Press Release-99-151TASK Force Report Says NRC Regulatory Structure Adequate for Oversight at 3 DOE Pilot Project Sites, Press Release-99-151TASK Force Report Says NRC Regulatory Structure Adequate for Oversight at 3 DOE Pilot Project Sites

Press Release-99-151TASK Force Report Says NRC Regulatory Structure Adequate for Oversight at 3 DOE Pilot Project Sites

ML003696652
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Issue date:	07/20/1999
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Press Release-99-151
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UnitedStatesNuclearRegulatoryCommissionOfficeofPublicAffairsWashington,DC20555Phone301-415-8200Fax301-415-2234Internet:opa@nrc.govNo.99-151FORIMMEDIATERELEASE(Tuesday,July20,1999)TASKFORCEREPORTSAYSNRCREGULATORYSTRUCTUREADEQUATEFOROVERSIGHTAT3DOEPILOTPROJECTSITESTheNuclearRegulatoryCommissionhassentCongressataskforcereportsayingNRC'sexistingregulatorystructurecouldadequatelyhandlemostofthetechnical,policy,and regulatoryissuesinvolvedinoversightofthreeDepartmentofEnergy(DOE)nuclearfacilities studiedina15-monthpilotprogram.ThereportfurthersaysitbelievestheNRCcouldbethesoleexternalradiologicalsafetyregulatorofDOEatthefacilitiesstudied,contingentonadequatefundingandstaffing.Theseandotherfindingsandrecommendations--mostofthemgenerallysupportiveofregulatingDOEsites--arecontainedinthereportwhichtheCommissionhasforwardedto appropriateoversightcommitteesofboththeHouseandSenate,aswellastotheSecretaryof Energy.Inletterstransmittingthereport,NRCChairmanGretaJoyDicussaidthepilotprojectfoundnosignificantissues"thatwouldimpedeNRCregulationofsimilarDOEnon-defense nuclearfacilities."ShesaidNRCwouldtakea"risk-informed"approachtoregulationofDOE facilities,ifsoassigned,imposingnewrequirementsonlywhentheywerenecessaryforsafety.ThetaskforcereportsummarizesNRC'sexperience,fromOctober1997toJanuaryofthisyear,inconductingapilotprogramof"simulatedregulation,"whichevaluatedeachofthree DOEfacilitiesagainstsafetystandardsNRCbelievedappropriate:theLawrenceBerkeley NationalLaboratoryinCalifornia;theRadiochemicalEngineeringDevelopmentCenteratOak RidgeNationalLaboratoryinTennessee;andtheReceivingBasinforOff-siteFuelatthe SavannahRiverSiteinSouthCarolina.ThepilotprojectdidnotinvolveanyDOEdefenseprograms.BecauseDOEfacilities,bylaw,arelargelyexemptfromregulationbyNRC,anychangeinthatstatuswouldrequire Congressionallegislation.DOEhaslongself-regulatedthesafetyofitsfacilities,manyofwhich areoperatedbycontractors.TheNRCpilotprogrambeganasaresultofrecommendationsforexternalregulationofDOEnuclearactivitiesbybothadepartmentaladvisorycommitteeandaninternalDOEworking group,andwassupportedbystakeholdercommentsonNRC'sstrategicassessmentand rebaselininginitiative.AnNRC-DOEMemorandumofUnderstandingputtingthepilotprogram intoeffectwassignedinNovember1997.TheNRCtaskforcefoundthatforthepilotfacilitiesstudied,agencyoversightwouldrequirefew,ifany,changesinDOEfacilities,calculations,safetyprograms,orprocedures.It saiditbelievesthatDOE'scostestimatesforthetransitiontoNRCoversightarehigherthan NRCbelievesisjustified.Additionally,thetaskforcesaidNRCregulationofDOEfacilitiescouldprovideaddedcredibilitybecauseNRCprocesseslendthemselvestopublicscrutinyand stakeholderparticipation.Bystatute,NRCalreadyregulatesanumberofDOEfacilities,includingspentfuelstoragefacilitiesattheFortSt.VrainnuclearpowerplantdecommissioningsiteinColorado, andattheIdahoNationalEngineeringandEnvironmentalLaboratory(INEEL).NRCalso monitorsandadvisesDOEonsomeactivities,suchastheWestValleyDemonstrationProject inNewYork.ThelawalsoassignsNRCresponsibilityforlicensingaplannedmixed-oxidefuel fabricationfacilityandthespentnuclearfuelrepositoryproposedforYuccaMountain,Nevada.TheNRCaddressedmanyissuesraisedduringthepilotprogramwhenitlicensedtheThreeMileIsland-2IndependentSpentFuelStorageInstallationinMarch.Thislicense,the firstofitskindissuedtoDOE,authorizesthestorageofnuclearfueldebrisfromthedamaged ThreeMileIslandUnit2inPennsylvaniaindrystorageatINEELnearIdahoFalls.TheNRCreport,entitled,"ExternalRegulationofDOENuclearFacilities:APilotProgram"(NUREG-1708),willbeavailableforpurchasefromtheGovernmentPrintingOffice andhasbeenplacedintheNRCPublicDocumentRoom.ItalsowillbepublishedontheNRC Internetwebpageathttp://www.nrc.gov/NRC/NMSS/doepilot.html.