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Title:

Purpose:

Scheduled:

Duration:

Location:

SCHEDULING NOTE

STRATEGIC PROGRAMMATIC OVERVIEW OF THE OPERATING REACTORS BUSINESS LINE (Public)

Provide the Commission with a discussion of strategic considerations associated with the Operating Reactors Business Line

September 27, 2018 10:00 am

Approximately 2 hours

Commissioners' Conference Room, 1st floor OWFN

Participants:

NRC Staff1

Presentation

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

Discussion - Wrap-Up

50 mins.

5 mins.

*For presentation only and does not include time for Commission Q & A's

2

U.S.NRC United Stares Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Protecting People and the Environment

Strategic Programmatic Overview of the Operating Reactors Business

Line

Commission Meeting

September 27, 2018

Agenda

• ·Margaret 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·bert Tregoning - International Testing Ca pa bi I ities

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 risk­informed licensing surge

• Close _management 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-on­Force 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 - Decreased demand

PAN DA Reactor 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 - --- - - ·---- - - - ---------

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