Nuclear Safety, Research, Demonstration, and Development Act of 1980

Congressional Objectives

42 U.S.C. Chapter 104 § 9701

(a) Congress finds that — (b) It is declared to be the policy of the United States and the purpose of this Act to establish a research, development, and demonstration program for developing practical improvements in the generic safety of nuclear power plants during the next five years, beginning in the fiscal year 1981. The objectives of such program shall be —

Definitions

42 U.S.C. Chapter 104 § 9702

For the purposes of this Act — (1) "Secretary" means the Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy (2) "Government agency" means any department, agency, commission, or independent establishment in the United States federal executive departments, or any corporation, wholly or partly owned by the United States, which is an instrumentality of the United States, or any board, bureau, division, service, office, officer, authority, administration, or other establishment in the executive branch of the Federal Government (3) "Commission" means the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (4) "Advisory Committee" means the Advisory Committee on reactor safeguards established by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954

Establishment of Research, Development, and Demonstration Program for Improving the Safety of Nuclear Power Plants

42 U.S.C. Chapter 104 § 9703

(a) The Secretary shall establish a research, development, and demonstration program to carry out the purpose of this Act. As part of such program, the Secretary shall at a minimum — (b) In carrying out the generic safety research, development, and demonstration program established under this Act, the Secretary —

National Reactor Engineering Simulator

42 U.S.C. Chapter 104 § 9704

(a) The Secretary, in consultation with the Commission and the Advisory Committee, shall initiate a study of the need for and feasibility of establishing a reactor engineering simulator facility at a national laboratory, for the primary purpose of fostering research in generic design improvements and simplifications through the simulation of the performance of various types of light water reactors under a wide variety of abnormal conditions and postulated accident conditions. (b) In performing the study, the Secretary shall consider relevant factors including, but not limited to — (c) The Secretary shall, by January 1, 1982, submit to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report characterizing the study and the resulting conclusions and recommendations.

Federal Nuclear Operations Corps

42 U.S.C. Chapter 104 § 9705

(a) The Secretary, in cooperation with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, shall initiate a study as to the sufficiency of efforts in the United States to provide specially trained professionals to operate the controls of nuclear power plants and other facilities in the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. In carrying out the study, the Secretary shall coordinate activities with the ongoing programs of the utility industry and other Federal governmental agencies for obtaining high standards of operator performance. (b) For the purpose of this Act — (c) The Secretary shall complete the study within one year after the date of enactment of this Act and shall submit a report along with the Secretary's recommendations to the Congress.

Reports and Dissemination of Information

42 U.S.C. Chapter 104 § 9706

Secretary shall assure that full and complete safety related information resulting from any project or other activity conducted under this Act is made available in a timely manner to appropriate committees of Congress, Federal, State, and local authorities, relevant segments of private industry, the scientific community, and the public.

Comprehensive Program Management Plan

42 U.S.C. Chapter 104 § 9707

(a) The Secretary is authorized and directed to prepare a comprehensive program management plan for the conduct of research, development, and demonstration activities under this Act consistent with the provisions of the Program for Improving the Safety of Nuclear Power Plants. In the preparation of such plan, the Secretary shall consult with the Commission and the Advisory Committee and with the heads of such other Government agencies and such public and private organizations as the Secretary deems appropriate. (b) The Secretary shall transmit the comprehensive program management plan along with any comments by the Commission on the plan to the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee on Environment and Public Works of the Senate within twelve months after the date of the enactment of this Act. Revisions to the plan shall be transmitted to such committees whenever deemed appropriate by the Secretary. (c) Concurrently with the submission of the President's annual budget to the Congress for each year after the year in which the comprehensive plan is initially transmitted under subsection (b), the Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a detailed description of the comprehensive plan as then in effect. The detailed description of the comprehensive plan under this subsection shall include, but need not be limited to, a statement setting forth any change in — Such description shall also include a detailed justification of any such changes, a description of the progress made toward achieving the goals of this Act, a statement on the status of interagency cooperation in meeting such goals, and any legislative or other recommendations which the Secretary may have to help attain such goal.

Authorization of Appropriations

42 U.S.C. Chapter 104 § 9708

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this Act such sums as may be authorized by legislation hereafter enacted. Project 78-3-b, authorized by section 102 of Public Law 95-238, the fusion materials irradiation test facility, is hereby designated as the "Mike McCormack Fusion Materials Test Facility". Any reference in any law, regulation, map, record, or other document of the United States to the fusion materials irradiation test facility shall be considered a reference to the "Mike McCormack Fusion Materials Test Facility".