
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) again met its strategic goals and objectives for safety and security, and all related performance indicator targets, according to a report on fiscal year 2016, published Nov. 18.
The NRC Performance and Accountability Report for Fiscal Year 2016 says the agency improved its operations by investing in its skilled workforce of engineers and scientists during the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, and nuclear reactor and materials licensees maintained their excellent safety record.
The report details the agency’s program and financial performance from Oct. 1, 2015, through Sept. 30, 2016.
The agency is also in a sound financial position, having sufficient funds to meet programmatic needs and adequate controls in place to manage these funds. For the 13th consecutive year, the agency received an unmodified audit opinion on its financial statements from independent auditors, with no instances of noncompliance with laws and regulations.
The report provides key NRC achievements over fiscal year 2016. Chief among these was overseeing the startup of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Watts Bar Unit 2, the first nuclear power plant to begin operations in 20 years; completing licensing of a first-of-a-kind medical isotope production facility; resolving multiple activities to apply lessons learned from the 2011 Fukushima accident; and implementing many activities to improve the agency’s effectiveness and efficiency.