Review and Evaluation of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Safety Research Program: A Report to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NUREG-1635, Volume 7)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: March 2006
Date Published: May 2006

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 Off ice of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES). These observations and recommendations focus on that portion of the NRC research program dealing with the safety of existing nuclear reactors and advanced light water reactor designs, such as the Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR) submitted for certification. The research strategy for more advanced reactors that are not based on water reactor technology such as the Generation IV reactors being studied by the Department of Energy is also discussed. In its evaluation of the NRC research activities, the ACRS considered the programmatic justification for the research as well as the technical approaches and progress of the work. The evaluation identifies research crucial to the NRC missions. The ACRS also attempts to identify research that had progressed sufficiently to meet current and anticipated regulatory needs so that it could be curtailed in favor of more important activities. This report does not address research on the security of nuclear power plants. Comments on such research will be reported separately. Also, the ACRS does not comment on research activities dealing with nuclear waste issues. The Advisory Committee on Nuclear Waste (ACNW) will report on these research activities.