Historical perspectives and insights on ACRS review of GE ABWR design certification

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires that each application for a standard design certification be referred to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) for a review and report on those portions of the application which concern safety. This paper begins with perspectives on the role of the ACRS in the design certification review process. It then summarizes the ACRS observations and recommendations made in the Committee's reports during the General Electric Nuclear Energy (GENE) U.S. Advanced Boiling-Water Reactor (ABWR) design certification reviews. (author)