8 Expanded Application of PSA to Nuclear Power Plants a Progress Report (PSAM-0227)

In 1995, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a Policy Statement supporting the increased use of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA or PSA) in all regulatory matters. Substantial progress has been made, but the vision of a broadly re-focused regulatory program for nuclear reactors is yet to be achieved. This paper presents thoughts on expanding and accelerating the implementation of the 1995 Commission Policy, and on how to achieve and communicate the changes that would follow for both operating reactors and new reactor designs. The result should be an enlightened regulatory approach, integrating and optimizing reactor safety, security and preparedness through the application of appropriate risk insights, using the best available information from operating experience and research, and the best available techniques, including risk-informed and performance-based regulation. The NRC can and should shift its regulatory attention, its regulatory requirements, and its regulatory practices away from riski-significant issues and to risk-significant ones. This change is desirable for the regulation of currently operating nuclear power plants, and is essential for regulation of future designs.