Acceptability of Corrective Action Programs for Fuel Cycle Facilities

In the staff requirements memorandum (SRM) for SECY-10-0031, "Revising the Fuel Cycle Oversight Process," dated August 4, 2010 (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML102170054), the Commission directed the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff to consider how the NRC Enforcement Policy could best reflect that most fuel cycle licensees have voluntarily developed corrective action programs (CAPs). In response to the Commission's direction, the staff revised the NRC Enforcement Policy to disposition Severity Level IV violations as noncited violations if the NRC determines that the licensee's CAP is effective, the licensee enters the violation in its CAP, and other criteria are met, as delineated in Section 2.3.2 of the NRC Enforcement Policy (ADAMS Accession No. ML12340A295). In SRM-SECY-11-0140, "Enhancements to the Fuel Cycle Oversight Process," dated January 5, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML120050322), the Commission directed staff to proceed with the development and implementation of the incentives for licensees to maintain an effective CAP.