NRC Reactor Regulations Call for Early Security Plans
September 30, 2005
"We're looking to take advantage of the opportunities for early consideration of security, as well as safety, to be incorporated into reactor designs," said David Matthews, director of the Division of Regulatory Improvement Programs in the NRC's Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. "Accordingly, security design expectations should be considered as early as possible in the design and licensing of new reactors." NRC said the goal is to have applicants submit security assessments early, so that plant designers establish security features well before construction is planned. As a result, the NRC is developing proposed revisions to its policy statement on advanced reactors, as well as revisions to security-related aspects of the agency's regulations for licensing new reactors. The NRC will also work on setting standards for future reactor designs so that security is integral to the design process. NRC's discussion of the topic will be available from the NRC's electronic document database, ADAMS, by entering ML051100233 at: http://adamswebsearch.nrc.gov/dologin.htm. Source: U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). |