Nuclear regulation

Technical Report · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:5764792

This paper reviews the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's relationship with the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, an industry organization that periodically evaluates nuclear power plant performance and operating safety. Although NRC has access to the Institute's evaluation reports, GAO found no evidence that it now relies on Institute evaluations in lieu of conducting its own inspections. NRC does not routinely use Institute evaluation reports as a basis for regulatory action or for its decisions to license nuclear power plant operations. However, in order to avoid duplication of effort, NRC has occasionally not issued an information notice after the Institute has already alerted industry to a potential safety problem. While NRC's information notices are available to the public, Institute reports are not. Therefore, NRC decisions not to issue notices on the same matters reported on by the Institute reduce the amount of nuclear power plant safety information available to the public.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (United States). Resources, Community and Economic Development Div.
• OSTI ID: 5764792
• Report Number(s): GAO/RCED-91-122
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
210700* -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Regulation & Licensing
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
220400 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Control Systems
220900 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
IN-SERVICE INSPECTION
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
INSPECTION
LICENSING
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
OPERATION
POWER PLANTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR LICENSING
REACTOR OPERATION
REACTOR SAFETY
REGULATIONS
SAFETY
SAFETY STANDARDS
STANDARDS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS