Review and Evaluation of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Safety Research Program: A Report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NUREG-1635, Volume 6)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: March 2004
Date Published: March 2004

Advisory Committee on Reactors Safeguards
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

This report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) presents the observations and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) concerning the NRC Safety Research Program being carried out by the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES). This report focuses on that portion of the NRC research program dealing with the safety of existing nuclear reactors and advanced light water reactor designs, AP1000 and ESBWR, submitted for certification. In its review of the NRC research activities, the ACRS considered the programmatic justification for the research as well as the technical approach and progress of the work. This review attempts to identify research crucial to the NRC mission. It also attempts to identify research activities that have made valuable contributions to the agency mission in the past, but now have reached the point where additional research is not needed for efficient and effective safety regulation. The review also attempts to identify areas where greater international cooperation in research useful to the NRC could leverage resources of partners in the research and yield superior technical products. The report does not address research on the vulnerability of existing nuclear power plants to acts of sabotage and terrorism.