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The NRC has issued its final interim staff guidance describing one acceptable method for conducting integrated assessments of external flooding hazards at nuclear energy facilities. The guidance is intended for use in cases where a re-evaluation of the flooding hazard exceeds levels defined by the utilities...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. The nuclear energy industry is “safer than it was before the Fukushima Daiichi accident” as nuclear energy facility operators around the world continue to upgrade their emergency preparedness and response capabilities, the...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. NRC staff last week outlined several options it is considering for creating a more integrated regulatory framework, as recommended by the agency’s post-Fukushima task force. The options, discussed at a Nov. 8 public meeting...

Equipment-sharing program at Memphis, Phoenix locations augments industry protocol to pool safety equipment in event of emergencies WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 25, 2012—The nuclear energy industry is adding another layer of safety and public protection by developing regional centers for critical equipment...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. The NRC’s latest analysis of faults near the Diablo Canyon nuclear energy facility in California confirms that the plant’s design could withstand earthquakes near the site, the agency said in a seismic. The NRC’s work is...

Industry/Regulatory/Political The five commissioners heading Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) unanimously agreed last week to formulate new severe accident regulations for nuclear energy facilities, in line with the country’s atomic energy law that parliament amended in June. Accident scenarios...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. NRC Commissioner William Ostendorff told attendees at NEI’s Licensing Forum this week that the nuclear energy industry needs to communicate how the FLEX strategy would work to bolster public safety. FLEX, the industry’s...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. NEI has reiterated its position that the key to minimizing radioactive releases during an accident is to avoid core damage. In a letter to the NRC, NEI is also urging the agency to consolidate several issues it is analyzing...

Industry/Regulatory/Political The post-Fukushima response steering committees of the nuclear energy industry and Nuclear Regulatory Commission reviewed accomplishments and work in progress during a joint meeting last week. Nuclear energy industry representatives highlighted completion of inspections...

In Monica Ray’s experience, preparing for the unlikely event of an emergency at Arizona Public Service’s Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station requires coordination and communication. From comparing lessons learned with emergency response teams at other nuclear energy facilities to updating the Arizona...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. The NRC has issued for public comment draft interim staff guidance for U.S. nuclear energy facility operators to evaluate their sites’ responses to reanalyzed flooding hazards that exceed levels the plants were designed...

Industry/Regulatory/Political A new study by the Electric Power Research Institute that examines options for minimizing the release of radioactive materials in a severe nuclear accident says that a combination of strategies would be much more effective than depending on any single measure. In particular...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. A new study by the Electric Power Research Institute that examines options for minimizing the release of radioactive materials in a severe nuclear accident says that a combination of strategies would be more effective than...

NRC staff has issued for public comment draft interim staff guidance for U.S. nuclear energy facility operators reassessing the ability of their plants to withstand earthquakes. The guidance describes the NRC’s “acceptable method” for licensees to conduct enhanced “seismic margin assessments,” or SMAs...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. The NRC commissioners told congressional leaders this week they are confident, despite acknowledging the schedule as “very aggressive,” that the highest-priority post-Fukushima safety enhancements will be completed...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. The NRC has released Interim Staff Guidance on three post-Fukushima orders the agency issued in March on safety enhancements at the nation’s nuclear energy facilities. “The NRC guidance issued last week meets the intent...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. The United States and other participants in an international conference last week proposed a series of measures to enhance nuclear safety, including 15 “action-oriented objectives.” Attendees at the Convention on Nuclear...

Plant Update Tokyo Electric Power Co. said it found no significant damage or deformation to two unused fuel assemblies it had removed last week from the used fuel storage pool of Fukushima Daiichi reactor 4. The utility said it also will examine fuel pellets from inside the assembly rods. The relatively...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. Hurricane Isaac had no impact on the three Gulf Coast nuclear energy facilities, but operator Entergy made extensive preparations, including shutting down Waterford 3 before the storm made landfall Wednesday morning. The...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. Member nations of the International Atomic Energy Agency have made “significant progress” in nuclear safety since the accident at Fukushima Daiichi, the organization’s director general said this week. Yukiya Amano cited...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. The industry has submitted for NRC endorsement revised guidance for implementing the agency’s post-Fukushima order to install additional used fuel storage pool instrumentation. The revision clarifies several points based...

The following news article originally appeared in NEI’s Nuclear Energy Overview. The use of nuclear energy will continue to increase globally, even though last year’s accident in Japan has curbed expansion, the International Atomic Energy Agency says. “The Fukushima Daiichi accident resulted in a slowing...

Nuclear energy facilities are built to withstand hurricanes and have a proven history of success. With reactor containment structures of steel-reinforced concrete, nuclear energy facilities are some of the most robust in the U.S. infrastructure. Besides being built strong, nuclear plant operators train...

Below is a summary of actions by the U.S. nuclear energy industry in response to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi. These actions include proactive initiatives taken by the industry and a tailored, comprehensive industry response to new regulatory requirements. Analyzing and Capturing Lessons Learned...

Industry/Regulatory/Political The International Atomic Energy Agency says its member nations have reported “significant progress” in nuclear safety in the past year, including assessments of safety vulnerabilities at nuclear energy facilities, emergency preparedness and response, and enhanced communications...