ML21154A173

M210610: Slides - Briefing on Results of the Agency Action Review Meeting

ML21154A173
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Issue date:	06/10/2021
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M210610
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Briefing on the Results of the Agency Action Review Meeting June 10, 2021

Agency Action Review Meeting (AARM)

Objectives

• Review the appropriateness of NRC actions taken for licensees with significant performance issues

• Review Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety Program Performance and Trends

• Review effectiveness of the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) and the Construction ROP

• Ensure that trends in industry and licensee performance are recognized and appropriately addressed.

2

Agenda

• Kevin Williams

- Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety Program Performance and Trends

• Russ Felts

- CY 2020 ROP Self-Assessment Results

- Status of the ROP during COVID-19

- Inspection Findings Trend

• Greg Bowman and Marissa Bailey

- CY 2020 cROP Self-Assessment Results

- Vogtle Construction Update 3

Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety Program Kevin Williams, Director Division of Materials Safety, Security, and State and Tribal Programs Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards 4

Utilizing a Robust Performance Evaluation Process

• Systematic review of information to identify significant:

- Operational performance issues

- Licensee performance issues

- NRC program issues/gaps

• For FY 2020, there were no licensees with significant performance issues 5

Reviewing and Evaluating Strategic Performance Measures on an Ongoing Basis

• FY20 Agency performance results were reported in the FY20 Agency Financial Report (AFR)

• Safety Goal

- 2 occurrences (target 3)

• Security Goal

- 0 occurrences (target = 0) 6

Trends Analysis Materials- Events Per Year Fuel Cycle Operating Experience-Events Per Year 800 12 10 600 518 509 476 486 456 8 443 446 433 423 427 421 426 398 400 Avg = 6 400 371 377 357 349 6 322 289 4

200 76 78 91 88 2 74 72 69 60 56 33 0 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 7

NRC AS Total

Escalated Enforcement Actions

• 26 NRC escalated enforcement actions in FY20

• Escalated enforcement actions in FY20 decreased by 14 (-35%) from FY19

• Enforcement policy update is ongoing in FY21 8

Abnormal Occurrences

• 9 Abnormal Occurrences (AOs) will be reported to Congress for FY20

- 1 Human Exposure Event

- 8 Medical Events

• Number of medical AOs is small relative to the millions of activities involving the use of radioactive material 9

Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety Program Activities During COVID-19 PHE

• Licensing Actions

• Outreach provided to help guide exemptions and license amendments

• Inspections

• Focused on staff and licensee safety, and utilized In person, total remote, and hybrid inspection methods

• Oversight Activities Assessment

• Comprehensive assessment of oversight programs during the PHE (ongoing) 10

Programmatic Self-Assessments and Improvements

• Fuel Facilities- enforcement self assessment

• Web-Based Licensing Modernization

• Reactor Decommissioning Financial Assurance Working Group (Report issued FY20)

• Decommissioning and Uranium Recovery Oversight Guidance 11

Summary of Program Performance

• Successfully conducted oversight activities and planning during the COVID-19 PHE, and continuing to improve consistency and guidance across all NMSS business lines.

• Invested in innovation and risk informing across all NMSS program areas

• No significant trending issues in nuclear materials or fuel cycle event data

• NRC met all safety strategic goal performance metrics.

12

ROP Self-Assessment, COVID-19, and Inspection Findings Trend Russ Felts, Deputy Director Division of Reactor Oversight Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation 13

ROP Self-Assessment Activities in CY 2020

• Performance Metrics

• Data Trending

• Program Area Evaluations

• Implementation Audit of Region IV

• Effectiveness Review of Cross-Cutting Issues Was the ROP

• Implementation Review of Very implemented per Did ROP execution current governance Did the ROP meet Low Safety Significance Issue documents, and was Did the ROP meet its Intended adhere to the NRC Resolution (VLSSIR) it implemented its Program Goals? Principles of Good Outcomes?

uniformly across all Regulation?

• Lessons Learned Tracker offices and regions?

• Continuous Baseline Inspection How Do We Know that the ROP Continues to be Effective?

Procedure Monitoring ROP Self-Assessment Program 14

Status of the ROP during COVID-19 in CY 2020

• Accomplished both onsite and remote oversight activities at operating reactors during the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, while taking precautions to minimize exposure to COVID-19

• Completed approximately 150000 baseline inspection hours nationwide with a two unit site averaging 2700 hours0.0313 days <br />0.75 hours <br />0.00446 weeks <br />0.00103 months <br />

• Achieved reasonable assurance of safe plant operation

• Did not complete the baseline inspection program in CY 2020, approximately 1% of inspection procedures were incomplete 15

Plans for CY 2021 ROP Self-Assessment Activities Element 2: Assess Effectiveness of Element 3: Perform Focused Element 1: Measure Regional and Recent ROP Changes and Evaluate the Assessments of Specific ROP Program Headquarters Program Effectiveness NRCs Response to Significant Areas, Including the Baseline and Uniformity Implementing the ROP Licensee Events or Declining Licensee Inspection Program Performance

• Performance Metrics

• Effectiveness Reviews (Column 3 of

• Comprehensive Baseline Inspection

• Data Trending the Action Matrix, VLSSIR Process, Program Review - focused on

• Program Area Evaluations ANO 95003 Lessons Learned) recommending program guidance

• Lessons Learned Tracker changes to incorporate COVID-19 lessons learned

• Continuous Baseline Inspection Procedure Monitoring 16

Green Findings Show Decreasing Findings Trend Total Green Findings 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 17

Oversight Implications of Findings Trend? 700 Identification Credit Self-Revealed 600 NRC-ID'd

• The trend in the number of findings reflects a shift in the 500 inspection finding screening process to prioritize issues with 400 risk significance rather than any larger performance trends in 300 the industry since 2015 200 100

• Staff tracks multiple indicators to verify safe performance and 0

ensure continued effectiveness of the ROP 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 Findings and Scrams Greater-than-Green Performance Indicators 800 70 5 700 60 4 600 50 3 500 40 2 400 30 1 300 20 0 200 2015Q1 Findings Scrams 10 2015Q2 2015Q3 100 2015Q4 2016Q1 2016Q2 2016Q3 2016Q4 2017Q1 2017Q2 2017Q3 2017Q4 2018Q1 2018Q2 2018Q3 2018Q4 2019Q1 2019Q2 0 0 2019Q3 2019Q4 2020Q1 2020Q2 2020Q3 2020Q4 2021Q1 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 18

CY 2020 ROP Self-Assessment Results The ROP is an effective and robust program The ROP is objective, risk-informed, understandable, and predictable The ROP supports the agencys strategic safety and security goals:

to ensure the safe and secure use of radioactive materials 19

Construction ROP and Transition to ROP Greg Bowman, Director Marissa Bailey, Director Vogtle Project Office Division of Construction Oversight Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation Region II 20

Ensuring Readiness Through Continuous Improvement

• Continued use of data to inform decision making

• Assessed program readiness and monitored effectiveness of previous program changes

• Exercised internal procedures through table-tops in preparation for the 10 CFR 52.103(g) finding

• Updated program attributes focus on risk-significant areas

• Refined ROP for AP1000 21

Ensuring Public Transparency Units 3 & 4

• Rigorous communication plan to ensure public transparency

• Enhanced the public website for increased information sharing

• Increased reporting and examination of monthly resource expenditures

• Routine public engagement 22

Agile and Flexible Inspection Program

• Adapted the inspection program to contend with COVID-19 PHE and schedule changes

• Enhanced communications with the licensee to ensure schedule awareness

• Preparing for anticipated surge in inspection workload this Summer

• Preparing for the transition to operation 23

Capturing Lessons Learned and Preparing for the Future

• Started a lessons learned initiative to inform ongoing new reactor licensing activities

• Developing an Advanced Reactor Construction Inspection and Oversight Framework 24

Conclusion The NRC staff affirmed the appropriateness of agency actions and the effectiveness of our oversight programs 25

List of Acronyms

• AARM - Agency Action Review Meeting

• PHE - Public Health Emergency

• AO - Abnormal Occurrence

• ROP - Reactor Oversight Process

• COVID Coronavirus Disease 2019

• VLSSIR - Very Low Safety Significance Issue Resolution

• cROP - Construction Reactor Oversight Process

• VRG - Vogtle Readiness Group

• CY - Calendar Year

• FY - Fiscal Year

• IP - Inspection Procedure

• IMC - Inspection Manual Chapter

• ITAAC - Inspections, Tests, Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria

• MD - Management Directive

• NMSS - Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards

• NRC - U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 26