Publications

Nuclear Systems Enhanced Performance (NSP) Program

Feasibility Investigations for Risk-Based Nuclear Safety Regulation

B.C. Beer, G.E. Apostolakis, and M.W. Golay

MIT-NSP-TR-003

Abstract

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and electricity production industry seek to risk-inform regulations governing nuclear power plants, relying heavily upon the tool known as probabilistic risk assessment (PRA). This methodology provides a means of quantitatively evaluating safety, augmenting the traditional, subjective methods employed exclusively to date by the NRC and designers. In the context of these efforts, we investigate the potential role(s) for design basis accidents in a risk-informed regulatory framework. Subsequently, we propose alternatives to design basis accidents, the most credible being a risk-informed licensing dialogue, replacing the existing dialogue guidelines. In order to envision a risk-informed regulatory framework, we consider the motivation for reform and attempt to predict the characteristics of the risk-informed approach to regulation and design.