ML25342A031
| ML25342A031 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 12/04/2025 |
| From: | Raj Iyengar NRC/RES/DE |
| To: | |
| ERICK MARTINEZ 4150840 | |
| References | |
| Download: ML25342A031 (0) | |
Text
NRC Activities in Codes and Standards Raj Iyengar Division of Engineering Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Nuclear Regulatory Commission ARCSC Workshop December 4, 2025 Raj.Iyengar@nrc.gov
NRC Policy:
NRC Management Directive 6.5 Establishes NRCs policies for participation in VCS development and aligns NRCs practices with NTTAA and OMB Circular A-119.
Guides staff engagement and endorsement of VCS.
Key Federal Requirements:
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA) of 1995 Agencies must use voluntary consensus standards (VCS) instead of government-unique standards whenever practical.
Exceptions must be justified and documented.
OMB Circular A-119 Provides guidance to agencies on implementing NTTAA.
Encourages active participation in standards development organizations (SDOs).
Codes and Standards Background
NRC Codes and Standards Program Overview Active Participation: NRC staff serve on key consensus standards committees (e.g., ASME, IEEE, ANS, ASTM, ACI, CSA).
Coordination: Engage with 36 government agencies, 12 standards development organizations, and industry organizations (NEI, EPRI, ARCSC). Collaborates with national labs (e.g., INL, ORNL, ANL).
Review and Endorsement: NRC evaluates and endorses new and revised standards through rulemaking and regulatory guides. Issued 380+ regulatory guides endorsing codes and standards.
Focus Areas: Advanced reactor materials, digital instrumentation & control, risk-informed methods, and quality assurance.
Continuous Improvement: Enhancing processes for timely endorsement and integration of innovative standards.
Drivers for Enhancement
- Past focus on large light-water-reactor designs
- Standards development taking 1-2 years, with endorsement taking 1-2 years after that
- Many endorsed standards are deterministic
- Resources adequate to support priority codes & standards activities
- Efficient engagement in standards development
- Innovative solutions to endorse advanced reactor codes & standards
- Incorporation of graded approaches using risk-and performance-based insights
- Resources applied to highest priority standards
- Growing focus on codes & standards for advanced reactors
- Multiyear rulemaking not timely or flexible for advanced reactors
- Desire for more technology-inclusive codes & standards
- Need a resource strategy adequate to support the NRCs codes and standards program Present Future Past
Action Plan Development
- Established coordination plan with INL partnership -
February 29, 2024
- Held public workshop - April 4, 2024
- Issued finalized action plan - August 22, 2024
- Communicated action plan with stakeholders
- Fall Standards Forum - September 25, 2024
- Commission Meeting - November 14, 2024
- Created cross-organizational team of experts to guide implementation - December 19, 2024 2/29/24 4/4/24 8/22/24 9/25/24 11/14/24 12/19/24
Codes & Standards Action Plan:
Key Components Plan based on input from a broad range of stakeholders Focus is on increasing timeliness, efficiency, and promoting risk and performance-based insights.
Consists of 17 actions within 3 areas for improvement.
- Standards Development Process Improvements
- NRC Endorsement Process Enhancements
- Leveraging Commercial Standards Three timeframes:
- Swift Actions (1-yr)
- Intermediate Activities (2-4 yrs)
- Program Enhancements
Action Plan Implementation:
Development Process Improvements Swift Actions:
1.1 Publish a list of prioritized consensus standards, committees, and working groups for enhanced NRC engagement 1.2 Continue and/or enhance staff support at prioritized activities Intermediate Activities:
1.3 Promote inclusion of RIPB insights within new/revised standards Program Enhancements:
1.4 & 1.5 Public meetings to solicit information on new materials and provide prompt feedback
Action Plan Implementation:
Endorsement Enhancements Swift Actions:
2.1 Expedite staff review of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,Section III, Division 5, High Temperature Reactors 2.2 Develop efficiencies for the endorsement process Intermediate Activities:
2.3 Update management directive governing the NRCs program 2.4 Test case to pilot one or more of the efficiency enhancements Program Enhancements:
2.5 Evaluate efficiency gains possible by using artificial intelligence tools to update reg guides containing ASME code cases
Action Plan Implementation:
Commercial C&S Swift Actions:
3.1 Solicit input on priority commercial standards from advanced reactor vendors, developers, and applicants 3.2 Continue and/or enhance staff support for prioritized activities Intermediate Activities:
3.3 Support external efforts to develop/qualify new materials 3.4 Pilot endorsement enhancement for commercial standards Program Enhancements:
3.5-3.7 Develop guidance for endorsing commercial standards, support RIPB efforts, observe ARCSC
Action Plan Status Process Improvements:
1.1) Creating public and private database - Complete 12/25 1.2) Track Standards Involvement - Complete 12/25 1.3) Track/Promote RIBP Standards - Ongoing, 9/19/2028 1.4 & 1.5) Increasing public involvement - Ongoing Endorsement Enhancements:
2.1) Final RG 1.87 in Concurrence - Complete 6/2025 2.2) New enhanced endorsement process - in progress 2.3) Updating MD 6.5 - 4/17/2026 2.5) Exploring AI usage to automate RG edits - Ongoing Commercial Standards:
3.1 & 3.3) Solicited industry input - 2/11-4/30/2025, Ongoing 3.2) Database to Track Standards Involvement - Complete 12/25 3.4 & 3.5) Explore commercial C&S endorsement - 9/2028 3.7) Participating in ARCSC - Ongoing
Selected Advanced Reactor Codes and Standards ASME Section III Division 5: High Temperature Reactors ASME Section XI Division 2: Reliability and Integrity Management ANS 54.8: Liquid Metal Fire Protection ANS 8.26: Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineer Training and Qualification Program ANS 20.2: Nuclear Safety Design Criteria and Functional Performance Requirements for Liquid-Fuel, Molten-Salt Reactor Nuclear Power Plants ANS 2.26: Categorization of Nuclear Facility Structures, Systems, and Components for Seismic Design ANS 15.8: The Quality Assurance Program Requirements for Research Reactors ANS 53.1: Nuclear Safety Design Process for Modular Helium-Cooled Reactor Plants
12 NRC Standards Forum NRC hosted the 2025 NRC Standards Forum for Codes and Standards for Nuclear Energy Applications: Emerging Trends in September 2025 Sessions :
Federal and International Activities Evolving in Codes and Standards Development: SDO Activities Codes and Standards for Emerging Technologies Quality Assurance Positive feedback from stakeholders on C&S Activities S
NRC St d
d F
l N l
R l
t
Inform the public of our involvement and priority Link NRC C&S Participation Database Select project to see staff Filters for projects
14 NRC Standards Forum: Part II Next Standards Forum planned for Januar y 28, 2026 (in -
person, with vir tual option)
Topics of interest:
NRC E n dor semen t E fficien cies Commercia l Sta n da rds: Needs a n d P r ior ities In n ova tive Ap p roa ch es to Q u a lity Assu ra n ce R isk-Informed C& S Develop men t Webinar registration link :
https://events.gcc.teams.microsof t.com/event/e16b4ae1-6efd-4946-b107-a527ef87dc8a@ e8d01475-c3b5-436a-a065-5def4c64f52e Contacts: Erick.Mar tinez@nrc.gov, Cur tis.Lur vey@nrc.gov
Significant progress has been made on the Action Plan milestones The NRC staff C&S Participation Database is live and open for feedback NRC C&S Database C&S remains one of the vital tools the NRC uses to accomplish its mission The NRC is committed to continuing NRC staff interactions with C&S Summary
Links Nucledpedia NRC C&S Participation National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act (NTTAA)
OMB Circular A-119 Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA)
Abbreviations ARCSC: Advanced Reactor Codes and Standards Collaborative ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ANS: American Nuclear Society NEI: Nuclear Energy Institute EPRI: Electric Power Research Institute INL: Idaho National Laboratory ORNL: Oak Ridge National Laboratory ANL: Argonne National Laboratory NIST: National Institute of Science and Technology LMP: Licensing Modernization Project VCS: Voluntary Consensus Standards SDOs: Standards Development Organizations RIPB: Risk Informed Performance Based NSRST: Non-Safety-Related Special Treatment CFR: Code of Federal Regulation NQA: Nuclear Quality Assurance NEA: Nuclear Energy Agency CNRA: Committee on Nuclear Regulatory Activities 17