State-of-art in regulatory decision making process for a Nuclear Fuel Cycle Facility

Risk is inherent in every activity taken up by human beings be it potential or obvious, it is accepted or tolerated. Risk posed due to nuclear industry has always been a cause of concern to the individual, society, government and the regulator. The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Faculty (NFCF) encompassing mining to waste management activities has been diligently associated with diversified risks. The risk management for a NFCF right from Siting stage through the De-commissioning stage has been a vital issue in the Consenting process. The regulatory decision at every stage is based on a comprehensive review and assessment of risk and the safety measures available to contain it. It is informed to the management of the NFCF as a part of review process to have a step-by step approach in identification of hazards, assessment of frequency and consequence of events and estimation of risks. This exercise shall facilitate the review and assessment process to arrive at a logical and judicious decision. The Risk based evaluation and review process is a systematic and structured method addressing various regulatory concerns and risk insights, along with other important information, to assist in making decisions. Because there are many facets of NFCF to consider (such as safety, barriers to defense in depth, design margins, techno-economic issues, etc), using a structured process can facilitate in making transparent, comprehensive, and consistent risk informed decisions. The Risk Based Informed Decision Making Process(RBIDMF) is in its evolving stage with respect to regulatory decision making functions of NFCF. The fourstep process involved in the risk information review of NFCF is detailed. The process involves submission of relevant documents and discussions with the NFCF proponents on various safety related issues. An approach model to integrate the risk information with the decision making process is presented. This concept considers the rationale of linking the perception of risk associated with activities along with the risk agreeable / acceptance criteria of the regulator. The objective of safe assessment and review is achieved through a comprehensive, strucured and systematic study of the risk associated with the activities of NFCF at various stages like Siting, Construction, Commissioning, Operation and De-Commissioning. The prognostic view of established and responsive regulatory framework ensures safe and rational decisions with the consensus and acceptance of all concerned.