National Materials Working Group Charter
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has formed a working group to provide the
Commission with options for maintaining an infrastructure of supporting regulations,
guidance and other program elements needed for the nationwide materials program
considering the anticipated increase in the number of Agreement States. The working
group is composed of representatives of State governments and NRC. The working
group will produce a report for the Commission's consideration.
The Mission:
The mission is to develop options for the Commission's consideration for creating a
national materials program that will implement the following philosophy:
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To create a true partnership of the NRC and the States that will ensure protection of
public health, safety, and the environment while:
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- optimizing resources of federal, state, professional and industrial organizations;
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- accounting for individual agency needs and abilities;
- - promoting consensus on regulatory priorities;
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- promoting consistent exchange of information; and
- - harmonizing regulatory approaches while recognizing state and federal needs for
flexibility.
To accomplish the mission the working group will consider the following issues:
- the continuing trend for States to assume authority for the regulation of
radioactive materials;
- the potential impact of this trend on maintaining the infrastructure of the
existing State and Federal regulatory programs in the current fiscal environment
and the increased fee burden on a decreasing number of NRC licensees to
support generic activities;
- the roles and legal responsibilities of NRC, the Agreement States, the
Organization of Agreement States (OAS), the Conference of Radiation Control
Program Directors, Inc. (CRCPD), and other organizations;
- the need for statutory changes in Federal and State programs for a national
materials program;
- the required elements and scope of activities in a materials regulatory
program such as licensing, inspection, enforcement, training, event reporting,
emergency response and program support activities including developing
licensing and inspection guidance, developing program policy and guidance,
developing standard review plans, providing laboratory support, and rulemaking
activities;
- the assessment process and performance indicators that could be used to
measure the performance of a national materials program considering the
current Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program (IMPEP) process;
- mechanisms for program coordination and program evolution;
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the resource needs required for a national materials program and options for
meeting those resource needs at both State and Federal levels; and
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accommodation of Federal and State strategic performance goals and
outcomes under a national materials program.
Schedule:
The working group will complete the project by May 1, 2001.
March 7, 2000
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