VR-SECY-22-0086, Recommendations for Revising the Reactor Oversight Process Assessment Program (Crowell)
| ML23066A031 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 03/06/2023 |
| From: | Crowell B NRC/OCM/BRC |
| To: | Brooke Clark NRC/SECY |
| Shared Package | |
| ML23066A024 | List: |
| References | |
| SECY-22-0086, SRM-SECY-22-0086 VR-SECY-22-0086 | |
| Download: ML23066A031 (2) | |
Text
POLICY ISSUE NOTATION VOTE
RESPONSE SHEET
TO: Brooke P. Clark, Secretary
FROM: Commissioner Crowell
SUBJECT:
SECY-22-0086: Recomme ndations for Revising the Reactor Oversight Process Assessment Program
Approved X Disapproved Abstain Not Participating
COMMENTS: Below Attached X None
Entered in STAR Yes X Signature
No Commissioner Crowells comments on SECY-22-0086, Recommendations for Revising the Reactor Oversight Process Assessment Program
In SECY-22-0086, the staff presents options for the treatment of greater-than-green (GTG) inspection findings and performance indicators (PI), which are used in the NRCs Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) to assess the safety performance of each commercial nuclear power reactor. One of the primary goals of the SECY is to address inconsistencies in how inspection findings and performance indicators are current ly addressed by licensees and NRC inspectors and how both sets of information are presented on the NRCs reactor Action Matrix. The staffs recommendation would eliminate the minimum four-quarter requirement for GTG inspection findings and revise the treatment of GTG PIs to simplify their input to the ROP Action Matrix.
The staff notes that one of the advantages of this approach is that GTG inspection findings and PIs will be treated consistently. In addition to enhancing the reliability and clarity of the ROP assessment process, these changes will incentivize the prompt implementation of corrective actions and subsequent completion of NRC supple mental inspections for GTG performance issues. I believe the benefits of promptly addressing inspection findings and implementing corrective actions outweigh related concerns regarding how performance trend data is captured on the Action Matrix. As such, I approve the staffs recommendation (Option 3).
However, I remain concerned about the manner in which Action Matrix data is currently presented on the NRC website and that none of the options presented by staff adequately address this shortcoming. Data and related information regarding both inspection findings and performance indicators should be easily accessible and understandable to the general public and non-technical stakeholders. The current format of the Action Matrix falls well short of this goal and should be appropriately addressed as part of any reform to the ROP process for inspection findings and performance indicators. As a starting point for doing so, I appreciate the staffs ongoing efforts to enhance the presentation and communication of ROP information via the NRCs public webpage. The Operating Reacto r Analytics page is a good start for creating an interactive tool to explore the ROP Action Matrix, inspection findings, and performance indicator data. However, the staff should further build upon this effort to enhance NRC websites usability and accessibility of ROP in formation in a manner that allows a reasonably informed member of the public to easily locate and interpret ROP Action Matrix data and supporting information. Implementing such im provements should be treated as a first order priority in meeting the basic thresholds embodied in the NRC Principles of Good Regulation.