Press Release-11-151, Commission Seeks Prompt Action on Japan Task Force Recommendations
| ML11231A642 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 08/19/2011 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
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| Category:Press Release | |
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| Press Release-11-151 | |
| Download: ML11231A642 (2) | |
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COMMISSION SEEKS PROMPT ACTION ON JAPAN TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has directed its staff to complete several actions within the next 45 days in response to recommendations from the agencys Near-Term Task Force examination of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident in Japan.
I am pleased to see the Commission moving the agency forward on these important issues, and I look forward to receiving additional input from our technical experts, the industry and the public as we proceed, said NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko. The plan weve established will require a dedicated effort by our staff and stakeholders, and will require a continued commitment by the Commission to see that these recommendations are promptly addressed.
The Commission established the Task Force to examine the agencys regulatory requirements, programs, processes, and implementation in light of information from the accident following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The Task Force presented its report to the Commission on July 12, proposing 12 recommendations on improving several safety-related areas. The recommendations covered areas including loss of electrical power, earthquakes, flooding, spent fuel pools, venting and preparedness.
The Commission has asked the staff for a series of papers in the next two months covering various aspects of the Task Forces work. These include:
The staff has until Sept. 9 to produce a paper outlining which of the Task Forces recommendations 2 - 12, either in part or in whole, the staff believes should be implemented without unnecessary delay. The 21-day effort will include a public dialogue on the staffs proposal, and the staff expects to announce a public meeting in the next few days.
The staff has until Oct. 3 to produce a paper which prioritizes Task Force recommendations 2 - 12. This paper is expected to lay out all agency actions to be taken in responding to lessons learned from the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident. The paper will also lay out a schedule for interacting with the public, other stakeholders and the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS).
NRC NEWS U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.gov Blog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.gov No.11-151 August 19, 2011
The staff has 18 months to consider the Task Forces first and broadest recommendation, a call for revising the NRCs regulatory approach. The Task Force felt the NRC should find a better balance between the use of risk analysis to inform regulation and the defense in depth concept that underlies many of the agencys original requirements. The Task Force felt doing so would create a regulatory framework that is logical, systematic, coherent and more easily understood. The paper is expected to provide options, including a recommended course of action, in dealing with the Task Forces first recommendation.
The Commissions direction to the staff and the Task Force Report are both available on the NRCs website.
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