Effectiveness of TVA's Process to Address Nuclear Emerging Regulatory Issues

Nuclear Power Group (NPG) Business Practice (BP) 247, Revision 9, Emerging Regulatory Issues Management Process, "establishes a process to identify, categorize, manage, monitor and provide statuses to senior management on issues that may have regulatory impacts on Nuclear Power Group (NPG) or NPG managed material licenses." The OIG determined the process for addressing nuclear emerging regulatory issues (ERI) is generally effective.During the period of our review, September 26, 2009, through September 26, 2014, we identified no instances where TVA overlooked an ERI related to NRC-proposed rulemaking; however, we did identify areas where the BP 247 was not being followed. Specifically, (1) the ERI Monitoring Table was not being filled out completely and consistently, (2) formal executive briefings were not consistently occurring, and (3) executive sponsors were not being assigned to ERIs with significant impacts on NPG resources. As a result of our audit, TVA began taking corrective action by issuing a revision to BP 247, with an effective date of December 12, 2014.