differently because 12 these are, after all, different designs than our 13 current fleet. As we all know, what made sense for a 14 large light-water reactor may not make sense for a 15 microreactor.
16 Let me make an observation. What we are 17 being asked to do and tasked with accomplishing 18 requires us to be transformative and innovative. We 19 may be an independent safety regulator and our safety 20 mission is clear, but we must remain externally aware 21 regarding the goals of other agencies and other 22 branches of government.
23 The goals of Congress, the Department of 24 Energy, and the NRC are all connected, and our 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
17 preparation to evaluate new technologies will 1
ultimately enable the safe use of these new 2
technologies. Again, although our mission is clear, 3
the NRC should not be a barrier in achieving this 4
common goal.
5 For example, our Congressional oversight 6
committees often reach out to us to ask if we need 7
anything to support our mission generally or in a 8
particular area, like licensing advanced reactors and 9
technologies. We should not be afraid to provide 10 feedback and have frank discussions. If we need more 11 resources or are having challenges, we should say so.
12 This does not indicate that we are failing. It 13 indicates that we are aware of the issues and are 14 searching a path to reach our goal.
15 Their questions are asked so that they can 16 better understand what is happening, how we are 17 progressing to our goals and meeting our mission, and, 18 in the end, what it is that they can do in support of 19 our shared goals.
20 Let's also not forget that we are in the 21 proposed rule stage of Part 53. So let's not let 22 perfection be the enemy of progress. We need to get 23 the proposed rule out, let stakeholders comment, and 24 go on from there. Let's not lose focus or 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
18 overcomplicate things. We need to leverage the 1
lessons learned from our experience with Part 52, 2
where we were trying to simplify things with a one-3 step process.
4 Our best intentions notwithstanding, in my 5
view, we created something far more complex and 6
difficult to understand than the two-step Part 50 7
process, the process many of these new technology 8
innovators are using right now while part 53 is being 9
developed. We cannot do the same thing in developing 10 Part 53 that happened with Part 52. The NRC cannot be 11 a barrier to new technologies.
12 That is my challenge, and I know the NRC 13 staff can meet it. Then, once we achieve that goal, 14 we will need to face the challenge of being ready for 15 the possibility of multiple applications from one or 16 multiple utilities or other entities. We must have a 17 plan to execute for that as well.
18 Another challenge in meeting our 19 transformation goals has been rhetoric about our 20 efforts being intended to remove needed requirements 21 or roll back safety. Some areas in particular where 22 we've received that feedback are the decommissioning 23 rule, recommendations related to the reactor oversight 24 process, and our response to COVID-19.
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19 With respect to decommissioning, for 1
example, there are claims that the decommissioning 2
rule does not appropriately account for risk or 3
involve the public. With respect to reactor 4
oversight, there are claims that the staff's previous 5
recommendations would remove necessary inspections.
6 Likewise, there have been concerns raised about our 7
approach to licensing and inspection during COVID-19.
8 For the record, I'd like to say that in my 9
time and experience at the NRC, at no time have I felt 10 that the staff put forward a recommendation that would 11 remove needed requirements or did not provide 12 reasonable assurance of adequate protection. Our 13 staff are highly trained professionals with integrity 14 and a focus on our safety mission.
15 Our staff doesn't always agree with how to 16 meet our mission or what the appropriate response 17 should be, nor would it be reasonable to expect them 18 to do so. Professional judgments can and should 19 differ. It's only healthy for those types of 20 disagreements to be present and inclusive in learning 21 organizations.
22 However, when there are disagreements, the 23 staff always presents its basis for the approach. The 24 staff also typically does a great job responding to 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
20 stakeholder feedback on why and how we are doing 1
things, though there's always room for improvement in 2
that area, as communication issues can and do arise.
3 But I also need to take a moment and thank 4
the staff. Thank you for considering operating 5
experience,
- data, inspection
- findings, your 6
professional judgment, risk information, public input, 7
and stakeholder feedback to come up with new 8
approaches and ways of meeting our mission. Don't be 9
dissuaded by some voices out there. Avoid the noise 10 and simply keep on doing the good work you're doing, 11 and make sure you're telling your story so that it's 12 not told for you.
13 In conclusion, I'm proud of the NRC for 14 setting a goal to transform and become a more modern 15 and risk-informed regulator. That's not a one-and-16 done thing, either. It's a goal to change our 17 behavior, our culture, and our processes in a way that 18 doesn't change our ability to meet our mission.
19 It's also the goal of achieving our 20 mission in a more effective and efficient way that 21 accounts for advances in technology and ensures that 22 we are ready for any and all applications currently 23 under review or coming. In both planning and 24 executing that goal, we face setbacks and we have 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
21 challenges.
1 There are those that say transformation is 2
wrong or an attempt to cut needed requirements. And 3
some that support it claim that we're not doing enough 4
and are not ready for advanced reactor concepts, 5
fuels, technologies, and are stuck in using our old 6
deterministic ways.
7 I encourage staff to take that feedback, 8
adjust your plan accordingly, and execute. That might 9
mean starting over in a particular area instead of 10 continuing down a path that isn't working. In the 11 end, starting with a clean sheet of paper can be more 12 efficient than trying to rewrite something. And be 13 ready for the next challenge and the next goal, which 14 is being ready for what will happen after we license 15 our first advanced reactor technology.
16 Are we ready for the possibility of 17 multiple, possibly dozens, of applications coming in 18 at once? I believe that we can be. And if we aren't, 19 we need to make that clear and develop a plan for what 20 we'll need to do in order to be ready.
21 I would argue that in many ways, we have 22 experience with licensing and advanced reactor 23 technology. We did so with SHINE, which has, 24 essentially, several modular reactors and a production 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
22 facility designed to produce moly-99 using low 1
enriched uranium. And we had to be ready for other 2
applications with different designs and concepts to do 3
the same. In those instances, we leveraged existing 4
regulation and processes and developed guidance to 5
effectively and efficiently license advanced and novel 6
technology.
7 I'm here to challenge both the NRC staff 8
and stakeholders to continue to voice your opinions 9
and ask the tough questions and respond to the 10 challenges because it's through these conversations 11 and inclusive dialogues that the NRC can fine-tune its 12 approach and plan.
13 In my view, success is not unanimity.
14 That's a false hope and expectation. We aren't 15 typically going to have 100 percent agreement on 16 anything, either internally or from our stakeholders.
17 But we must, as a learning organization, hear and be 18 responsive to feedback from our stakeholders, from the 19 public, licensees, and the Congress on what concerns 20 them.
21 It helps feed into our process and 22 broadens our perspective on how we can achieve our 23 mission in the most transparent, effective, and 24 efficient way possible, because I assure everyone --
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23 the NRC, the licensees, the public, Congress, federal 1
partners, and the international community -- everyone.
2 Everyone wants and needs the NRC to meet our safety 3
mission, and we must be ready. We cannot be a 4
barrier.
5 The beauty of goal planning is that the 6
plan doesn't have to be big or complex. The NRC and 7
the government in general get a bad rap for exactly 8
this: overcomplicating or adding too much process to 9
achieve a goal. But there is some truth to the 10 criticism too.
11 In my opinion, a successful plan even to 12 a complex problem can be very simple. In fact, I 13 prefer plans that are simple because of their clarity.
14 Simple doesn't mean easy, though, nor does it 15 guarantee success. The plan may not end up taking you 16 where you thought it would take you. But a simple 17 plan makes it easy to focus on what you need to do to 18 accomplish your goal, including walking away from that 19 plan if it's not working.
20 Let me end with a personal story about a 21 goal that I had in high school that still drives me 22 and drives the way I think today. It's also something 23 that I think applies to innovators, both those inside 24 the NRC thinking of new approaches, and applicants and 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
24 licensees looking to adopt or create new technologies.
1 When I was a junior in high school, I 2
wanted to play on the varsity basketball team. I had 3
pretty good ball skill. I was quick, I could defend, 4
and I had a decent shot. I worked out regularly, I 5
ran a lot, and I never missed an opportunity to 6
practice. But I had a problem. I was very short and 7
small.
8 I was by far the shortest and smallest guy 9
trying out. But I worked hard, and I got to the last 10 day of tryouts. And, well, I was the very last guy 11 cut from the basketball team. That by itself hurt a 12 lot, but things got even worse when a coach for both 13 the football and the basketball team told me that I 14 was too small to be a good athlete.
15 I was devastated. I went home, and my mom 16 was there waiting when I walked in. It's like she 17 knew something. After I told her what had happened, 18 she looked at me and asked, so, David, what are you 19 going to do about it? What can I do about it, Mom?
20 I ask.
21 Well, you can give up and quit trying, or 22 you can prove them wrong. I know you're upset about 23 not making the team, David, but there's nothing wrong 24 with you. And I can promise you this: this will not 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
25 be the only time in your life you're going to face 1
adversity. So what are you going to do about it, son?
2 Well, after a period, my mind cleared, and 3
I knew she was right. I had a goal of representing 4
and competing for my high school. That's what I 5
really wanted to do. But basketball wasn't the only 6
sport at my high school. So, since basketball was 7
out, now what?
8 In her own way, Mom reminded me that my 9
goal of representing and competing for my high school 10 was still very much alive. I just had to address the 11 plan and hopefully successfully execute the plan. I 12 decided to ask the track coach if he'd let me try out 13 for track, although I'd missed initial track sign-ups 14 and workouts in order to try out for basketball.
15 The coach allowed me to start coming to 16 practice, and I quickly realized that all the working 17 out, running, and training I'd done for basketball 18 might help me in certain events on the track. So I 19 decided to look at the distance team, the two-mile run 20 primarily, along with the mile and the half-mile.
21 I trained every day, learning how to 22 prepare for and run the different races. When I 23 finally got to compete, believe it or not, was in the 24 conference championships at the end of the season in 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
26 the final of the two-mile run. And I found myself 1
immediately near the back of the 24 runners when the 2
race started, but I didn't quit.
3 As the race continued, I found myself 4
coming up on other runners. So I started passing 5
them, including one of my teammates about a mile in.
6 About a mile and a half into the race, I realized 7
where I was: not too far behind the leaders. And I 8
almost panicked. I'd never been in that position 9
before. It was uncharted territory for me, and I was 10 not sure what to do. So I just kept going.
11 I crossed the finish line and finished 12 third overall, medaling in the conference final in my 13 first official race for my high school. I went on to 14 represent and compete for my high school in my senior 15 year, helping my cross-country and track teams win 16 some awards and titles. I even won a couple myself.
17 I even went on to run for the Clemson 18 cross-country and track team in college, earning three 19 varsity letters in cross-country during my time there.
20 Go Tigers.
21 What the experience of being cut from the 22 basketball team and the challenge from my mom did for 23 me changed my life. And it wasn't about sports; it 24 was about an attitude. What are you going to do about 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
27 it, David? My mom's direct question to me is one I 1
hear in my head any time I face adversity or failure.
2 Do I give up and quit trying to do something, or do I 3
use adversity as motivation to set a simple goal, 4
develop a plan, and execute the plan?
5 The success of that plan in my first high 6
school track season set me on a path that not only 7
affected my running goals for years going forward, but 8
what I learned from that experience I've been able to 9
apply to every aspect of my life even today.
10 The past can be a teacher. So I encourage 11 you to learn from your past near misses. That way, 12 you likely won't repeat them, and more likely, you 13 will grow stronger and better through them. Don't be 14 afraid to take risk just because you're afraid to risk 15 failure. Embrace opportunities to achieve.
16 I've seen so many examples of this at the 17 NRC in my time here. So keep setting goals. Keep 18 striving, and don't take no as never. Take no as 19 motivation to find a different way to meet your goal.
20 Some goals may appear easier to attain than others, 21 but success in any of them requires a plan, an 22 executable plan, because overcomplicating things can 23 make things unworkable.
24 The NRC must be ready not just for what is 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
28 before us now but also for what will happen next. And 1
if we aren't ready, what are we going to do about it?
2 For me, it's critical that the NRC continue to strive 3
to do the things we do in a more educated, risk-4 informed, and data-driven way. This includes our 5
licensing and oversight, but it also includes our 6
focus on our most important asset: our people.
7 As I mentioned, the first transformation 8
focus area is recruiting, developing, and retaining a 9
strong workforce. It should come as no surprise that 10 this is the first focus area, either, as our workforce 11 is instrumental in achieving our goals.
12 The NRC is only as strong as its people, 13 and the NRC has been leveraging its strategic 14 workforce planning process, which it repeats annually, 15 to continually improve workforce development and 16 readiness and knowledge management.
17 In this
- process, the NRC does an 18 environmental scan that projects the amount and type 19 of work anticipated in the next five years and 20 identifies the workforce needs in order to perform 21 that work. By analyzing the current workforce and 22 comparing it to future needs, the Agency can 23 successfully identify skill gaps.
24 The NRC then develops both short-and 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
29 long-term strategies to enable the Agency to recruit, 1
retain, and develop a skilled and diverse workforce 2
with the competencies and agility to address both 3
current and emerging needs and workload fluctuations.
4 This helps us reach our goal of having the skills 5
we'll need to perform the work that we expect.
6 And the people that we have and the people 7
that join our Agency, whether for rotation and 8
internship or as a permanent hire, can and should look 9
at risk-informed ways to simplify our processes. That 10 should be our goal every day because the future is 11 going to require us to be aware, nimble, adaptive, and 12 responsive to the new frontier before us.
13 I'd like to end by saying that myself and 14 each member of my team are only a phone call or an 15 email away. Don't hesitate to reach out if there is 16 an issue that you'd like to discuss. Take care, and 17 all the best in setting and accomplishing your goals 18 in 2022 and beyond. And I hope to see you in person 19 soon. Thank you.
20 MS. VEIL: Thank you so much for your 21 comprehensive remarks, Commissioner Wright, and the 22 personal stories and the related analogies as well.
23 Now we can turn to questions.
24 (Off-microphone comments when microphone 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
30 was not working: Good morning, Andrea. Its good to 1
see you. Thank you for your introduction, and for 2
your leadership of NRR. And thanks for reminding me 3
that March is also Colon Cancer Awareness Month, so 4
please get screened.)
5 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Mic's not working.
6 And if I could, before we get to questions, if I might 7
just for a second, I'd like to just touch on a couple 8
of items.
9 For the last several weeks, like all of 10 you, I've been consumed by the coverage surrounding 11 the situation in Ukraine as the Russian Federation has 12 willingly violated Ukraine's sovereignty, 13 independence, and territorial integrity, and now they 14 have attacked and occupied several nuclear facilities.
15 There's no shortage of amazing courage, 16 from President Zelensky to the people of Ukraine to 17 our regulatory counterparts in Ukraine and the IAEA 18 and the international community, to the operational 19 staff at the Ukrainian facilities that are occupied.
20 I join Commissioner Baran and Chairman 21 Hanson in their solidarity with Ukraine and with our 22 regulatory counterparts over there -- and to quote the 23 Chairman, I think this morning he said as they work to 24 protect and sustain and, if needed, restore the safe 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
31 and secure operation of their nuclear facilities. So 1
it's very important.
2 And you might have noticed today we had a 3
little graphic help with pictures, and I want to just 4
thank the AV team here at the NRC. They're amazing to 5
work with. So we had Tyrus Wheeler, who's the 6
contract representative here, and Leon Montgomery. He 7
is very good. Awesome. Kevin McCormick, great job on 8
the camera, as usual. And (audio interference) their 9
willingness to help me really made it fun, and 10 hopefully others will take advantage of them in the 11 future. And so, with that --
12 MS. VEIL: Thank you very much for those 13 heartfelt and thoughtful remarks. For your first 14 question, how do we maintain a balance between the use 15 of risk assessment and particularly the PRA and the 16 general public's lack of understanding and interest in 17 risk assessment PRA? Doesn't it make the public 18 involvement in the process more challenging?
19 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Thank you for the 20 question. Well, yes. I mean, in the end, though, 21 it's the technical staff's job to review and apply 22 risk insights where appropriate. But it's really 23 important that we communicate, too, because I do agree 24 that the public doesn't understand some things.
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32 But we should leverage data and risk 1
insights in making our decisions. So I agree with the 2
premise of the question, and that's the answer I'm 3
going to give you right now.
4 MS. VEIL: Okay. Next question. What do 5
you consider the biggest challenge or challenges for 6
the Agency to overcome to be ready for advanced 7
reactors and other new technologies?
8 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Well, you mean as in 9
roadblocks or what?
10 MS. VEIL: Yes.
11 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: I think we've got to 12 be open on everything here. Would you just quickly 13 repeat the first part of that question?
14 MS. VEIL: Sure. Hold on one second.
15 Okay. What do you consider the biggest challenge or 16 challenges for the Agency to overcome to be ready for 17 advanced reactors and other new technologies?
18 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Well, again, I think 19 it goes back to workforce too. There's a number of 20 ways to answer that question, but strategic workforce 21 planning has been something we've been at and after.
22 And if we don't have the technical expertise to review 23 what we're doing, I think that's important. We have 24 to address that.
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33 Right now, I don't see that that's a 1
problem. And then, again, I think with different 2
technologies that are out there, whoever they are --
3 because there's many, I'm sure, that haven't even --
4 we don't even know about. But early engagement and 5
all that stuff is important because the staff is going 6
to be learning as well, and it would make the process 7
a lot easier in the end, in the long term.
8 So it comes down to we've got to have the 9
right people --
10 MS. VEIL: Okay.
11 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: -- and the right 12 information coming in too.
13 MS. VEIL: All right. Next question. How 14 does the Commission maintain a strong safety culture 15 within the regulatory framework?
16 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: How do they --
17 MS. VEIL: How does the Commission 18 maintain a strong safety culture within the regulatory 19 framework?
20 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Well, one, we have 21 to be open. We have to communicate. We have to talk 22 with each other. If we see something, say something.
23 All right? If there's a concern, we should not be 24 afraid to bring it up and to talk it through.
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34 And I think that that applies Agency-wide 1
no matter what we're doing, right? I mean, it applies 2
on the materials side of things. It applies on the 3
reactor side of things. It applies on the Human 4
Resources side of things. It applies on the 5
Commission communication level of things.
6 So, again, I don't want to go beyond our 7
mission. I will tell you, reasonable assurance is the 8
floor. Reasonable assurance is the ceiling. It's the 9
whole room. And being a baseball guy, it's also the 10 strike zone over home plate that we have to hit.
11 MS. VEIL: Okay. Are there any areas 12 where you feel that transformation efforts are 13 inappropriate?
14 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Well, I guess bottom 15 line to answer that question is no. It's important 16 first that we have to define the goal of 17 transformation, define what it is we're trying to do.
18 Like I spoke a few minutes ago to, in my time here, 19 like I said, I thought of it more as recalibration of 20 how we do things, not particularly what we do with 21 everything, because we're focused on meeting our 22 mission.
23 And I
think it should include 24 opportunities to use new and innovative approaches to 25 NEAL R. GROSS COURT REPORTERS AND TRANSCRIBERS 1716 14th STREET, N.W., SUITE 200 (202) 234-4433 WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009-4309 www.nealrgross.com
35 things because, again, as long as we're meeting our 1
important safety mission -- so those opportunities are 2
everywhere within the Agency. So I think it's 3
appropriate everywhere.
4 MS. VEIL: And we have time for one more 5
question. How do you think NRC is becoming agile 6
enough for new reactor development and deployment in 7
a timely manner at least to replenish the retiring 8
nuclear power plants' installed capacity?
9 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: How to -- again, 10 repeat that.
11 MS. VEIL: How do you think NRC is 12 becoming agile enough for new nuclear development and 13 deployment in a timely manner at least to replenish 14 the retiring nuclear power plants' installed capacity?
15 COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Right. I missed the 16 word agile, didn't understand it. So we need to 17 leverage our own efforts and those of our federal 18 partners, and in the international community as well, 19 in how advanced technology is considered.
20 We need to think of new and better ways to 21 do things because the way we do it now may not be the 22 only way or even the best way. And the new technology 23 is likely -- they're not going to require the exact 24 same things as our current fleet does.
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36 So we've got to be nimble. We've got to 1
be agile and willing and open to tackle those things 2
and to look at new ways of doing things.
3 MS. VEIL: I want to thank you again, 4
Commissioner Wright, for your thoughtful remarks, and 5
I also want to remind everyone on the platform that 6
there are concurrent technical sessions at 1:00. So 7
don't eat lunch and not come back. Please come back 8
to the platform and take part in all of the sessions 9
that are the concurrent technical sessions.
10 And with that, I close the session. Thank 11 you.
12 (Whereupon, the above-entitled matter went 13 off the record at 11:30 a.m.)
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