Search Options
Index | Site Map | FAQ | Facility Info | Reading Rm | New | Help | Glossary | Contact Us

IN RESPONSE, PLEASE
REFER TO: M000815

October 13, 2000

The Commission was briefed by the Director of the Office of International Programs, the Executive Director for Operations, and the Directors of the Offices of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Nuclear Regulatory Research, and Nuclear Reactor Regulation on the status of NRC international activities. The staff engaged in international activities should promptly notify the Commission when there are significant differences from NRC's regulations or practices so as to enable an evaluation of whether the U.S. should consider change. The Office of International Programs should develop guidelines describing how the process should be implemented.

The Commission looks forward to the staff's recommendations on the suggestions made by the North Anna OSART panel for NRC actions.

Through the Planning, Budgeting, and Performance Management process, the staff should consider the support of longer-term assignments by NRC staff to foreign regulatory bodies.

The Office of International Programs and the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, with the assistance of the Executive Director for Operations and the Office of the General Counsel, should review the present division of responsibilities in the area of export licensing to determine whether a modification of the current allocation of responsibilities could more effectively enable the agency to carry out its responsibilities. Staff should report to the Commission in six months the results of this review, with recommendations.

There is a benefit in assuring that those handling NRC issues in our embassies abroad have adequate knowledge of NRC and its mission. The staff should discuss with the Department of State's Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, and Regional Bureaus, NRC's willingness to provide briefings to and host visits by Foreign Service Personnel who are or will be handling NRC's bilateral cooperation agreements in the 34 countries with which we have such agreements. The staff should also consider routinely providing to these 34 missions core NRC publications and a description of relevant information accessible via NRC's Web site.