COMMISSION SEEKS PROMPT ACTION ONJAPAN TASK FORCE RECOMMENDA

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COMMISSION SEEKS PROMPT ACTION ONJAPAN TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONSThe Nuclear Regulatory Commission has directed its staff to complete several actions within the next 45 days in response to recommendations from the agency’s Near-Term Task Force examination of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear accident in Japan.“I am pleased to see the Commission moving the agency forward on these important issues, and I look forward to receiving additional input from our technical experts, the industryand the public as we proceed,” said NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko. “The plan we’veestablished will require a dedicated effort by our staff and stakeholders, and will require acontinued commitment by the Commission to see that these recommendations are promptlyaddressed.”The Commission established the Task Forceto examine the agency’s regulatoryrequirements, programs, processes, and implementation in light of information from the accidentfollowing the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The Task Forcepresented its report to theCommission on July 12, proposing 12 recommendations on improving several safety-related areas. The recommendations covered areas includingloss of electrical power, earthquakes, flooding, spent fuel pools, venting and preparedness.The Commission has asked the staff for a series of papers in the next two months covering various aspects of the Task Force’s work. These include:The staff has until Sept. 9 to produce a paper outlining which of the Task Force’s recommendations 2 - 12, either in part or in whole, the staff believes should beimplemented without unnecessary delay. The 21-day effort will include a publicdialogue on the staff’s proposal, and the staff expects to announce a publicmeeting in the next few days. The staff has until Oct. 3 to produce a paper which prioritizes Task Forcerecommendations 2 - 12. This paper is expected to lay out all agency actions to betaken in responding to lessons learned from the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident. Thepaper will also lay out a schedule for interacting with the public, other stakeholders and the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS).NRC NEWSU.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSIONOffice of Public AffairsTelephone: 301/415-8200Washington, D.C. 20555-0001E-mail: opa.resource@nrc.gov Site: www.nrc.govBlog: http://public-blog.nrc-gateway.govNo. 11-151August 19, 2011
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The staff has 18 months to consider the Task Force’s first and broadest recommendation, a call for revising the NRC’s regulatory approach. The Task Force felt the NRC should find a better balance between the use of risk analysis to inform regulation and the “defense in depth” concept that underlies many of theagency’s original requirements. The Task Force felt doing so would create aregulatory framework that is logical, systematic, coherent and more easilyunderstood. The paper is expected to provide options, including a recommended course of action, in dealing with the Task Force’s first recommendation.The Commission’s direction to the staff and the Task Force Report are both available on the NRC’s website.###