Management weaknesses affect Nuclear Regulatory Commission efforts to address safety issues common to nuclear power plants

Technical Report · Wed Sep 19 04:00:00 EDT 1984

OSTI ID:5998925

Bowsher, C A

Investigations of the March 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident showed that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) had not made adequate progress in addressing safety issues common to nuclear plants that had been identified before that accident. GAO evaluated NRC's progress in managing these safety issues and determined that NRC has increased the rate at which it develops regulatory solutions for these issues. NRC has improved its methods for identifying safety issues and determining their importance to safety. NRC does not, however, have sufficient management controls in place to ensure resolution of issues and implementation of appropriate changes to affected nuclear plants and to NRC's regulatory procedures in a timely manner. GAO makes several recommendations pertaining to the need for improved management controls. GAO also presents a matter for consideration by the Congress which would result in improved public disclosure by NRC of its progress in addressing the most important of these safety issues.

• Research Organization: General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (USA). Office of the Comptroller General
• OSTI ID: 5998925
• Report Number(s): GAO/RCED-84-149; ON: TI85900449
• 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
220900 -- Nuclear Reactor Technology-- Reactor Safety
ACCIDENTS
INFORMATION
LEGAL ASPECTS
MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
POWER PLANTS
PUBLIC INFORMATION
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
REACTOR SAFETY
SAFETY
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS