ML23240A529
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| Issue date: | 03/14/2023 |
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1 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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35TH REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE (RIC)
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COMMISSIONER WRIGHT PLENARY
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TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2023
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The Plenary Session convened at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, located at 5701 Marinelli Road, North Bethesda, Maryland and via Video Teleconference, at 11:00 a.m.
EDT, The Honorable David A. Wright, Commissioner, NRC, presiding.
PRESENT:
DAVID A. WRIGHT, Commissioner, NRC ANDREA VEIL, Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, NRC 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 11:00 a.m.
MS. VEIL: Hello, everyone. I'm supposed to introduce Commissioner Wright, but I do not see him in the room. We'll give it a minute, but I don't see him.
(Video played.)
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Thank you, I missed being late by that much and I got to use the old fake being in the office when your speech is about to start routine and have people follow you on video trick, so I hope you enjoyed the little video!
Many thanks to the NRC's Audio/Visual Team for their help and for taking my original idea and having some fun with it. Leon and Kevin and Kyle and Joe and Tyrus, who are in the room, will all agree that it was a fun video to make. We had a great time making it for you, too.
On top of that, although it was a wild ride from the NRC phone booth over to the elevator outside in the lobby over here, they did figure out a way to get me to the RIC. With that, good morning, everyone and welcome to the NRC's 2023 Regulatory Information Conference, being held in person this year after the world's three-year battle with COVID.
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 My name is David Wright and I'm one of the five commissioners here at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. For those of you who are tuning in virtually, you're missed and I hope to see you in person again soon. You know, being the last Plenary Session of the morning puts me in a tough position because I'm between everyone in this room and lunch, but I'll do my best to keep things a little entertaining, informative and as engaging as I can.
Chair Hanson and Commissioner Baran, I enjoyed listening to your remarks. They were spot on and true to who you are. I know how difficult it is to prepare for these presentations. It's a long process, many thoughts, many revisions, but both of you did a great job. You know, being authentic is something I strive for myself and I saw that from both of you in your remarks. You set a high bar this morning.
While I'm at it, I also want to thank both of you as well as Commissioner Caputo and Commissioner Crowell for the working relationship we have as commissioners. On behalf of Team Wright, my team, I want to thank each of you and your staff for your availability and your willingness to work with our team towards solutions on the issues that come before 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 us.
We each bring different backgrounds and perspectives to the commission, which means we may approach issues differently, but that's a good thing.
Now, we have a full five-member commission, and that's a great thing. Me and my team look forward to the future working with each of you and your teams to accomplish good things on behalf of the American people and our international counterparts as well, to provide adequate protection to the public and the environment and the nuclear reactor and nuclear material sectors.
Speaking of team members, I want to take a moment and thank my team, Team Wright, for all they do in support of me and for the NRC on behalf of the American people. My staff is a very special group of people. We are family. We support each other and I'm blessed by each of you every day, which makes it fun to go to work.
My gratitude also extends to everyone else who has been a part of Team Wright. Each of you has had an impact. Each of you has made a difference and you will always be a part of Team Wright. But I must single out two people -- my original chief of staff, Cathy Kanatas, who implemented the initial vision for 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 our office, identified and hired people who aligned with that vision and would be an asset to our team, and laid the foundation that our office operates by today. So, Cathy, thank you.
I also want to thank Carol Lazar, my original legal counsel, who gave me great advice and insights into all things legal, including her replacement and most important, who kept me out of trouble. Thank you, Carol.
If you know me, you know that I'm a sports guy. I love sports, so it should not surprise you when I use sports analogies or sports related quotes in meetings, conversations or in plenary remarks.
Marv Levy is a Hall of Fame former head coach of the Buffalo Bills, a team in the National Football League.
For our international friends, that's American football. Buffalo is about, I don't know, 400 miles, (650 kilometers) from here and let me tell you, it can be a very cold place to play football in December, January and February.
Many years ago, the Bills were about to play in a playoff game at the beginning of the stretch where they appeared in four consecutive championship games or Super Bowls. On that early playoff game day, Coach Levy took to the stadium microphone and asked 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 the cold, yet very boisterous, Buffalo crowd, where else would you rather be than right here right now?
To this day, that question is part of their pre-game hype to get the crowd pumped up. In a similar way, Commissioner Caputo to the way the song Jump is used before Badger football games at the University of Wisconsin. So, that's how I feel today, there's no place I'd rather be than right here, right now.
You know, public service is not for everyone and working for the government at any level is a sacrifice. The wages you make as a government employee certainly fall short of what your counterparts make in the private sector and working in government can be frustrating because issues and policy direction can change from one election to the next and the wheels of decision-making can move painfully slow at times, but many of you knew that and you still chose to work in government. That's because, and as I believe, public service can also be a calling and another way to serve your country. I know that's true for a lot of you out there in public service, whether it's in the federal government, state or local government and even the military. Like those Buffalo fans on a freezing winter day, there are certainly other places you could be, other jobs you 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 could be doing and many of them might be more comfortable and come with a better paycheck, too, but you chose government service and I'm grateful for that.
Personally, I know all too well myself that as you work and serve in government, your family serves with you as well. You're not in it for the money or for personal gain, but instead you chose it for a noble reason, a calling or a cause. Maybe it was the desire to make something possible or to make good things happen for your country or to try and make things better for those around you. Regardless of the reason, be proud of what you're doing at work and for your country, because you are making a difference.
What you do everyday in your job matters. It matters to the government, it matters to the country and it matters to many people around the world. So, where else would you rather be than right here right now, right?
So, thank you for your service and for your work, too, and that goes for my family as well.
You know, when I began preparing for today, my mind was full of more things than I could possible cover in 30 minutes, that's because a lot has happened in the past 12 months. It's not just at the 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 NRC, but in our daily lives as well.
The people of Ukraine continue to be in our thoughts and prayers as we look and hope for an end to the unprovoked Russian aggression against the peaceful people of that sovereign country. We continue to experience the effects of COVID as we try to understand it, adapt to it and make it part of our daily life. Then, there's everything else: cancers, heart disease, diabetes, mental health issues, addictions, family concerns, relationships and stress, you name it.
Some of the things we face may be life threatening. Some of the things are life changing and all of it, all of it happens in our lives daily.
Sometimes we get overwhelmed with life events or work or both. It happens to all of us. Some of the things we face are bigger than we are, too, and we need help.
How we deal with it matters.
To my NRC family, I'd like to take the opportunity again this year to direct you to the NRC's Employee Assistance Program, the NRCs staying-connected team, SBCR, the advisory committees, the Affinity and Resource Groups and the EDO. These people and groups are there for you and are willing to help you. They can find you help in many ways to 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 address and deal with the challenges that you're facing every day, provide tips for improving your work life balance and other issues you may have. I encourage you to reach out to them.
Like I tell my close friends and those I serve as a mentor or accountability partner to, you can't possibly take care of the needs of others that you love and care about or those you work with everyday, if you're not taking care of yourself first.
It's important. I want nothing but the best for you in every way, so please take care of yourself. Take time to relax. Laugh at something. Laugh at yourself, I laugh at myself all the time. I'm like a comic book. Take a deep breath, exhale, walk away from your computer, your phone and the work crisis of the moment. Just enjoy the world around you. I promise the work will still be there when you return, it always is, but your attitude and focus will be much improved.
You know each year that I have presented at the RIC, I've shared a little bit more about me, my family and events in my life. If you've listened to or watched past RIC plenaries, you know that my dad was a lifelong television and radio personality, a card-carrying Professional Golf Association TV and 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 radio announcer and a stand up comedian for 50 years.
You know that my mom, a nurse by profession, and who was present and held the Bible when I was sworn in as commissioner in 2018, had a terrible battle with squirrels in her house in 2020.
You know that I'm a proud paw-paw or granddad of a set of grand twins, a boy and a girl, brought in to this world by my younger daughter, Courtney, and her husband just over four years ago.
You know that my oldest son, Austin, and his wife honored my family with a grandson, Hank Williams Wright, not quite two years ago. I found out last week that Hank will become a big brother sometime this coming November, too. You know that my youngest son, Andrew, who came home for spring break during the last semester of his senior year in college, on the same weekend that I did in March of 2020, never went back to campus because the world shut down from COVID-19.
He graduated while he was at home and even became engaged and got married during the shutdown.
You've learned that I'm a stage III colon cancer survivor as is my oldest daughter, Kimberly.
You also know that we pay it forward today by actively sharing our cancer experience with and encouraging others, who have been recently diagnosed with or who 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 are actively going through their own cancer battles.
You know that I'm a baseball umpire, calling games for 49 years before COVID broke that streak in 2020 and you know that win or lose, I love all things Clemson University. You know I graduated from there, that I walked on and earned my first varsity letter as a long distance runner for the Tiger a half a century ago this year. Well, 50 years ago still feels like it was yesterday. And, while I'm at it, Go Tigers!
You know March is an eventful month in my life and that theme continued in 2022. A quick story, one year ago today at almost this very minute at about 11:15 in the morning, during our staff meeting on the 18th floor of the NRC Headquarters across the street, I got a call on my cell telling me that my home in South Carolina was flooded from the inside. Water meter work outside at the street caused the pressure to change in the pipes under my house and in my house and a coupling ruptured under my kitchen sink. Water ran uninterrupted for five days before it was found.
Needless to say, I lost a lot. My entire kitchen, my mudroom, breakfast room floors, cabinets, walls, everything very wet and ruined. It was depressing.
For the last year, during the water 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 mitigation and drying out of my home, the demolition and debris removal and the design and build back, I had to deal with insurance adjusters, demolition crews, floor crews, cabinet and counter top people and contractors from 500 miles away and in person. When at home in South Carolina, I lived on a microwave and a grill and lots of paper products, but every cloud has a silver lining if not a rainbow. That personal home disaster also gave me a great reason to go away.
I visited existing nuclear plants around the country. I visited the NRC regional offices. I visited some decommissioned sites. I toured a couple of DOE labs and some research and test reactors and I visited Southern Company's Vogtle Unit Three site twice, which as you know went critical for the first time last Monday. This was a significant milestone because it marked completion of the first new nuclear power plant in 30 years, and the first time an AP1000 has been built under NRC's Part 52 framework.
This photo here was taken from a recent visit where I hosted the French regulators. That was a good visit, too. They wanted to try some southern food down south, so I took them to a restaurant where they shared an appetizer of fried green tomatoes filled with pimento cheese and a couple of them 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 ventured out and experienced shrimp and grits. That's what I had, too. The meal was great and the company was even better.
I also visited Romania, where in May I took part in the small modular and advanced reactor workshop in Bucharest. I spent some valuable time with CNCAN President Cantemir Ciurea and was part of a US delegation that met with Romania's prime minister and other Romanian elected officials and I visited the Cernavoda Nuclear Plant near Bucharest. That's also when and where if you remember the announcement of their partnership with NuScale was announced and made public.
I must say the food along the way sure beat what had been coming out of my microwave. You know the reconstruction work in my home is still not finished, but right before Christmas I was able to begin things moving back into my kitchen. My daughters helped me get things looking good enough in the house so I could entertain them, my grandchildren and my mom at Christmas and that was awesome.
That flood disaster is not the first time that life has thrown me a curve ball and one thing I'm sure of, it won't be the last curve ball life throws at me either. The key though is not to panic when 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 disasters or other bad things happen. So, for those of you who aren't familiar with the sport of baseball, a curve ball is a pitch thrown to a batter by a pitcher that spins in such a way that it curves either toward the batter or away from the batter or drops from top to bottom. When pitched, the intent of a curve ball is to fool the batter into swinging early before the ball actually gets to the plate.
One thing I know from working as an umpire is that a well thrown curve ball can make a batter look very silly and feel very foolish. Then, there's the hitter and a good hitter is not easily fooled.
Good hitters can usually pick up the spin of the curve ball as the pitcher releases it and can adjust the timing of their swing. They will either get just enough of the ball to foul it off and stay alive at the plate or in that particular moment have the patience and the discipline to stay back and wait for the ball to curve and then hit it for a base hit.
By design, a curve ball is not supposed to be an easy pitch to hit that is unless the pitcher makes a mistake throwing it. As a home plate umpire, I have the best seat in the house, so when a pitcher makes that mistake of hanging a curve ball out over home plate, good hitters will punish the pitcher by 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 hitting that baseball a very, very long way. I mean many times out of the park, sometimes even out of the baseball stadium. In that moment, a good hitter can make a pitcher look very silly and feel totally helpless.
Last year the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russian threw the world a curve ball.
Russia's intent was to make the rest of the world make mistakes, swing early and look bad. Fortunately, that did not happen and we and the Ukrainians are still alive at the plate and very much in the game today, but the unprovoked invasion did cause us and our global partners to pause and to take a hard look at ourselves as a country and reassess our connections, our partnerships, our supply chains, our internal needs, our resource needs and our available resources.
What we learned was concerning, if not downright alarming.
Here's just a few examples of issues in the energy realm that developed almost overnight following the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia. You had uranium supply and uranium source issues. Fuel source supplies for the development of advanced reactors, new fuels and new fuel facility designs. We had rare earth and mineral sourcing 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 concerns, safety concerns as a result of the attacks on and the illegal occupation of nuclear power plants in Ukraine, specifically the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the desire of many European countries to cut their energy ties with Russia and examine and determine what they would need in order to improve their own energy resilience.
As you know, we're fortunate to have Mr.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency with us in the audience today.
He gave remarks to the RIC earlier. Director General Grossi, you've been on the forefront of efforts to keep the Zaporizhzhia plants stable and safe and we thank you for everything that you, the IAEA and the leaders of Ukraine are doing. On behalf of myself and a thankful audience, welcome to the RIC again, sir.
I've also been told and haven't met him yet, but I know they're here, that the Chairman of the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of the Ukraine, Mr. Oleg Korikov, is here. Mr. Korikov, I can't even imagine what it's like trying to do your job in an active war zone. What I do know though is that our two countries have had a bilateral cooperation agreement since 1993 and I think it's safe to say that in the 30 years we've been working together, our 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 relationship has never been more important. I look forward to continuing and strengthening our partnership with you and again, for you, welcome to the RIC, too.
As a result of the war in Ukraine, because of the massive curve ball thrown by Russia, decisions were made, time lines changed and today, there are many more countries around the world looking to the United States to help them meet their energy needs and goals through new and existing nuclear technologies than there were just a year ago. Those countries, as well as stakeholders within our own borders, vendors, agencies, and the Congress are looking to the NRC to develop, review, and approve a regulatory pathway for these new and advanced technologies, sooner rather than later, so they can get to market and for good reason, too.
The NRC must do our part and get it right without compromising safety and without delay. The time to meet the moment is upon us. It's important on many levels. Energy security, grid security, energy resilience, national security, and even global security. If we don't meet the moment, our success and the success of other countries will be at stake and if we fail to meet the moment, our adversaries 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 will certainly try to take advantage. We can't afford for that to happen.
As I mentioned earlier, NuScale has a deal with Romania. The Romanian regulator must be prepared, ready and able to review and inspect the designs. Their success involves and requires the NRC's timely assistance and that moment is upon us.
Poland has selected the Westinghouse AP1000 and they're considering other advanced technologies as well. The Polish regulator must also be prepared, ready and able to review and inspect whatever technologies are ultimately chosen in their country. Their success involves and requires the NRC's timely assistance and that moment is upon us.
Here, at the NRC, we're working with our Canadian counterparts through a memorandum of cooperation, which involved performing a technical review of portions of the advanced design by Terrestrial as well as other advanced technology designs by X-energy and GE Hitachi in hopes that a collaborative effort will result in a more streamlined and effective licensing process versus just going at it alone. I believe it'll do just that and I support this effort.
The success of our collaboration with 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
19 Canada hopefully will lead the way to other multilateral arrangements for this and other designs around the world. Success with the CNSC requires the NRC's timely and active engagement and that moment is upon us. The United States government is actively working with countries of like mind around the world to source and build new nuclear projects, both big and small. Our government's success involves, requires the NRC's timely assistance and that moment is upon us.
Here at home in the United States, there's a great deal of activity in the nuclear sector as well as in the entire energy sector. Carbon reduction goals have been set in many countries around the world, but also by states and even local governments here in this country. We must recognize, and I believe this to be true, that successfully achieving these goals will not be possible without existing nuclear, new nuclear and advanced nuclear being a part of the generation mix, today and going forward.
As a safety regulator, what does all of this mean to the NRC? It means absolutely everything and there's no better place to be than at the NRC right here right now. I believe the NRC is made for this moment. Our international counterparts are 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 preparing to meet the moment, too. Russia has hung a curve ball out over the plate and the world needs to hit it to the moon. Overall success though, be it in the United States or around the world, involves and requires the NRC to meet the moment and that moment is upon us.
Meeting the moment will involve and require the NRC to continue its transformation. Doing things a certain way because that's the way we've always done it is a proven recipe for failure. A person, much less an agency, cannot grow if they stay where they've always stayed and continue doing things the way they've always done them. Applicants, licensees and ultimately members of the public pay us for our reviews and our oversight, too. So, we have a fiduciary responsibility to be timely in our reviews and responsible in the use of our resources. It's also good business and why our Efficiency Principle of Good regulation says the American taxpayer, the rate paying consumer, and licensees are all entitled to the best management and administration of regulatory activities.
As I see it, the NRC and us as regulators are not supposed to be disable the use of nuclear, but instead we are to enable the safe use of nuclear. The 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 NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) has a motto that says make the safe use of nuclear power possible. They're doing that everyday as they oversee the safe operation of the nations 93 operating reactors and as they engage the 15 vendors that are also involved in pre-application activities for new and advanced reactors. They're not alone either because NRC's EMBARK Studio, a creative incubator for transformation and innovation and change within our own walls has the motto of enabling the safe use of nuclear power. One of the ways they're doing that is by developing internal and external mission analytics portals, or MAPs, that will allow the NRC technical reviewers to receive data and information they need to conduct their reviews in a faster, more stream-lined manner.
These tools should bring significant time and cost savings for both the NRC and applicants by helping us to share information more readily. Those two mission statements speak to the fact that we need to be externally aware of what's happening around us and be responsive to that moment.
Meeting the moment involves and requires the NRC to innovate. Safety is our mission, reasonable assurance of adequate protection is the 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 standard. That's the floor and the ceiling and our strike zone over home plate. It's non-negotiable.
How we do things though at every level should always be up for debate and we should think about ways to be innovative, novel, and transformative to improve effectiveness and the efficient use of resources in tackling those issues that come before us.
Congress challenged the NRC to create a flexible, simpler, all-inclusive regulatory pathway for the various new and advanced reactor technologies being contemplated or who are before us now and wanting to get to market. This is an opportunity for the NRC to meet the moment that is upon us and accomplish what I know we can accomplish if we work together, that would be a new, novel, transformative, risk-informed regulatory framework for the advanced reactors 10 CFR part 53.
It's time to meet that moment because the rulemaking package is now in front of the commission.
To actually meet the moment and Congress' challenge is going to require the NRC staff and the Commission to think outside of the box, to be risk-informed and not just risk averse.
In the end, Part 53 has to be a regulatory pathway that is useable and useful to the applicants 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
23 and the technologies it is being created for. I know we can do it. Meeting the moment involves and requires the NRC to collaborate. The Department of Energy, our sister agency in a way, is the promoter and salesman of all things in the energy sector and they picked some winners in the advanced reactor space and funded them too. X-energy and TerraPower are two of them.
So, it should come as no surprise to the NRC that we must get ready for them and be ready for them. Now, we're going to have to do it quickly. Just about two weeks ago, on March 1st, X-energy and Dow Chemical signed a joint development agreement to build a four-unit Xe 100 reactor facility on the Gulf Coast by 2028. We have NGOs and trade associations actively involved before us on behalf of advanced technologies of every size and shape as well as fusion and they're telling us of the importance and the urgency for the NRC to meet the moment.
Speaking of fusion by the way, I'm happy to say that I'm one of the commissioners who recently voted on a framework that would establish a risk-informed, efficiency and predictable path toward regulating the safe use of fusion in the United States.
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 You know while it's true that the NRC is a safety regulator, we are not insulated in doing our job or in meeting our mission either. We are an independent agency yes, but as stated in our Principles of Good Regulation, we are not supposed to do our job in isolation. We must openly seek all available facts and opinions from all our stakeholders. We have to be externally aware of what is happening around us, too, such as: the national and international goals of the administration and the Congress; the goals at work of DOE and other federal agencies and departments; and the plans and timelines of utilities in this country who are considering or looking to build advanced technologies. We must maintain an awareness of, and engage early, with potential applicants so that we better understand what the NRC may need in order to review and license their proposed technology. This means NRC collaborations, NRC involvement and possibly even NRC learning from others will be required. Bottom line, it's an exciting time to be a safety regulator.
As I begin to close, let me ask you a question, are you ready to do something special? You, we can do it right here, right now. We can create and put in place a simpler, all inclusive, risk-informed, 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 performance based licensing framework for advanced reactors, SMRs and other technologies to enable the safe use of nuclear power through these new and advanced technologies to make a difference here in the United States and around the world. You, and we, have that special opportunity in time right here, right now.
The Russian curve ball certainly brought more attention to and more focus on the need for and the purpose of these new technologies. Now the time has come to meet the moment and hit that hanging curve ball out of the park. So, where would you rather be than right here right now? Personally, I can think of no better place to be than working alongside all of you as we meet this moment.
To my NRC colleagues, my fellow commissioners, I appreciate your dedication and your commitment to serve our country and I look forward to our work together. To our international counterparts, I am confident the NRC will continue to do our part to help you meet the energy goals you've set as we look to meet the moment, this moment in time, with you. To my NRC family, the staff of this great agency, you, we have an incredible opportunity in time to do something special, something that will have a positive impact 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 here at home and provide energy opportunities, energy security and energy resilience in the countries of our allies around the world.
In addition, on top of all the focus and work in the new and advanced reactor space in part 53, the NRC has other opportunities to meet the moment, too. There's work on accident tolerant fuels, a renewed focus on uranium and rare earth metals here in the United States, new safety and training updates as the results of advances in nuclear medicines, treatments and therapies and the potential to license companies with technologies that can clean up legacy mining sites and return these sites to green field state, just to name a few.
Here in the United States and with our allies around the globe, together we can meet this moment, this unique and special opportunity in time and through our work do our part to help provide energy security, energy resilience, grid security and national security, not just here in the United States, but in allied countries around the world. It's an exciting time to be a safety regulator and why there is no place I would rather be than right here, right now working along side all of you as we meet this special moment in time.
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27 Thank you very much for your kind attention and I hope you enjoy the rest of the RIC.
MS. VEIL: Are we staying? Do you prefer to stay?
(Simultaneous speaking.)
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Sure, it's just you and me.
MS. VEIL: Yes, you can sit here and --
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: A couple thousand of our closest friends.
(Laughter.)
MS. VEIL: All right, I'll get right to it. The first question, you said it's important that we don't disable nuclear power. Could you expand on that?
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Well, we don't disable the use of nuclear, right? I mean we're challenged and I think it's in the documents that founded this great agency that we are enablers of the safe use, so it's part of who we should be.
Now, it has to be safe, I mean that's our mission, we have to be safe, but we especially today, especially in today's world, this is a unique time.
It's a special moment and if we don't get it right here and you all are the smartest people in 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 government, probably in the world in this room, so if we can't do it, I doubt it can get done, but I have total confidence that you all are up to the task and that's what I'm pulling for.
MS. VEIL: Okay, second question. During your international travels, what sort of challenges did you notice that regulators are facing?
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Wow, that's a good question. One of the things that we're blessed with here is we're well-funded. We have the technical expertise we need. We have the people that we need to do the work that we need to do. In other countries, especially those that are starting up, they've got to be a strong regulator. So, they've got to be in position to be a strong, independent regulator.
Their independence is critical, but they've got to be well funded. Some countries, like in Romania and I'm not picking on Romania, but I was there and I saw it and learned about it first hand.
They don't get all their fees, so when they collect fees, half of it goes to the government. The state utility over there pays about five times more than what the people that work for the regulator do, so they're poached and by not just the state utility but by other countries. I think it's important that 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 wherever we can help, we need to make sure that the message that not only do you need to be a strong regulator and with good people and independent, but you've got to be funded. You've got to be able to do what you need to do.
MS. VEIL: Okay. Next question, you mentioned the importance of public service in your remarks. What's something we can do as an agency to help our people feel appreciated and proud about public service?
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: That's a great question. It's a good softball question for me by the way. You know when I got here and a lot of you know the story, I think as soon as I could get a map of the layout of White Flint, I started walking floors, right?
I started going to see people where they worked and lived every day in their cubicles or in their office and I didn't go in and say hi, I'm Commissioner Wright, I just said I'm David, how are you doing and we just talked about small stuff, right?
I looked in their office to see what football team they supported or artwork from their grandkids or their kids. I saw pictures of where they traveled. I got to speak to them just in a normal way, right? And 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 then a lot of them gave me comments like how'd you get in the building? Who are you? I did get asked, Laura, you'll appreciate this, I got asked where I came from and I did say well, technically Region Two is what I told them.
But it gave me an opportunity to bond with them in a way and even today, I go to softball games and dance recitals and I spend time with their children and them outside of the agency and my staff especially, but others as well. So, they see me as a regular guy. That allows me to share with them and show appreciation and I think that once a person is valued and you give them respect and compassion, that builds trust. That fosters a relationship that is an open relationship.
In our agency, that's what we can do.
We've got to be able to reach out and touch people and if we're not reaching out and touching people and empowering them, then we're missing an opportunity.
MS. VEIL: Okay. Next question, what is an area of technical expertise where we need to hire more people?
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Well, I think it's health physicists in a way, I mean I think that's a problem around the world. We've got to do -- and I 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 know that we're focused on trying to get the word out, but we've got to encourage where we can our university systems out there, maybe even our tech schools and stuff, too, to get the basic trainings in there so that these people, there's going to be a huge need of them going forward because dose is a big thing, right?
So, the technical experience there is something I know we need. Now, what I don't know is what I don't know, right, and these technologies that are coming in, that's the importance of early engagement. We'll find out, is there something, a need that we're lacking.
A technical expertise that we need and how to acquire that and how to train them up. You know our NRANers that we've got right now, they're hungry.
They want to learn. They want to do, but it takes two to three years for them to get just basic trained, but what's lacking is the experience over time that comes.
So, you've got seasoned people in the agency who know where all the bones are buried. The NRANers don't know that yet and it's going to take time for that, so that's a weakness in the agency right now. We can't do that really in a virtual environment, you've got to be able to have that water 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
32 cooler conversation, you've got to be able to have those casual post meetings, let's chit chat or have an after or something like that.
MS. VEIL: We've got about a minute left, so I wanted to let you know people are saying loved the entrance. This is so cool and that's all caps, so people really enjoyed the entrance.
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Well, thank you.
MS. VEIL: So, I wanted to let you know that. I wanted to thank you for your remarks and with that, I close the session. Go and have some lunch.
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT: Yes, thank you so much.
(Whereupon, the above-entitled matter went off the record at 11:44 a.m.)
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