NRC CHAIRMAN GREGORY B. JACZKO REMARKS AT 

TODAY’S MEETING ON NEW REACTOR ISSUES - DESIGN CERTIFICATIONS 

Note: The Commissioners were briefed today by NRC staff and stakeholders on advanced 

reactors and design certifications. 

Good morning. I first want to welcome Commissioner Magwood and Commissioner 

Ostendorff to their first Commission briefing. Commissioner Apostolakis is in the process of 

relocating from Massachusetts and will be officially sworn in on April 23rd. We are fortunate to 

have these outstanding individuals join the Commission. The NRC will benefit greatly from their 

experience, expertise, and insights. 

Our meeting today will focus on policy issues concerning design certifications for new 

and advanced reactors. Specifically, the Commission will discuss the strengths of the design 

certification process, potential areas for improvement, and the lessons we might apply to the 

advanced reactor area. We also will have to grapple with some general policy issues that need to 

be worked through before the potential approval of any combined license (COL) applications or 

the possible submission of advanced reactor design certification requests. 

In reforming the licensing process, the Commission thought it could best ensure efficient, 

predictable, and comprehensive safety reviews by encouraging applicants to first submit 

completed designs. The process has not worked exactly as envisioned, but once these design 

certifications are completed, future applicants will be able to refer to these designs in their 

applications and proceed through the COL reviews sequentially. Whether the applications are 

reviewed sequentially or concurrently, the agency will always maintain our focus on ensuring 

that all applications meet our safety, security, and environmental requirements. 

Before we begin with the presentations, I would like to recognize the hard work of staff 

from the Office of New Reactors and Nuclear Security and Incident Response on these issues. 

They have effectively addressed the technical challenges associated with reviewing new reactor 

designs and modifications that employ first-of-a-kind technologies. I also want to commend the 

staff for adeptly managing the concurrent reviews of design certifications and COL applications. 

NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200 

Washington, D.C. 20555-0001 

E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov

Site: http://www.nrc.gov

No. 10-059 April 6, 2010
In addition to hearing from the staff today, the Commission will receive presentations 

from a Department of Energy official and representatives from several vendors. 

Editor’s Note: Slides from this meeting are available here: http://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/doc-collections/commission/slides/2010/20100406. More information new reactors is 

available at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors.html. 

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