The United States of America Fourth National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission has updated NUREG-1650, Rev. 1, "The - United States Third National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety," issued September 2004, and will submit this report for peer review at the fourth review meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety at the International Atomic Energy Agency in April 2008. This report addresses the safety of land-based commercial nuclear power plants in the U.S. It demonstrates how the U.S. Government achieves and maintains a high level of nuclear safety worldwide by enhancing national measures and international cooperation, and by meeting the obligations of all the articles established by the Convention. These articles address the safety of existing nuclear installations, the legislative and regulatory framework, the regulatory body, responsibility of the licensee, priority to safety, financial and human resources, human factors, quality assurance, assessment and verification of safety, radiation protection, emergency preparedness, siting, design and construction, and operation. New to this update is a contribution by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) describing work done by the U.S. nuclear industry to ensure safety. Since the prime responsibility for the safety of a nuclear installation rests with the license holder, it was decided to involve the nuclear industry collectively through INPO, in explaining how the nuclear industry maintains and improves nuclear safety.