U.S.NRC UNITED STATES NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Protecting People and the Environment

STATE OF THE

TE CHNICAL PROGRAMS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR

OPERATIONS BRIEFING TO THE

COMMISSION

MARCH 17, 2008
AGENDA

Introduction

Nuclear Reactor Safety and

Security

Nuclear Materials and Waste

Safety and Security

Conclusion

2
Nuclear Reactor Safety

and Security

3
Reactor Oversight

* Program Considerations

-Incorporating experience into

the program

-License renewal - Inspection

-Fire protection - Inspection

- Lessons-learned -

followup/implementation

4
Reactor Oversight

* Potential Challenges

-Early detection of performance

trends

- Vendor oversight

-IRRS program review

5
Reactor Oversight

* Potential Policy Issues

-Safety culture

-Fire Protection

-Revision of the Enforcement

Policy

6
Incident Response

Program Considerations

- Implement National

Framework/Communication Plan.

- Intergovernmental coordination

-Outreach with stakeholders

- Modernization

-EP exercises

7
Incident Response

Potential Challenges

-Incident command center

concept

-Communication during threat

response

- Comprehensive Reviews

8
Incident Response

* Potential Policy Issues

- Continuity plans

- Emergency Planning changes

9
Licensing

* Program Considerations

- License renewal

-Watts Bar, Unit 2

- Power uprates

-Non-power reactor applications

10
Licensing

* Potential Challenges

-Operator licensing for new

reactors/operating reactors

* Potential Policy Issues

- NGNP/Advance reactor

priorities

11
Rulemaking

* Program Considerations

-Part 50, Section 50.46, ECCS

- Part 73, Access Authorization

during construction

-Part 50, Section 50.47,

Emergency Preparedness

12
Rulemaking

* Program Considerations (cont)

-Materials Security, Parts 20, 30,

32, 70, 73, 74, etc.

-General Licenses, Parts 31, 32,

40

-. Uranium Recovery Part 40, In

Situ Leach

13
* 0

Rulemaking

* Potential Challenges/Policy

Issues

- Rulemaking Priorities and

Allocations of Resources

-Expediting the Rulemaking

Process

14
Research

Program Considerations

- Advanced Reactors

-State of the Art Reactor

Consequence Analyses (SOARCA)

- Operating reactor licenses - Life

Beyond 60

15
Research

* Potential Challenges

-Maintaining NRC's'

Independent Analytical and

Modeling Skills

-Expanding SOARCA

16
Research

* Potential Policy Issues

- Next Generation Nuclear Power

(NGNP)

Presentation of SOARCA results

-Technology Neutral Framework

17
Nuclear Materials and

Waste Safety and

Security

18
Nuclear Materials Users

Program Considerations

- Radioactive Materials Security

-Agreement States

- Materials Licensing and

Inspection Programs

- Regulatory Infrastructure

19
Nuclear Materials Users

* Potential Challenges

- Maintaining alignment with

stakeholders

* Potential Policy Issues

-Additional Increased Controls

for radioactive sources

-ICRP recommendations

20
Nuclear Materials Users

* Potential Policy Issues (cont)

-RDD definition and

consequences

-Expanding NSTS

-Threshold Values for

Radionuclides of Concern

- Additional Materials

Security Rulemakings

21
0

Uranium Recovery,

Decommissioning, and

Low Level Waste

• Program Considerations

-Decommissioning

-Waste Incidental to Reprocessing

- Low Level Waste

- Uranium Recovery

22
UR, Decommissioning,

and LLW.

Potential Challenges

-. Expected Number of Uranium

Recovery Applications

Restricted Use of

Decommissioned Sites

- Zion Decommissioning

23
UR, Decommissioning,

and LLW

* Potential Policy Issues

LLW Strategic Assessment

Activities and Priorities

-Base Realignment and Closure

- Blending of Waste

24
Fuel Facilities

* Program Considerations

-Licensing and oversight of new

facilities

* Potential Challenges

-Developing and maintaining the

regulatory framework

25
Fuel Facilities

* Potential Challenges (cont)

-Attention to operating and new

facilities

- Risk Informing Licensing and

Oversight Processes

- Information security

-Hanford Waste Treatment Plant

Review

26
Fuel Facilities

* Potential Policy Issues

- Safeguards

- Information Security

27
High-Level Waste

* Program Considerations

- Repository license application

review

-Transportation, aging, and

disposal canisters (TAD)

28
High-Level Waste

* Potential Challenges

- Statutory milestones

-Applications for Transportation

and Storage Casks

29
High-Level Waste

* Potential Policy Issues

-Environmental standard and

final rulemaking on Part 63

-Waste confidence

- Package Performance Study

- Burn-up Credit

30
Spent Fuel Storage and

Transportation

* Program Considerations

- Licensing and inspection

-. Evolving national strategy on

spent fuel

- Regulatory infrastructure

31
Spent Fuel Storage and

Transportation

* Potential Challenges

- Demanding performance

measures

- Risk-informing reviews

- Stakeholder communications

32
Spent Fuel Storage and

Transportation

* Potential Policy Issues

-Harmonization on

transportation requirements

-Security regulations for storage

and transportation

-Federal interim storage

33
Acronym

* ECCS - Emergency Core Cooling System

* EP - Emergency Preparedness

* ICRP - International Council on Radiation Protection

" IRRS - Integrated Regulatory Review Service

* LLW - Low Level Waste

* NGNP - Next Generation Nuclear Plant

" NSTS - National Source Tracking System

" RDD - Radioactive Dispersal Device

" SOARCA - State of the Art Reactor Consequence

Analysis

" UR - Uranium Recovery

34