ML20042D959

OIG-15-A-06-Status of Recommendations: Audit of Nuclear Regulatory Commission'S Oversight of Spent Fuel Pools Dated February 11, 2020

ML20042D959
Person / Time
Issue date:	02/11/2020
From:	Baker B NRC/OIG/AIGA
To:	Margaret Doane NRC/EDO
References
OIG-15-A-06
Download: ML20042D959 (3)

Text

UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001 OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL February 11, 2020 MEMORANDUM TO: Margaret M. Doane Executive Director for Operations FROM: Dr. Brett M. Baker /RA/

Assistant Inspector General for Audits

SUBJECT:

STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS: AUDIT OF NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONS (NRC) OVERSIGHT OF SPENT FUEL POOLS (OIG-15-A-06)

REFERENCE:

DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR REGULATION (NRR), MEMORANDUM DATED JANUARY 16, 2020 Attached is the Office of the Inspector Generals (OIG) analysis and status of recommendation 1 as discussed in the agencys response dated January 16, 2020.

Based on this response, recommendation 1 remains open and resolved.

Recommendations 2, 3, and 4 were previously closed. Please provide an updated status of the resolved recommendation by February 28, 2021.

If you have questions or concerns, please call me at (301) 415-5915, or Mike Blair, Team Leader, at (301) 415-8399.

Attachment:

As stated cc: C. Haney, OEDO D. Jackson, OEDO J. Quichocho, OEDO S. Miotla, OEDO EDO_ACS Distribution RidsEDOMailsCenter Resource OIG Liaison Resource

Audit Report AUDIT OF NRCS OVERSIGHT OF SPENT FUEL POOLS OIG-15-A-06 Status of Recommendations Recommendation 1: Provide a generic regulatory solution for spent fuel pool criticality analysis by developing and issuing detailed licensee guidance along with the NRC internal procedures.

Agency Response Dated January 16, 2020: Planned Action: Upon a satisfactory conclusion to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions (NRC) review of Nuclear Energy Institute report (NEI) 12-16, incorporate this detailed guidance into NRC internal processes through a regulatory guide (RG) and through revisions to NUREG-0800, Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants (SRP).

January 2020 Status Update: NEI 12-16, Revision 4, Guidance for Performing Criticality Analyses of Fuel Storage at Light-Water Reactor Power Plants, dated September 26, 2019 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML19269E056), references an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) methodology to determine the bias and uncertainty for the simulated depletion of the fuel. The staff has completed its review of the EPRI methodology and issued a verification letter of the approval version of the EPRI methodology on January 6, 2020 (ADAMS Accession No. ML19318F168). Development of the RG and revision to the SRP was delayed until the EPRI methodology was approved.

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) staff has begun the process for developing the RG and revision to the SRP and will work to expeditiously issue both. NRR staff are working on the RG and SRP revision in parallel for efficiency as the approval process is similar for both. NRR staff estimates the documents will be issued in tandem by the end of 2021.

CONTACT: Kent A. Wood, NRR/DSS (301) 415-4120

Audit Report AUDIT OF NRCS OVERSIGHT OF SPENT FUEL POOLS OIG-15-A-06 Status of Recommendations Recommendation 1 (cont.):

OIG Analysis: The actions proposed by the agency meet the intent of the recommendation. This recommendation will be closed upon NRRs issuance of the final regulatory guide, as well as revisions to NUREG-0800 that identify a generic regulatory solution for spent fuel pool criticality analysis.

Status: Open: Resolved.