Committees; establishment, renewal, termination, etc.: Pilot Program Evaluation Panel,

[Federal Register: July 7, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 129)]

[Notices]

[Page 36721-36722]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr07jy99-122]

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Pilot Program Evaluation Panel

AGENCY: U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of establishment of the Pilot Program Evaluation Panel (PPEP).

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act of October 6, 1972 (Pub. L. 94-463, Stat. 770-776) the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announces the Establishment of the Pilot Program Evaluation Panel (PPEP). The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined that establishment of the Panel is necessary and is in the public interest in order to obtain advice and recommendations on a revised regulatory oversight process for commercial nuclear power plants. This action is being taken in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act after consultation with the Committee Management Secretariat, General Services Administration.

The NRC has developed a revised regulatory oversight process for commercial nuclear power plant licensees as described in Commission paper SECY 99-007, ``Recommendations For Reactor Oversight Process Improvements,'' dated January 8, 1999, and SECY-99-007A, ``Recommendations For Reactor Oversight Process Improvements (Follow-up to SECY-99-007),'' dated March 22, 1999. These Commission papers describe the scope and contents for performance indicator reporting, a new risk-informed baseline inspection program, a new streamlined assessment process, and a new enforcement policy. Commission paper SECY-99-007A also described a pilot program that would be performed at two sites per region to exercise these new oversight processes prior to full implementation.

The PPEP will function as a management-level, cross-disciplinary oversight group to independently monitor and evaluate the results of the pilot effort. The PPEP will meet periodically during the pilot program to review the implementation of the oversight processes and the results generated by the PI reporting, baseline inspection, assessment, and enforcement activities. These meetings will be publically announced in advance, open to the public, and all material reviewed placed in the public document room. A meeting summary will be prepared following each meeting to document the results of the meeting

The PPEP will evaluate the pilot program results against established

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success criteria. For those success criteria that are intended to measure the effectiveness of the processes, and that generally do not have a quantifiable performance measure, the PPEP will serve as an ``expert panel'' to review the results and evaluate how well the success criteria were met. At the end of the pilot program, the PPEP members will provide an evaluation as to whether each of the success criteria have been met. This report will include both the consensus view of the panel, along with the dissenting views of any of the panel members. The staff will use the PPEP evaluation to determine the need for any additional process development or improvements prior to full implementation.

The Panel membership will including participants from NRC headquarters and regional management, a representative from the Nuclear Energy Institute, pilot plant licensee management representatives, a representative from the Union of Concerned Scientists (a public interest group), and a representative from the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety.

The establishment of the Panel is effective on June 30, 1999 with the filing of its charter with the Commission and with the standing committees of Congress having legislative jurisdiction over the NRC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andrew L. Bates, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555: telephone 301-415-1963.

Dated: June 30, 1999. Andrew L. Bates, Advisory Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 99-17191Filed7-6-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7590-01-P