Davis-Besse Lessons Learned Task Force
After extensive degradation was discovered in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) head at the Davis-Bessie Nuclear Power Station, the NRC Executive Director of Operations (EDO) established a lessons learned task force to evaluate NRC regulatory processes for ensuring RPV head integrity and to recommend improvements for either the NRC or the nuclear industry. On September 30, 2002, the task force reported its findings to a senior management review team, including 51 recommendations for the NRC to take to address factors that contributed to the Davis-Besse event.
In its report of November 26, 2002, the senior management review team endorsed all but two task force's recommendations. The approved recommendations were placed into four categories: (1) assessment of stress corrosion cracking; (2) assessment of operating experience, integration of operating experience into training, and review of program effectiveness; (3) evaluation of inspection, assessment, and project management guidance; and (4) assessment of barrier integrity requirements. The review team assigned each recommendation a priority and directed that the highest priority items be addressed by action plans. All other items were to be integrated into the operational planning activities of the lead offices. On January 3, 2003, the EDO issued a tasking memorandum to the directors of the Offices of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES), instructing them to develop a plan for accomplishing the actions recommended by the review team. RES and NRR issued the plan on March 7, 2003.
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