FACACLASSIC

Note: An Annual Comprehensive Review, as required by §7 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, is conducted each year on committee data entered for the previous fiscal year (referred to as the reporting year). The data for the reporting year is not considered verified until this review is complete and the data is moved to history for an agency/department. See the Data From Previous Years section at the bottom of this page for the committee’s historical, verified data.

Details on agency responses to committee recommendations can be found under the Performance Measures section for each committee in the fields “Agency Feedback” and “Agency Feedback Comment.”

NRC - 207 - Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards - Statutory (Congress Created)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Committee Name	Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards	Agency Name	Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Fiscal Year	2025	Committee Number	207
Original Establishment Date	1/1/1951	Committee Status	Chartered
Actual Termination Date		Committee URL	http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/organization/acrsf...
Actual Merged Date		Presidential Appointments*	No
New Committee This FY	No	Max Number of Members*	15
Terminated This FY	No	Designated Fed Officer Position Title*	DFO
Merged This FY		Designated Federal Officer Prefix
Current Charter Date	12/2/2024	Designated Federal Officer First Name*	Andrea
Date Of Renewal Charter	12/2/2026	Designated Federal Officer Middle Name
Projected Termination Date		Designated Federal Officer Last Name*	Torres
Exempt From Renewal*	No	Designated Federal Officer Suffix
Specific Termination Authority		Designated Federal Officer Phone*	(301) 415-1738
Establishment Authority*	Statutory (Congress Created)	Designated Federal Officer Fax*	301-415-5589
Specific Establishment Authority*	42 U.S.C. Sect. 2039 & 2232	Designated Federal Officer Email*	andrea.torres@nrc.gov
Effective Date Of Authority*	1/1/1957
Exempt From EO 13875 Discretionary Cmte	Not Applicable
Committee Type*	Continuing
Presidential*	No
Committee Function*	Scientific Technical Program Advisory Board

RECOMMENDATION/JUSTIFICATIONS

Agency Recommendation*	Continue
Legislation to Terminate Required
Legislation Status	Not Applicable
How does cmte accomplish its purpose?*	The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) reports to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and provides the Commission with independent reviews of, and advice on, the safety of proposed or existing NRC-licensed reactor facilities and the adequacy of applicable safety standards. The ACRS was established as a statutory committee by a 1957 amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. With the enactment of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the licensing functions of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) were transferred intact from the AEC to the NRC. The ACRS has continued in the same advisory role to the NRC with its responsibilities changing with the needs of the Commission. Some ACRS tasks are mandated by statute or regulation; some are in response to direction by the Commission, or requests from the NRC staff, or other stakeholders; and some are committee-initiated in response to ACRS concerns on important regulatory and safety-related matters. The ACRS, upon request from the Department of Energy (DOE), provides advice on the safety of U.S. naval reactor designs. Also, upon request, the ACRS also provides technical advice to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The ACRS and its Subcommittees meet regularly in public, Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA)-regulated meetings to review matters within the scope of its responsibilities. ACRS meeting agendas, meeting transcripts, and letter reports are available for downloading or viewing on the Internet at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/acrs/agenda/2024/index.html. The ACRS and its Subcommittees held 27 meetings during FY 2024, including 10 Full Committee meetings that were attended by a majority of ACRS members of which there were 6 closed and 19 partially closed meetings. The ACRS members are chosen for their technical expertise relevant to the safety issues important to the Commission. Consultants are used on occasion to augment the expertise of the ACRS members. The Committee has a full-time staff that provides technical support and administrative services in compliance with FACA requirements. ACRS Subcommittees normally consist of three to six ACRS members with the expertise needed to review in detail the regulatory and safety issues and to formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the Full Committee. Stakeholders’ participation in ACRS meetings is encouraged and routinely occurs. The Committee's advice, in the form of written reports, is only produced by the Full Committee, and reports on significant regulatory matters are discussed with the Commission in public meetings. The ACRS conducts an ongoing review of its priorities and schedules to ensure that regulatory matters within its scope of responsibilities are being properly addressed and within its resources, and timely advice is provided to the Commission. Input from the Commission, the NRC staff, and affected stakeholders is used in this process. A Memorandum of Understanding with the NRC Executive Director for Operations (EDO) provides a framework for NRC staff interaction with the ACRS. The ACRS conducts self-assessments to improve its effectiveness and efficiency. In FY24, the ACRS completed licensing reviews associated with license applications and license renewals for advanced and new reactors; the NRC safety research program; digital instrumentation and control matters; metallurgy and reactor fuels issues; thermal-hydraulic phenomena; regulatory policies and practices; reliability and probabilistic risk assessments; rulemaking; cyber security, research activities, international outreach, and engagement with DOE on requested activities.
How is membership balanced?*	The Commission appoints ACRS members with the scientific and engineering expertise needed to address the safety issues of importance to the Commission. Members are sought who can provide an independent perspective on nuclear safety issues, outstanding scientific and technical ability, balanced and mature judgment, and a willingness to devote the time required to the demanding work involved. The members of the Committee are appointed by the Commission. In accordance with Section 29 of the Atomic Energy Act, the term of an appointment to the Committee is four years. The Act does not specify a maximum number of terms. While members do not have a fixed number of terms, an attempt is made to maintain a mix of new and experienced members. Absent unusual circumstances, they serve four-year terms and are eligible for reappointment. Vacancies in the ACRS membership are filled from the pool of applicants which exists after solicitations of interest are published in the Federal Register, trade and professional society publications, and in the press. Recommendations to the Commission as to the selection of qualified candidates from this pool are made by the ACRS Member Candidate Screening Panel. The ACRS provides input to this Panel. During FY 2024, the membership was comprised of individuals with diverse employment backgrounds and included those with expertise in the areas of nuclear power plant operations; probabilistic risk assessment; analysis of severe reactor accident phenomena; design of nuclear power plant structures, systems, and components; chemical engineering; digital instrumentation and control; materials and metallurgy; and thermal-hydraulics and computational fluid dynamics. The diversity of viewpoints represented by current members is based on special fields of interest, employment experience, and technical expertise. These member attributes provide the Committee with a balance of highly qualified technical expertise and diverse safety perspectives necessary to carry out the Committee's statutory responsibilities effectively.
How frequent & relevant are cmte mtgs?*	The ACRS and its Subcommittees held 37 meetings during FY 2024, of which 10 were Full Committee meetings. The number of meetings held in a reporting period is directly related to the number of nuclear safety matters to be reviewed as required by statute; the number of rules and regulatory guidance referred to the Committee for review and comment; the number of special reviews requested by the Commission, EDO, or other Federal Government organizations; and other safety issues of particular concern to the Committee and its stakeholders. The Full Committee normally meets 10 times a year for 3 days to consider important safety-related nuclear issues, license applications, generic issues, significant regulatory matters, rules, and regulatory guidance. The ACRS Subcommittees, which are normally comprised of three to six members with the relevant expertise, meet as necessary with stakeholders to conduct in-depth reviews of particular matters for later consideration by the full membership during Full Committee meetings. Although not required by the revised FACA, Subcommittee meetings are conducted under the same FACA procedures as the Full Committee meetings to facilitate public participation and to provide a forum for stakeholders to express their views on regulatory matters being considered by the ACRS. Reviews are conducted during each Full Committee meeting to assess the relevance of proposed review topics, resource needs, and the priority of each activity. These assessments have the benefit of input from the Commission, EDO, and other stakeholders. All ACRS meetings for this reporting period addressed either matters for which ACRS review was required by statute or regulation, specific requests from either the Commission or the EDO, or other important regulatory and safety-related matters committee-initiated in response to ACRS concerns.
Why advice can't be obtained elsewhere?*	The ACRS is an independent body of recognized experts in the field of nuclear reactor safety whose Congressional mandate is to provide the Commission with independent advice. Particular duties of the ACRS (e.g., review of operating reactor license renewal applications, extended power uprate amendments, new reactor designs, and rules and regulatory guidance) are dictated by statute or regulation. In addition, functional arrangements exist wherein, upon request, the ACRS provides advice to the Department of Energy and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board. The Commission has its own expert staff on whom it relies in the day-to-day regulation of nuclear power facilities. The ACRS provides the Commission and the NRC staff with an independent, critical review of high-level regulatory issues under consideration by the NRC and independent technical insights as to important matters needing Commission attention. The ACRS members are part-time special government employees with other full-time interests and activities in related fields, and provide a breadth of experience, an independent perspective on issues, and technical knowledge that is not duplicated by the NRC's full-time government employees. A standing Committee such as the ACRS remains current with respect to nuclear safety issues of importance to the NRC, including those related to reactor operating experience, regulatory reform, and NRC's needs for safety research, and provides an independent, collegial judgment regarding these issues that other part-time consultants could not provide. The ACRS meetings provide an important forum for stakeholders to express freely their concerns on safety issues and the regulatory process. A number of important safety initiatives have had their origins in ACRS deliberations. Through the ACRS, the public and the Congress are ensured of an independent technical review and evaluation of the safety of NRC-licensed facilities, proposed reactor designs, significant regulatory and safety issues, and of providing an opportunity for stakeholder input.
Why close or partially close meetings?	According to 5 U.S.C. 552b (c), ACRS meetings can only be closed for the following reasons:• Protect information classified as national security information• Discuss information relating solely to internal personnel rules and/or practices• Protect unclassified safeguards information• Protect proprietary information• Protect information provided in confidence by a foreign source• Prevent invasion of personal privacy• Prevent disclosure of information the premature disclosure of which would be likely to significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed Agency action
Recommendation Remarks	None

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

Outcome Improvement To Health Or Safety*	Yes	Action Reorganize Priorities*	Yes
Outcome Trust In Government	Yes	Action Reallocate Resources	Yes
Outcome Major Policy Changes	No	Action Issued New Regulations	No
Outcome Advance In Scientific Research	Yes	Action Proposed Legislation	No
Outcome Effective Grant Making	No	Action Approved Grants Or Other Payments	No
Outcome Improved Service Delivery	No	Action Other	No
Outcome Increased Customer Satisfaction	Yes	Action Comment	Issuance of guidelines, procedures, regulations for operation of the Licensing Support Network (LSN) and electronic submittal of documents to the NRC.
Outcome Implement Laws/Reg Requirements	Yes	Grants Review*	No
Outcome Other	No	Number Of Grants Reviewed	0
Outcome Comment	NA	Number Of Grants Recommended	0
Cost Savings*	Unable to Determine	Dollar Value Of Grants Recommended	$0.00
Cost Savings Comment	Unable to Determine	Grants Review Comment	NA
Number Of Recommendations*		Access Contact Designated Fed. Officer*	Yes
Number Of Recommendations Comment	The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards pre-exists FACA and a cumulative number of recommendations over the lifetime is not possible. During the current fiscal year, Committee issued 12 reports with 20 conclusions and approximately 19 recommendations.	Access Agency Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented*		Access Committee Website	Yes
% of Recs Fully Implemented Comment	NA	Access GSA FACA Website	Yes
% of Recs Partially Implemented*		Access Publications	No
% of Recs Partially Implemented Comment	NA	Access Other	No
Agency Feedback*	Yes	Access Comment	All Committee documents are in the NRC Public Documents Collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/acrs/agenda/2024/index.html
Agency Feedback Comment*	The Memorandum of Understanding between ACRS Executive Director and the NRC Executive Director for Operations states that NRC Office Directors should ensure “consideration of ACRS comments by the NRC staff.” The Executive Director for Operations typically responds to each ACRS report by describing how each of the committee’s recommendations were addressed.	Narrative Description*	The ACRS develops an Operating Plan each year which describes the accomplishments of the Committee for the past fiscal year and planned activities for the current fiscal year and beyond. The ACRS staff provides feedback on the Agency’s draft Strategic Plan and its goals. The mission of the ACRS is to support the NRC’s mission in the area of reactor safety.

COSTS

1. Payments to Non-Federal Members*		1. Est Paymnts to Non-Fed Membrs Nxt FY*
2. Payments to Federal Members*		2. Est. Payments to Fed Members Next FY*
3. Payments to Federal Staff*		3. Estimated Payments to Federal Staff*
4. Payments to Consultants*		4. Est. Payments to Consultants Next FY*
5. Travel Reimb. For Non-Federal Membrs*		5. Est Travel Reimb Non-Fed Membr nxtFY*
6. Travel Reimb. For Federal Members*		6. Est Travel Reimb For Fed Members*
7. Travel Reimb. For Federal Staff*		7. Est. Travel Reimb to Fed Staf Nxt FY*
8. Travel Reimb. For Consultants*		8. Est Travel Reimb to Consltnts Nxt FY*
10. Other Costs		10. Est. Other Costs Next FY*
11. Total Costs	$0.00	11. Est. Total Next FY*	$0.00
Date Cost Last Modified	1/22/2025 9:10 AM	Est. Fed Staff Support Next FY*
Federal Staff Support (FTE)*		Est Cost Remarks
Cost Remarks

Interest Areas

Category Area Emergency Emergency Preparedness and Management Energy Fuel Nuclear Power Environment Waste Disposal Government Federal Government Health Public Health Radiation Protection Safety

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