UNITED STATES

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555-0001

OFFICE OF THE

INSPECTOR GENERAL

December 8, 2016

MEMORANDUM TO: Victor M. McCree

Executive Director for Operations

FROM: Dr. Brett M. Baker /RA/

Assistant Inspector General for Audits

SUBJECT: STATUS OF RECOMMENDATIONS: AUDIT OF NUCLEAR 

REGULATORY COMMISSION’S (NRC) OVERSIGHT OF 

SPENT FUEL POOLS (OIG-15-A-06)

REFERENCE: DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF NUCLEAR REACTOR 

REGULATION (NRR), MEMORANDUM DATED 

NOVEMBER 9, 2016

Attached is the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) analysis and status of 

recommendations 1 and 3 as discussed in the agency’s response dated November 9, 

2016. Based on this response, recommendations 1 and 3 are resolved. 

Recommendations 2 and 4 were previously closed. Please provide an updated status of 

the resolved recommendations by July 28, 2017. If you have questions or concerns, 

please call me at (301) 415-5915, or Sherri Miotla, Team Leader, at (301) 415-5914.

Attachment: As stated

cc: R. Lewis, OEDO

H. Rasouli, OEDO

J. Jolicoeur, OEDO

J. Bowen, OEDO

EDO_ACS Distribution Resource
Audit Report

AUDIT OF NRC’S OVERSIGHT OF SPENT FUEL POOLS

OIG-15-A-06

Status of Recommendations

Recommendation 1: Provide a generic regulatory solution for spent fuel pool 

criticality analysis by developing and issuing detailed licensee 

guidance along with the NRC internal procedures.

Agency Response Dated

November 9, 2016: The staff is currently reviewing a draft of Revision 2 of the 

NEI’s report, NEI 12-16, “Guidance for Performing Criticality 

Analyses of Fuel Storage at Light Water Reactor Power 

Plants,” which will form the basis of the RG [Regulatory 

Guide]. The staff scheduled meetings to finish discussions on 

several issues. Agreement is expected on the final version of 

NEI 12-16, Revision 2 by the end of the month. In addition, 

the staff has begun the draft RG process in anticipation of this 

final revision to NEI 12-16, which will support completion of a 

draft RG by summer 2017. The agency expects to approve a 

final RG in early 2018.

.

CONTACT: Amrit Patel, NRR/DSS

(301) 415-5893

OIG Analysis: The actions proposed by the agency meet the intent of the 

recommendation. This recommendation will be closed upon

NRR’s issuance of the regulatory guide and revisions to 

NUREG-0800.

Status: Resolved.
Audit Report

AUDIT OF NRC’S OVERSIGHT OF SPENT FUEL POOLS

OIG-15-A-06

Status of Recommendations

Recommendation 3: Develop an enforceable neutron-absorbing material aging 

management program.

Agency Response Dated

November 9, 2016: On April 7, 2016, the agency issued the GL [Generic Letter] 

requesting information on monitoring of neutron-absorbing 

materials in SFPs [Spent Fuel Pools]` (Accession No. 

ML16097A169). The deadline for licensees to submit their 

responses to the GL was November 3, 2016, and the NRC 

staff is currently starting their evaluation of licensee 

responses. The staff expects to complete the evaluation of all 

responses, closeout of the GL for all licensees, and initiation of 

any subsequent regulatory actions by the end of 2017.

CONTACT: Scott Krepel, NRR/DSS

(301) 302-0399

OIG Analysis: The actions proposed by the agency meet the intent of the 

recommendation. This recommendation will be closed when 

NRR develops an enforceable neutron-absorbing material 

aging management program based on its evaluation of the GL 

responses from licensees.

Status: Resolved.