SPEAKER

Hon. Peter B. Lyons Commissioner U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Read a transcript of this address.

In Friday?s Special Address, the Hon. Peter Lyons, Commissioner of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), said his principal message was that ?a strong nuclear regulatory authority is not only necessary but valuable for any country that uses nuclear energy in its quest for energy diversity and security.? He commented on the value of the independent role played by the NRC, the current status of its new licensing work, current challenges, and the future outlook.

In summarizing the history of the NRC, Dr. Lyons described the formation of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1954 and the subsequent assignment of the AEC?s regulatory duties in 1974 to the NRC. Congress understood the need for an independent regulatory authority, he said, to ?ask tough questions and make tough calls.? The NRC strives to ensure that regulatory actions are efficient, effective, realistic, and timely, and to open its regulatory processes to public scrutiny and participation where appropriate. Prospects for future plants require public assurance that existing plants are being operated safely and securely, he said. The commitment to safety must extend beyond currently operating reactors to licensing new reactor designs that may become the foundation of new plants in the United States.

A year ago the NRC created the Office of New Reactors to accommodate the expected extraordinary number of combined operating and construction licenses (COLs) while maintaining safety standards of the existing fleet. For budget purposes the NRC estimates that each design certification review takes 160,000 hours spread out over 42 months; each COL requires about 88,000 hours over about 30 months of review, allowing 12 months for public hearings. The Commission is still trying to deliver on these schedules; this requires NRC diligence but also depends heavily on the quality and standardization of the applications. Rapidly evolving technology presents a continuing challenge to the NRC to maintain stable regulatory requirements that address the new technical issues.

To achieve timely reviews of multiple and standardized COLs, the NRC is planning to implement a design-centered approach based on a position of ?one issue, one review, and one position? for multiple COLs undergoing parallel review. This will be effective only to the extent that COL applicants standardize their applications for a particular reactor design; he stressed that review schedules will be far longer if the industry does not follow this model. The NRC ?will not, cannot, compromise our standards to expedite approvals.? The NRC has developed guidance to assist COL applicants in meeting its standards, and future applicants should be paying close attention and learning from the NRC?s assessments of those first applications. Both the NRC and the US nuclear industry must prepare for construction under the new licensing and approval process in part 52 of NRC regulations.

Inspection schedules will also depend on how well the industry adheres to NRC standards. In developing its inspection program, the NRC is learning from regulatory partners in other countries, such as France, Finland, and Japan.

Among the NRC?s many challenges, the globalization of the nuclear supply chain has created an unprecedented diversity of global sources for nuclear components. Regulatory bodies and industry standards organizations must coordinate to ensure consistency; accordingly, the NRC is seeking to monitor the global supply chain through international collaborations.

Increasing security threats have given rise to new requirements to enhance the security of US nuclear plants; Dr. Lyons said he is confident that existing plants are secure. In implementing new security measures, operators must also ensure that plant staff retain necessary access. Licensees must foster a strong culture of safety within their organizations, he said; ?commitment to safety must always supersede production goals.? The NRC has inspectors permanently posted to every US plant site.

Spent fuel and waste management issues have generated a lot of thinking about recycling spent nuclear fuel, but this would require significant investment to develop the necessary technologies. The Department of Energy?s Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), in addition to its international goals, could assist with US waste reduction, fuel supply growth, and improved reactor designs. But prospects of this initiative are still unclear.

In closing Dr. Lyons reiterated the NRC?s commitment to protecting public health and safety and the environment. Questions from the audience included the importance of industry standardization in aiding timely reviews, the impact of carbon and globalization on the industry, and meeting human resource needs.