December 30, 2014 

The Honorable Edward J. Markey 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

Dear Senator Markey: 

On behalf of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), I am responding to your 

letter of December 1, 2014, regarding recent activity associated with the Convention on Nuclear 

Safety and accelerating implementation of the Fukushima Near-Term Task Force 

recommendations. 

The United States is viewed globally as a leader in strengthening domestic and 

international nuclear safety regulatory standards. Media reports that the United States opposes 

changes to the Convention because of cost issues related to safety upgrades are not correct. 

The NRC is part of the U.S. delegation, led by the Department of State, which is in the 

process of preparing for a February 2015 diplomatic conference to discuss the Convention on 

Nuclear Safety and make a decision on whether the Convention should be amended. Earlier 

this year the parties to the Convention – by consensus – adopted revisions to International 

Atomic Energy Agency guidance documents that include, among other things, provisions 

designed to address many of the significant concerns arising from the March 2011 accident at 

Fukushima. While the NRC is not in a position to describe in detail sensitive diplomatic 

negotiations, recent meetings have revealed that more countries now appear to be questioning 

whether an amendment of the Convention is necessary to achieve enhanced nuclear safety. 

For additional information on the upcoming diplomatic conference I encourage you to hear from 

the Department of State. 

The NRC has robust collaborative relationships with its counterparts in Europe and 

around the world. We have been sharing lessons learned and exchanging information on the 

safety enhancements the United States is implementing as a result of the accident at 

Fukushima. The United States has been working closely with our counterparts to ensure that 

the outcome of the diplomatic conference will reaffirm international commitment to safety, reflect 

the actions that each country is taking in support of that commitment, and ensure that lessons 

learned and best practices from implementing these enhancements are reflected in international 

safety standards. 

 The NRC has made considerable progress over the last two and a half years 

implementing lessons learned from the Fukushima accident at U.S. nuclear power plants. We 

remain focused on the highest-priority activities (Tier 1). Some intermediate activities (Tier 2) 

have been integrated into activities related to the highest priority actions. The remaining Tier 2 

and 3 activities are progressing in line with the agency’s established schedules. The NRC and 

nuclear industry are working to ensure substantial safety enhancements are in place at all 

plants by the end of 2016. 
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 I hope this information is useful to you. If you have any questions, please contact me or 

Eugene Dacus, Director of the Office of Congressional Affairs, at (301) 415-1776. 

Sincerely, 

 

 /RA/ 

Allison M. Macfarlane
Identical letter sent to: 

The Honorable Edward J. Markey 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510 

The Honorable Barbara Boxer 

United States Senate 

Washington, DC 20510