First Update to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Regulatory Strategy for the High-Level Waste Repository Program

Johnson, Robert L.; Linehan, John J.; ,

First Update to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Regulatory Strategy for the High-Level Waste Repository Program

by Robert L. Johnson, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, United States,
John J. Linehan, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, United States,

Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: High Level Radioactive Waste Management 1991

Abstract:

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has updated its initial regulatory strategy for the High-Level Waste Repository Licensing Program. The update describes changes to the initial strategy and summarizes progress and future activities. This paper summarizes the first update of the regulatory strategy. In general the overall strategy of identifying and reducing uncertainties is unchanged. Identifying regulatory and institutional uncertainties is essentially complete, and therefore, the current and future emphasis is on reducing those regulatory and institutional uncertainties identified to date. The NRC staff has improved the methods of reducing regulatory uncertainties by 1) enhancing the technical basis preparation process for potential rulemakings and guidance and 2) designing a new guidance document, called a staff position, for clarifying regulatory uncertainties. For guiding the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) reduction of technical uncertainties, the NRC staff will give more emphasis to prelicense application reviews and less emphasis on preparing staff technical positions.

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