The Nuclear Regulatory Commission rejected a plea from the Nuclear Energy Institute to continue with its current policy of temporarily halting force-on-force inspections — simulated terrorist attacks on nuclear power plants — into 2021 last week.
The policy, a guidance called IP 92707, was issued early in the pandemic and allowed the assessment of individual responder actions to be conducted with less person-on-person contact, limiting elements of the typical inspection process.
“While COVID conditions are currently in a surge status, the NRC is planning ahead to make available a better assessment tool that can improve our oversight when conditions accommodate in 2021,” the commission said in the letter dated Dec. 10.
The commission said the guidance issued earlier in the pandemic, IP 92707, “limit[s] inspectors’ abilities to provide a thorough assessment of the licensee’s performance.”
The NRC said in the letter it will hold a public meeting with NEI to discuss stakeholder feedback today.
“Given the limitations associated with assessment under IP 92707 and the lessons learned from its implementation, we believe the most appropriate path forward is to implement the [temporary instruction] or return to the IP 71130.03 framework at an appropriate time,” the letter said, adding that IP 92707 will be remain a oversight tool if inspections can’t be conducted.
IP 71130.03 is the NRC guidance that normally governs force-on-force inspections. The NRC started conducting force-on-force inspections every three years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Before the attacks, the NRC conducted inspections about every eight years.
The commission said it’s still aiming to begin force-on-force inspections industry-wide by March 2021, adding that it will “continue to monitor COVID conditions while trying to accommodate the scheduling preferences of each site.”
