Licensing Practices of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

The Atomic Energy Act of 1954 requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to hold a public hearing before it issues a license to construct a nuclear powerplant. This gives the public an opportunity to intervene or question licensing decisions and to resolve technical or environmental questions relating to the proposed construction. A recent report discussing the NRC's procedures for submitting information to the Licensing Boards described: how the Licensing Boards receive information, how the NRC's staff submits information to the Boards, and whether proposed changes in procedures will improve the level of communication between the Boards and the NRC staff. The report noted that instances where the Boards had not been notified of important information by the licensing staff appeared to have been caused by the staff who handled the information rather than by specific deficiencies in the Commission's procedures. No efforts have ever been made by the NRC to evaluate the Board members' performance, establish minimum qualifications for persons appointed to the Boards, or determine if a more formal training program is needed. To improve the licensing review process, the Chairman of the NRC should: require training of all technical staff members on the role and activities of the Licensing Boards and their responsibilities for keeping the Boards informed, establish minimum qualifications for persons appointed to the Licensing Boards, and develop an open and competitive selection system for filling Board vacancies.