Probabilistic Risk Assessment: An Emerging Aid to Nuclear Power Plant Safety Regulation

In response to a congressional request, GAO reported on: (1) the state of the art of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) probabilistic risk assessment (PRA); (2) whether the NRC use of PRA appears reasonable considering its staff's experience and training; and (3) whether PRA adequately considers the potential problems and disadvantages of the analysis method.