ML18271A161

M180927 - Scheduling Notes and Slides - Strategic Programmatic Overview of the Operating Reactors Business Line (Public)

ML18271A161
Person / Time
Issue date:	09/27/2018
From:	NRC/EDO, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
To:
References
M180927
Download: ML18271A161 (30)

Text

)

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

• NRR RIDM Action Plan strategies

- 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

• Aligned the baseline security SDP with the ROP

• 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

- Accident tolerant fuels

- 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

• ATF - Accident Tolerant Fuel

• 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

• LTA - Lead Test Assembly Ptouf'fing Prop/, a11d 1/1t' E11vlro11mrm

Acronyms (continued)

• NEA- Nuclear Energy Agency

• NEI - Nuclear Energy Institute

• NRUG - National Regional Utility Group

• ORBL - Operating Reactors Business Line

• Pl - Performance Indicator

• PRA - Probabilistic Risk Assessment

• 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

• RISC - Risk-Informed Steering Committee

• ROP - Reactor Oversight Process

• SDP - Significance Determination Process

• SE - Safety Evaluation

• TSTF - Technical Specifications Task Force

• UCS - Union of Concerned Scientists