NRC publishes National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) recently revised and released the Seventh National Report for the Convention on Nuclear Safety, a document that details steps taken by the government to meet high safety standards at its nuclear power plants.

The report will be peer reviewed at the seventh review meeting of the Convention on Nuclear Safety in Vienna, Austria in March. Countries that have ratified the convention meet once every three years to discuss their reports and offer feedback and questions.

The report published by the NRC this month addresses the issues that were brought up during the peer review session that took place in 2014 during the sixth review meeting. It discusses concerns and challenges that have been identified during the past three years, such as the implementation of Fukushima lessons, concrete degradation, economic consequences, and construction inspection. The report also incorporates comments from the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations.

The Convention on Nuclear Safety was adopted in Vienna in June 1994, entering force in October 1996 after receiving signatures from 22 states. As of 2015, 78 states are parties to the convention, which requires the implementation of certain safety protocols at all nuclear energy facilities.