National Atomic Energy Agency

During NRC Chairman Christopher T. Hanson’s visit to Poland, he and PAA President Łukasz Młynarkiewicz discussed the significant achievements since the 2010 signing of an inaugural bilateral arrangement for the exchange of technical information. The NRC and the PAA have engaged frequently, both at the staff and executive leadership levels, on a variety of nuclear energy safety related topics of mutual interest.

– The PAA makes extensive use of international knowledge and experience in preparation to perform regulatory tasks in the Polish Nuclear Power Program. For over a decade, with help of the NRC, we have been implementing projects to strengthen our competences and regulatory readiness – said the PAA President, Łukasz Młynarkiewicz. – Together, we conducted a number of workshops and trainings, but also managed to complete valuable assignments of PAA nuclear inspectors at the construction site of new nuclear power plants in the United States. Moreover, thanks to the advice of NRC experts, the PAA successfully completed simulation exercise on the assessment of safety documentation and the issuance of a license for the construction of a nuclear power plant. In the face of the update of the Polish Nuclear Power Program, it is very important for the PAA to continue and enhance cooperation with such experienced partners as the NRC.

– For several years, we have worked closely with the PAA as it builds on its decades of considerable regulatory expertise in preparation to oversee a nuclear power program in Poland – said Hanson. – Our mutual interest in safe nuclear power and ongoing engagement has deepened the relationship between our organizations, affording many opportunities for detailed and informative technical discussions. We look forward to continuing this partnership in the coming years.

The NRC was created as an independent agency by the U.S. Congress in 1974 to ensure the safe use of radioactive materials for beneficial civilian purposes while protecting people and the environment. The NRC regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine, through licensing, inspection, and enforcement of its requirements.

The PAA is a nuclear energy regulatory authority conducting activities that are significant for ensuring nuclear safety and radiological protection. Through regulatory and supervisory activities, it aims to ensure that activities involving exposure to ionizing radiation are conducted safely for workers, the public and the environment.