Current and future applications of PRA in regulatory activities

Conference · Sat Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994

OSTI ID:54610

Speis, T P; Johnson, J W

PRAs have proved valuable in providing insights into plant design and operation, the relative importance to safety of plant specific characteristics, regulatory issues, and alternative regulatory actions. This paper describes some of the current and recent NRC experiences with the regulatory use of PRA results and insights. These experiences include rulemaking activities, the certification process for advanced reactors, as well as monitoring the performance of operating reactors. In addition, particular attention is given to current and planned uses of IPE results. The paper focuses on short term goals and activities (one to two years) to expand the use of PRA in the regulatory decisionmaking process. Also, the benefits of an expanded role of PRA in agency activities are discussed followed by a brief summary of the Commission policy statement on PRA and the PRA implementation plan is discussed. Finally, the paper provides a vision of where we expect to be in two to ten years, regarding the regulatory use of PRA. This vision includes (1) identifying and further developing risk-based regulatory applications, (2) defining a regulatory framework for risk-based applications, (3) defining tasks necessary to develop the regulatory framework, (4) describing the tasks in sufficient detail to allow office interfaces to be identified, and (5) defining the task products, schedules, and resource requirements. Key milestones are identified and the role that the nuclear industry can play in this process are discussed.

• Research Organization: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
• OSTI ID: 54610
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CP--0139; CONF-9410216--; ON: TI95001469
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
DESIGN
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR SAFETY
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY ANALYSIS