The United States of America National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety: Sixth National Report, October 2013 (NUREG-1650, Revision 5)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: September 2013
Date Published
: October 2013

Prepared by:
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)

Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

The United States (U.S.) Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has updated NUREG-1650, "The United States of America Fifth National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety," Revision 3, issued August 2010, and will submit this report for peer review at the sixth review meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna Austria, in March 2014. This report addresses the safety of land-based commercial nuclear power plants in the United States. It demonstrates how the U.S. Government achieves and maintains a high level of nuclear safety worldwide by enhancing national measures and international cooperation, and by meeting the obligations of all the articles established by the Convention. These articles address the safety of existing nuclear installations, the legislative and regulatory framework, the regulatory body, responsibility of the licensee, the priority given to safety, financial and human resources, human factors, quality assurance, assessment and verification of safety, radiation protection, emergency preparedness, siting, design and construction, and operation. This report addresses the actions the United States has taken to improve nuclear safety in response to the March 11, 2011, accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.

Similar to the U.S. National Report issued in 2010, this revised document includes a section developed by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations describing work that the U.S. nuclear industry has done to ensure safety. The primary responsibility for the safety of a nuclear installation rests with the license holder; therefore, Part 3 explains how the nuclear industry maintains and improves nuclear safety.

Supplement Abstract

The Convention on Nuclear Safety (CNS) was adopted in June 1994 and entered into force in October 1996. The objectives of the CNS are to achieve and maintain a high level of nuclear safety worldwide. Contracting parties to the Convention have four obligations: submit a national report for peer review, review the national reports of other contracting parties, respond to questions and comments submitted by the contracting parties, and participate in the organizational and review meetings. The United States published its sixth national report for peer review in October 2013 (NUREG-1650, “The United States of America National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety: Sixth National Report, October 2013,” Revision 5). Addendum 5 to NUREG-1650 documents the answers to questions raised by contracting parties during their peer reviews of the U.S. national report. Specifically, the questions and answers resulting from the peer reviews concern the safety of existing nuclear installations, the legislative and regulatory framework, the regulatory body, responsibility of the licensee holder, priority to safety, financial and human resources, human factors, quality assurance, assessment and verification of safety, radiation protection, emergency preparedness, siting, design and construction, and operation, and implementation of the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident. The sixth review meeting of the CNS was held at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria, from March 24 through April 4, 2014.

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021