ML18271A161
ML18271A161 | |
Person / Time | |
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Issue date: | 09/27/2018 |
From: | NRC/EDO, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
To: | |
References | |
M180927 | |
Download: ML18271A161 (30) | |
Text
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SCHEDULING NOTE Title : STRATEGIC PROGRAMMATIC OVERVIEW OF THE OPERATING REACTORS BUSINESS LINE (Public)
Purpose:
Provide the Commission with a discussion of strategic considerations associated with the Operating Reactors Business Line Scheduled: September 27, 2018 10:00 am Duration: Approximately 2 hours2.314815e-5 days <br />5.555556e-4 hours <br />3.306878e-6 weeks <br />7.61e-7 months <br /> Location: Commissioners' Conference Room , 1st floor OWFN
Participants:
Presentation NRC Staff1 60 mins.*
Margaret Doane, Executive Director for Operations Ho Nieh, Director, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR)
Topic:
- Key Focus Areas and Challenges
- Implementing Organizational Vision - Integrating Risk Insights Russell Felts, Deputy Director, Division of Risk Assessment, NRR Topic:
- Workload management o Increased Use of Integrated Teams o Risk-Informed Decision Making Training for Managers o Graded Approach to Reviews Using Risk Insights Chris Miller, Director, Division of Inspection and Regional Support, NRR Topic:
- Potential Reactor Oversight Process Changes Anton Vegel, Director, Division of Reactor Projects, Region IV Topic:
- Regional Key Focus Areas
- Oversight Implementation Issues 1 Other business line partner office directors will be located in the well 1
)
Marissa Bailey, Director, Division of Security Operations, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response Topic:
- Security Program Updates o Baseline Updates o Force on Force Exercise Plans Robert Tregoning, Senior Level Advisor for Material Engineering Issues, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research Topic:
- International Testing Capabilities Commission Q & A 50 mins.
Discussion - Wrap-Up 5 mins.
- For presentation only and does not include time for Commission Q & A's 2
U.S.NRC United Stares N uclear Regulatory Comm ission Protecting People and the Environment Strategic Programmatic Overview of the Operating Reactors Business Line Commission Meeting September 27, 2018
Agenda
- *M argaret Doane - Introductions
- Ho Nieh - Programmatic Overview
- Russell Felts - Workload Management
- Chris Miller - Potential Reactor Oversight Process Changes
- Anton Vegel - Regional Focus Areas and Oversight Implementation Issues
- Marissa Bailey - Security Program Updates
- Ro*b ert Tregoning - International Testing Ca pa bi Iities 2 U.S.NRC United Stai u Nuclear Rcgul nory Commiuioo Protecting hopk and the Environmmt
Continued Focus on Our Core Mission
- Safety and Security
- Strategic Direction
- Enhancing focus on issues of greatest safety significance
- Expanding risk-informed decision making
- Programmatic Priorities
- Digital Instrumentation and Control (Dl&C)
- Lead Test Assemblies (LTAs)/Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF)
- NRR/NRO Merger
- Resource Planning 3 ,)U.S.NRC Prot<<tint lnpl~ n11d IIN Environmnu
Advancing Risk-Informed Decision Making
- SECY-17-0112 enumerated challenges
- Evaluate/Update guidance
- Develop graded licensing approach
- Enhance mandatory training
- Advance risk-informed initiatives
- Enhance communication
Addressing RIDM Challenges through an Action Plan
- Comprehensive action plan with two phases
- Phase I is now complete with 19 recommendations
- Implementing Phase II with 13 action items
- Use of Integrated Review Teams
- Sustainable guidance and expectations
- Communicating with external stakeholders
- Action Plan to be completed by December 30, 2018
- Working with ORBL offices and Regions on RIDM practices 5 / U.S.NRC
Improving Knowledge and Acceptance
- of RIDM
- Extensive risk training courses have been available to all staff
- Piloted new RI DM training course for managers:
- Provide perspectives on how risk and deterministic information is used together to make regulatory decisions
- Review risk-informed licensing guidance and recent actions
- Illustrate risk management tools and practices at utilities
- Evaluating next steps 6 ,;U.S.NRC
Optimizing Risk-Informed Licensing Review Efficiency
- Same staff performing like (LAR) reviews
- Feedback loop on lessons learned
- Discipline in RAls (draft SE with gaps, audits)
- Increased use of contractors to address risk-informed licensing surge
- Close _m anagement oversight
- Risk-Informed Steering Committee (RISC) 7 ,; U.S.NRC
Sharing Lessons Learned to Improve
. Efficiency
- Clarity and completeness of LAR submittals
- key assumptions
- sources of uncertainty
- peer review facts & observations (F&O)
- Staff focus on F&Os that impact the particular application of the PRA
- NRC-accepted F&O closure process facilitates LAR streamlining
- Communicating via RISC, conferences, and other forums
- Preparing Regional staff for wider industry deployment of 50.69 and TSTF-505 8 ,) U.S.NRC
Ongoing Activities to Improve the ROP
- Enhancing the Replacement Reactor Program System (RRPS)
- Evaluating operating experience to improve inspections
- Enhancing engineering inspections
- Implementing Inspection Finding Resolution Management (IFRM) 9 U.S.NRC
Sources of Feedback for Improving the ROP
- NRC's transformation initiative suggestions
- Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) publ.ication and follow-up letter
- National Regional Utility Group (NRUG) letter
- Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) feedback Protrcti11g Prop/, 1111d rl,r Em,iroumrnt
Suggestions Binned From Transformation Initiative
- Organization/staffing supporting inspections
- Inspection report efficiencies
- Numerous ROP program improvements
- Recognition of Column 1 licensee performance in several program areas Prot<<rint hop/, 1111d thr E11viro11mn1t
Feedback From NEI, NRUG and UCS
- Focus ROP on issues with higher risk significance, reduce unnecessary regulatory burden, improve program efficiencies, and improve NRC and industry communications (NEI) .
- Use a more forward looking approach to oversight - i.e., consider licensee corrective actions (NRUG)
- Maintain regulatory independence in efforts to modify engineering inspections (UCS)
- Potential Changes
- Extend engineering inspection improvements to other areas
- Credit licensee self-assessments
- Recognize sustained Col.umn 1 licensee performance with reduced inspections
- Enhance Pis and reduce inspection based on performance Prot<<tillf Ptop/1,md ti~ E11viro11mntr
Potential Changes to the ROP (cont'd)
- Evaluate the treatment of White findings and White Pl's - numerous suggestions
- Assess numerous changes to SDP program and associated decision-making
- Improve assessment of Cross-Cutting Issues 14 ,) U.S.NRC Un11rd Sui<., N11elt'u kkguluory Comnnu,011 Proucting Ptoplt tt11d tht E11viro11mn11
Conducting Next Steps
- Establish working group
- Communicate with stakeholders
- Obtain Commission approval per Commission direction
- Address NRC resource challenges
- Revise applicable ROP program documents and conduct training, if required
Thorough and Independent Verification of Nuclear Plant Safety
- Continued effective implementation of reactor oversight inspections
- Regional examples of findings related to safe operation
- Continued safety of plants that have announced premature closure 16 / U.S.NRC
Regional Key Focus Areas
- Improve coordination and consistency across the regions
- Support of ROP improvement initiatives
- People: Sustaining a strong cadre of talented and professional inspection staff
Completing Assessment of Cyber Security Controls at Operating Reactors
- Controls implemented in two phases
- Full implementation inspections through 2020
- Results show licensees have adequately implemented programs
- Next steps Protrcti11: Prop/, 1t11d ,J,, £ ,,virtmmrltl
Improving the Baseline Physical Security Inspection Program
- Identified efficiencies for baseline security inspections
- Ensured significance of security findings are characterized appropriately Protrctint Prop/, anti t/,r L,vironmmt
Continuously Improving the Force-on-Force Inspection Program
- Fifth Force-on-Force (FOF) inspection cycle in progress
- Identified three options to further improve the FOF inspections (SECY-17-0100) l)Two NRC-conducted FOF exercises (status quo) 2)0ne NRC-conducted FOF exercise and one defe_nse-in-depth exercise 3)0ne NRC-conducted FOF exercise and an enhanced NRC inspection of a licensee-conducted annual FOF exercise
- Ensuring exercise scenarios are realistic Protttti111 Prop/1,r11d th~ £11viromnrm
Assessing Long-Term Options for the Mock Adversary Force
- NEl-managed CAF used since 2004
- JCAF approved for 2018 and 2019
- Provided oversight of JCAF during selection, training an.d exercises
- Assessment of long-term options to the Commission in December 2018 Protrni111 hop/, nntl tlH' E11viro11mnt1
Enhancing Regulatory Decision Making Th rough Research
- Core of research activities support licensing and oversight of nuclear power plants
- Recentsuccesses
- Subsequent License Renewal guidance documents
- Boiling water reactor operating flexibility
- Current focus areas
- Dl&C regulatory infrastructure
- Realism in risk assessment
Relying on International Partnerships to Effectively Support the ORBL
- Cooperating through diverse strategies and extensive partnerships
- Leveraging operating experience, expertise, and facilities
- Thermal-hydraulic, severe accident, and radiological release codes
- Concrete aging
- Fire propagation Containment Construction for N EA Test Program 23 / U.S.NRC
Maintaining Critical Infrastructure
& Capabilities
- Continued importance of large-scale, flexible facilities
- Validate analytical codes
- Address complex, multidisciplinary issues
- Increased challenges
- High operating and maintenance costs
- Aging facilities PAN DA Reactor
- Decreased demand Pressure Vessel 24 / U.S.NRC Prorrning Ptop/1 n11d thr Enviro11111r1t1
Addressing Infrastructure Challenges
- Identifying needs and preservation strategies
- Mitigating impacts due to closure of Halden reactor
- Halden Reactor Project developing path forward
- NRC staff pursuing alternatives to address gaps Melt Coolability and Concrete Interaction Facility 25 / U.S.NRC Unuitd S,.-,~, Nudnt MA-g*lsiorv ..omm,uioa Proru ri111 Pt-opt, 11.11d tlN E11viro11mntt
i Acronyms
- CAF - Composite Adversary Force
- Dl&C - Digital Instrumentation and Controls
- FOF - Force-On-Force
- F&O - Facts and Observations
- JCAF - Joint Composite Adversary Force
- LAR - Licensing Amendment Request
Acronyms (continued)
- NEA- Nuclear Energy Agency
- NEI - Nuclear Energy Institute
- NRUG - National Regional Utility Group
- ORBL - Operating Reactors Business Line
- Pl - Performance Indicator
- RAI - Request for Additional Information 27 ,) U.S.NRC U1111NI Suia Nuc:lnr MA-1*l,.1orr mm,uio*
Prot<<tint Ptoplt nnd ,I~ Enviromttnlt
-1 Acronyms (continued)
- RIDM - Risk-Informed Decision Making
- ROP - Reactor Oversight Process
- SE - Safety Evaluation
- TSTF - Technical Specifications Task Force