United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Protecting People and the Environment
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The Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Enhancement 2020 effort will improve the NRC's ability to accomplish its safety mission by focusing inspection activities and resources on areas of greater safety significance. The ROP enhancements will refine this highly effective program using more than 20 years of operational experience.

Protecting Public Health and Safety

Focus

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The NRC needs to direct its limited resources effectively. The ROP Enhancement effort focuses resources in areas of greater safety significance.

Agility

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NRC inspectors' time is best spent in areas more important to safety. The ROP Enhancement effort covers these areas through refining the baseline inspection program and inspectors' ability to quickly address emerging issues.

Policy

Policy icon - consisting of an artist's rendering of an open book with text on the pages and showing a bookmark at the top right page.


The ROP Enhancement effort is reviewing agency policies to see where the NRC can increase nuclear plant operators' incentive to promptly resolve inspection findings.

Phase One (October 2018 - June 2019)

Areas of Enhancement

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Assessment
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Performance Indicators (PI)
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Significance Determination Process (SDP)
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Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations (ISFSI)
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Engineering Inspections
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ROP Inspections
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Emergency Preparedness (EP)
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Radiation Protection (RP)
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Security

Notifications to the Commission

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  • Removed inspections covered by other federal entities
  • Improved descriptions for White and Yellow inspection findings

Commission Vote Pending (SECY-19-0067)

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  • Close greater-than-Green inspection findings and performance indicators after follow-up inspection objectives are met
  • Reduce baseline inspection redundancy, focusing on safety significant issues
  • Better use risk insights in emergency preparedness planning standards

Phase Two (July 2019 - 2020)

Areas of Enhancement

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Cross-Cutting Issues (CCI)
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Problem Identification and Resolution (PI&R)
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Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installations (ISFSI)
a drawing of an orange outline of the sun with small lines off the circle edge to simulate glowing

Radiation Protection (RP)


Expected Notifications to the Commission

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  • Changes to radiation protection inspections, focusing on safety significant areas, with added guidance for protection of non-fuel radioactive material at nuclear power plants.
  • Enhance spent fuel inspections through qualification requirements, inspection basis documents, and refined focus on safety significant activities.

Next Steps

Areas of Enhancement

Artist's redering of a circle background in sky blue color with a horizontal white line (path) separating the two halfs of the circle; on either end of the white line is a small, round circle with orange-colored centers; two additional, similar white-colored paths extend from the center line upward on 36 degree angles; this icon signifies the Cross-Cutting Issues (CCI)

Cross-Cutting Issues (CCI)
Artist's rendering of a yellow triangle caution placard with a large, white exclamation point in the center

Problem Identification and Resolution (PI&R)
Artist's rendering of a red, flashing emergency light -- such as would have been found on the roof of an old emergency vehicle

Emergency Preparedness (EP)
Artist's rendering of a flowchart

Significance Determination Process (SDP)
a circle with purple outline until the area between 11 and 12 o'clock which is cyan color and the value 90% in the center of the circle

Performance Indicators (PI)
drawing of a security shield in cyan color with the left have solid color and the right half white

Security

Commission Vote Likely Required

Artist's rendering of 5 people's hands holding checked off paper ballots around the opening of a ballot box.
  • Cross-Cutting Issues (CCI) Modifications
  • Emergency Preparedness SDP Changes
  • Problem Identification and Resolution Program Changes
Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, February 26, 2020