U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission

A big topic of discussion these days involves getting very small -- as in the microreactors now under development. Our Commission heard today from companies offering designs that would generate just a few megawatts of electricity for use at off-grid locations, such as military bases, and other applications. They also heard from representatives from the Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The NRC staff briefed as well, providing a look at how we’re prepared to license and regulate microcreactors, including the idea of mass-producing them in a factory and transporting them to sites ready to use. If you missed the meeting, you’ll be able to view the video here: https://video.nrc.gov/

To be honest, being an NRC inspector does not require fashionable outfits. In fact, one of the most basic #ToolsoftheTrade is protective clothing. No matter the color, the goal is the same: keeping contamination off their bodies. Protective clothing requirements vary depending on the levels of contamination and the exact work being performed. Anytime our inspectors go to a plant, they’re ready to “dress out” and stay safe to get the job done.

Instructors from our Technical Training Center were #OnTheJob in Sofia, Bulgaria, this week. They were there to teach Westinghouse AP-1000 reactor technology to 30 regulatory experts from Bulgaria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Ukraine. Senior U.S. Embassy staff joined Bulgaria’s head regulator to welcome the students to Sofia. And our Chairman Wright even tied in virtually to emphasize the importance of international collaboration ensuring that commercial power reactors are licensed, built, and operated efficiently, safely, and responsibly. This training is another example of how we’re advancing secure and safe nuclear energy and partnering around the world.

Seven months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, in April 2002, we created the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. We usually just call it NSIR. The new office provided a focus for security policy and included cybersecurity, emergency preparedness and incident response. In its early years, NSIR redesigned the Force-On-Force inspections, where a mock adversary force tests a nuclear power plant’s security response. The office also implemented new requirements for the Design Basis Threat – the set of threats plants must defend against. Other accomplishments over the years included improved communication with other federal agencies, work with international regulators to secure certain radioactive sources, and developing a modern Operations Center as the hub for our incident response. Just last month, NSIR helped lead the agency’s participation in the interagency Cobalt Magnet exercise. We wish NSIR a “Happy Birthday” and thank them for the job they do! For the latest information about the office, check out this page: https://lnkd.in/eeMumtwW

Region I staff members, including our new Region I Administrator Andrea Kock, recently visited Three Mile Island Unit 1 for a firsthand look at plant equipment and ongoing work as plant-owner Constellation Energy prepares for a proposed restart. TMI Unit 1 is one of three U.S. units potentially restarting after permanently shutting down. Before allowing a return to operation, we’ll carefully review the regulatory and licensing documents for the plant, inspect new and restored components necessary for safe operation, and carry out an extensive oversight and inspection program. More information at: https://lnkd.in/ei_qTEVE  

Which U.S. president launched this program – Atoms for Peace? The program’s intent was to share nuclear technology and isotopes with American allies while maintaining control of weapons-grade material. It also supplied equipment and information to schools, hospitals and research institutions within the U.S. Check the comments tomorrow for the answer! #AtomicHistory 

We hosted an Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Program Review Group and Management Board meeting last month for the Loss of Forced Cooling project. Under this project, Japan’s nuclear regulator, JAEA, conducted tests in its high-temperature engineering test reactor. We and other group members are using that data to help improve computer code for analyzing one type of high-temperature gas reactor. It sounds – and is – quite technical, but the bottom line is that our participation in this project will help us more efficiently license high-temperature gas reactors. #AdvancedReactorReady

While Joel Miller and Tiffany Rushing joined our Region IV on the same day last year with the same title – health physicist – they’ll end up #OnTheJob in different roles after completing their training. Tiffany, with a bachelor’s degree in environmental health from Texas Southern University and a master’s in radiation health physics from Oregon State University, will oversee activities ranging from low-level radioactive waste disposal to the decommissioning of nuclear power plants. Joel, with a degree in molecular biology from The University of Texas at Dallas, will be inspecting nuclear facilities to ensure radiation protection. Both are an important part of the Region IV team! 

Fifty-nine years ago this weekend, the 402-ton nuclear reactor vessel headed for the Haddam Neck nuclear power plant traveled (perhaps slowly) past the New York City skyline. The plant, located in Connecticut, was a pressurized water reactor. Construction had begun on the plant in 1964 with commercial operation starting in 1968. It permanently shut down in 1996. #ThrowbackThursday

Check out our new Spring edition of NRC By The Numbers!