In summary, the revised inspection program preserves the NRC philosophy that the licensee is primarily responsible for all safety, safeguards and environmental measures necessary to protect the public and the environment. The NRC role is to determine how well the licensee is performing and to correct nonperformance whenever found. The combination of resident inspectors, regional specialist inspectors, performance-appraisal teams and vendor inspectors will provide an improved base for making these determinations. We have undergone a detailed planning effort for this revised program and we are ready to begin program implementation (Chart 7). With approval - of this supplemental budget, we plan to have twenty inspectors onsite by the end of this fiscal year, forty-five by the end of FY 1979, seventy by the end of FY 1980 with at least one inspector at all operating reactor sites, and full implementation (95 inspectors) in 1981. At full implementation we will have at least one inspector at sites with reactors in the late stages of construction, test or operation. More than one inspector may be located at sites with a number of reactors in different stages of construction and operation, and at sites with more than two operating reactors. SUPPLEMENTAL REQUEST Implementation of the revised program will place NRC inspectors in an even more demanding role than they now serve (Chart 8). Their technical competence must be unexcelled, their judgment must be mature and balanced, and their relations with licensees must be highly professional and beyond reproach. Development of these capabilities and characteristics takes time. We know because we currently expend considerable effort to recruit and train a highly qualified, professional inspection force. To insure full implementation of the revised program in 1981 requires that we begin to recruit and train future resident inspectors now. We will begin implementation by assigning resident inspectors from our current staff. Newly hired personnel will replace these inspectors in our regional offices, performing inspections under the supervision of experienced inspectors and attending required formal training classes. As we proceed with implementation and these inspectors mature, they will be assigned as resident inspectors. In this way, we will maintain the balanced, highly competent staff that we require to accomplish our mission. The additional funds that we require will provide compensation, benefits and travel funds for the additional people: program support funding for new training courses and for an independent contractor evaluation of the revised program's results; and administrative support funding to provide for office space, communications, office supplies and equipment, and other normal housekeeping requirements. CONCLUDING STATEMENT activities. The revised inspection program that I have described will enhance the base for our technical judgments. It will significantly increase our presence at nuclear power plants and fuel facilities and it will enable us to observe and independently verify substantially more licensee In addition, it is responsive to Administration desires, and it answers some of the criticisms of our current program. The incremental cost of the program is modest, and it will result in program efficiencies. On balance, it is a cost-effective improvement and I respectfully request that you consider this supplemental budget favorably so that we may begin implementation promptly. |