1

The NRC: Who We Are

And What We Do

2

Who We Are

The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 established the

NRC to independently regulate commercial uses of nuclear

material, including nuclear power. Other duties of the former

Atomic Energy Commission were assigned to the DOE.

The NRC is headed by five Commissioners, all nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate for staggered five year terms. No more than three can be from the same political party. One Commissioner is designated by the President to serve as the Chairman.

3

Who We Are

The NRC employs nearly 4,000 people among its

suburban Maryland headquarters and four regional

offices in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois and Texas.

NRC inspectors are also assigned to 65 nuclear power

plant sites and three fuel facilities.

Who We Are The NRC receives a

budget each fiscal

year from Congress.

By law, the NRC

must recover,

through fees billed

to licensees,

approximately 90

percent of its budget

authority which in

FY 2012 equals

$909.5 million of the

total $1,038 million

budgeted.

4

5

Our Mission

To license and regulate the nation’s civilian use

of byproduct, source and special nuclear

materials to ensure adequate protection of

public health and safety, promote the common

defense and security, and protect the

environment.

6

Our Strategic Goals

Safety: Ensure the protection of public health and safety

and the environment.

Security: Ensure the secure use and management of

radioactive material.

7

Some Nuclear Facts • 104 nuclear power plants supply about 20 percent of

the electricity in the U.S.

• Nuclear materials are used in medicine for cancer

treatment and diagnosis.

• Nuclear materials are widely used in industry, such as

in density gauges, flow measurement devices,

radiography devices and irradiators.

8

The NRC Regulates: Nuclear reactors – commercial power reactors, research

and test reactors, new reactor designs;

Nuclear materials – radioactive materials for medical,

industrial and academic use;

Nuclear waste – transportation, storage and disposal of

nuclear material and waste,

decommissioning of nuclear facilities; and

Nuclear security – physical security of nuclear facilities

and materials from sabotage or attacks.

9

What We Don’t Do: • Regulate nuclear weapons, military reactors or space

vehicle reactors.

• Lobby for nuclear power.

• Own or operate nuclear power plants.

• Regulate naturally occurring radon, X-rays and material produced in particle accelerators.

What We Do:

10

11

What We Do: Materials The NRC protects public health, national security and the

environment by regulating:

• Medical and industrial use of nuclear materials. About

22,000 licenses have been issued and inspected by

the NRC and Agreement States.

• Mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facilities, which mix

uranium with surplus weapons-grade plutonium to

make fuel for commercial nuclear power plants. A

MOX plant is under construction at the Department of

Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina.

12

What We Do: Materials The NRC also regulates uranium facilities:

• Uranium milling and

in situ or solution mining

facilities

• Uranium conversion

and fuel fabrication

facilities

• Uranium enrichment plants

13

What We Do: Waste

The NRC ensures public safety through the licensing of

nuclear waste, including:

• 65 spent fuel storage installations for

the storage of spent nuclear

reactor fuel in pools or dry casks.

• About 67,000 metric tons stored at reactor sites.

14

What We Do: Waste

The NRC also certifies:

• Spent fuel storage

and transportation

cask designs; and

• Transportation

packages for

nuclear materials

and waste.

What We Do: Transportation

• Co-regulate with U.S. DOT

• Review and approve Type B & fissile transportation packages.

• Comprehensive multi-discipline review

– Stringent test/analysis requirements

– Maintain subcriticality, shielding and containment

• Inspect cask designers, fabricators, and shippers and shipments

• Co-US representative to IAEA Transportation Safety Standards Committee

15

16

What We Do: Security • The NRC has long recognized the importance of

securing nuclear facilities and materials; security requirements were significantly increased after 9/11.

• Nuclear power plants are built to withstand disasters both natural and man-made, and are among the best-protected commercial facilities in the U.S.

• The NRC works closely with DHS, the FBI and others to monitor threat conditions.

17

Partners in Regulation • The NRC grants 37 Agreement States authority to

regulate:

• Source material (natural

uranium or thorium ores);

• Byproduct material, such as

uranium mill tailings;

• Small amounts of special

nuclear material (enriched uranium and plutonium);

• Evaluation of radiation safety information on sealed radioactive sources and devices; and

• Commercial disposal of low-level radioactive waste.

18

Partners in Regulation The NRC works with many other agencies and

organizations including:

• Department of Energy

• Department of Transportation

• Environmental Protection Agency

• Department of Homeland Security

• Federal Bureau of Investigation

• Department of Health and Human Services

• U.S. Congress

• International Atomic Energy Agency

19

Open To The Public The NRC places a high priority on keeping the public and

stakeholders informed of its activities. At www.nrc.gov,

you can:

• Find public meeting dates

and transcripts;

• Read NRC testimony,

speeches, press releases

and policy decisions; and

• Access the agency’s Electronic Reading Room to

find NRC publications and documents.

NRC’s Role in Regulating Spent

Fuel Shipments

Certification of Shipping Casks

Inspection of Cask Designers and Fabricators

Enforcement of NRC and DOT safety rules

Enforcement of Physical Protection Measures

Emergency Response – assistance to first responders, lead Federal Agency

20

NRC’s Role in Regulating Spent

Fuel Shipments Spent Fuel Casks are certified to be accident resistant.

They must withstand:

Thirty foot drop onto unyielding surface.

Forty inch drop onto a steel puncture pin.

Thirty minute fully engulfing 1475 o F fire.

Immersion Test (50 feet).

21

NRC’s Role in Spent Fuel Storage

• Reviews and approves designs and

operational requirements of storage

facilities

• Reviews and approves designs of

storage casks

22

Spent Fuel Storage

• Independent Spent Fuel Storage

Installation (ISFSI)

– Pad

– Horizontal Storage Module (HSM)

23

Spent Fuel Storage Casks

24

ISFSI

25

Extended Storage and Transportation

and Waste Confidence

• An overview

26

NRC Initiatives

• Extended Storage and Transportation (EST)

• Identify and address areas that may affect safe storage of spent

fuel over long periods, and related transportation

• Potential changes to NRC storage and transportation regulations

and guidance

• Waste Confidence • Commission directed staff to prepare Environmental Impact

Statement (EIS) and revised rule within 24 months

• Commission order: no final licenses until Waste Confidence is complete

27

Current Policy Environment

• U.S. national policy for disposition of spent nuclear fuel

is in transition

• Extended (dry) storage of spent fuel may be necessary

• Alternative disposal options may emerge

• NRC’s mission remains the same – ensure the safe

and secure use of radioactive materials while

protecting people and the environment

• Consistent with Commission direction, NRC staff is

preparing for potential changes in policy

28

Extended Spent Fuel Storage and

Transportation: Framework

29

• Transportation

• 10 CFR Part 71

• Term certificates with

renewal

• Certification generally

separate from storage

• Dry Storage

• 10 CFR Part 72

• Term certificates and

licenses

• Aging management

plans for renewal

• Multiple renewals

allowed

• Enhance technical knowledge for regulating extended

storage of spent nuclear fuel

• Identify technical issues associated with long-term storage and

subsequent transportation

• Perform focused research on technical areas of regulatory

significance

• Identify needed revisions to regulatory framework

• As appropriate,

• revise regulations

• develop or revise guidance

• develop staff capabilities

30

Extended Spent Fuel Storage and

Transportation: Approach

• Finalize report on Technical Information Needs Affecting

Potential Regulation of Extended Storage and

Transportation

• Respond to public comments

• Small adjustments to priority areas

• Clarifications and improved explanations

• Technical investigations underway in highest-priority

areas

• Further technical investigations in next level areas now

starting

31

Extended Spent Fuel Storage and

Transportation: Current Work

Extended Spent Fuel Storage and

Transportation: Technical Needs

32

• Focus on potential degradation phenomena for dry

storage systems

• Consider impact on performance of safety functions

• Highest priority technical information needs

• Stress corrosion cracking of stainless steel canisters

and welds

• Swelling of fuel over time, including fuel fragmentation

• More realistic thermal models for longer time periods

• Effects of residual moisture after drying

• In-service monitoring methods

• Eight areas in next priority level include degradation

processes for cladding, hardware, concrete

Extended Spent Fuel Storage and

Transportation: Current Projects

• Examples of current NRC technical investigations:

• Laboratory tests to better define susceptible conditions for

stress corrosion cracking of canisters

• Development of more-realistic thermal models using

computational fluid dynamics methods

• Analysis of potential effects of residual moisture

• Surveys of in-service monitoring and non-destructive

examination methods

• Research plan for fuel swelling and cladding stress

• Research plan for concrete degradation, inspection, and

monitoring

33

Waste Confidence Status

• NRC staff is on schedule

– Completed first phase of project in

March 2013

– Scoping Summary Report

• Status updates

– NRC staff holds monthly

teleconferences, updates website,

maintains e-mail list

34

Waste Confidence Next Steps

• Plan to complete the draft generic EIS and

rule for comment by September 2013

• Plan to hold 8 meetings across the U.S.

plus 2 webcast meetings from NRC HQ in

the September-October timeframe

• 75-day comment period

• Final EIS and Rule by September 2014.

35

Conclusions

• NRC is continuing to perform its mission while preparing

for potential policy changes

• NRC is engaged in several multi-year initiatives

concerning storage and transportation of spent fuel

• Initial NRC staff efforts have defined tasks and developed

plans and schedules

• Technical work is underway on high priority areas

• Staff will continue in productive interactions with public,

industry, and other stakeholders

• Waste Confidence activities are progressing and are on

schedule

36

Fukushima

37

• Tier 1 - Recommendations that should be started without

unnecessary delay and for which the agency already has

enough resources (such as staff with proper skills).

• Tier 2 - Recommendations that had to wait for factors such

as further technical assessment, resolution of Tier 1 issues,

or availability of critical staff skills.

• Tier 3 - Recommendations that require further staff study to

support a regulatory action, rely on resolution of a higher-

tier action, are dependent on critical skill sets, or depend on

the NRC’s actions on the first recommendation.

•

Any Questions?

38