Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1980

The GAO views on the President's plan for reorganizing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the pertinent findings, conclusions, and recommendations of a January 1980 GAO report as they relate to the reorganization plan were discussed. GAO believed that the overall NRC regulatory performance during its first 5 years has been complacent because NRC has failed to provide leadership and direction to the NRC staff, the nuclear industry, and the public. The commissioners did not: (1) establish measurable regulatory goals, objectives, and systems for measuring performance; (2) control regulatory policymaking; and (3) clearly define either their own role in nuclear regulation or the role of the Executive Director for Operations. From its analysis, GAO concluded that, if the commission organization were to be retained, the chairman's role should be strengthened to improve the efficiency of the daily NRC regulatory operations and that the commission form is superior for deciding nuclear regulatory policy issues. GAO believed the Reorganization Plan under consideration addressed the concerns expressed in its report in that it focuses on NRC functions on policy formulation, allowing NRC to concentrate on developing meaningful and measurable regulatory goals and objectives to guide the chairman and the NRC staff. However, individual commissioners have expressed concerns about the Plan with regard to the authority given to the chairman, their continued access to information, and their ability to hold the chairman accountable for his actions. While GAO recognized that the administration's Reorganization Plan could not be changed unless the administration chose to amend it, it believed that the Plan could be further improved by amending it to take into consideration concerns of the NRC commissioners in the areas of nominations and appointments of key staff officials.