Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment to Combined License No. NPF-91, issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC, the licensee), for operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle), Unit 3. The proposed amendment would change the ventilation filter testing program testing frequency for Vogtle Nuclear Generating Plant, Unit 3.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an exemption in response to the May 4, 2023, request from Yankee Atomic Electric Company (YAEC), for the Yankee Nuclear Power Station (YNPS or Yankee Rowe) located in Rowe, Massachusetts. The proposed exemption from NRC regulations, if granted, would permit YAEC to make withdrawals from a segregated account within Yankee Rowe's overall nuclear decommissioning trust (NDT), on an annual basis, for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and Greater than Class C (GTCC) waste management and non-radiological site restoration without prior notification to the NRC. The NRC staff is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed exemption.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an exemption to Constellation Energy Generation, LLC permitting Dresden Nuclear Power Station (Dresden) to maintain loaded and to load 68M multi-purpose canisters with continuous basket shims in the HI-STORM 100 Cask System at its Dresden Unit 2 and Unit 3 independent spent fuel storage installation in a storage condition where the terms, conditions, and specifications in the Certificate of Compliance No. 1014, Amendment No. 8, Revision No. 1 are not met.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received a June 29, 2023, letter from NuScale Power, LLC (NuScale), which requested an exemption from the annual and 30-day reporting requirements described in NRC regulations for the US600 Standard Design Certification (DC) and Standard Design Approval (SDA), and the Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) Evaluation Model (EM) referenced within the request, unless and until that EM is incorporated in a facility license application. The NRC reviewed NuScale's request and determined to grant the exemption.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an existing collection of information. The information collection is entitled, "Licensing Requirements for the Independent Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste."

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, NRC Form 149, "OCFO Invitational Traveler Request Form."

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DANU-ISG-2022-09, "Risk-Informed, Performance-Based Fire Protection Program (for Operations)." The purpose of this ISG is to provide guidance for prospective applicants in preparing applications for non-light water reactor (non-LWR) designs that use the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) process and to assist the NRC staff in determining whether such applications meet the minimum requirements for operating licenses, combined licenses, manufacturing licenses, standard design approval, or design certifications.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DANU-ISG-2022-06, Chapter 12, "Post- manufacturing and construction Inspection, Testing, and Analysis Program." The purpose of this ISG is to provide guidance for prospective applicants in preparing applications for non-light water reactor (non-LWR) designs that use the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) process and to assist the NRC staff in determining whether such applications meet the minimum requirements for construction permits, operating licenses, combined licenses, manufacturing licenses, standard design approval, or design certifications.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issuing Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DANU-ISG-2022-04, Chapter 10, "Control of Occupational Dose." The purpose of this ISG is to provide guidance for prospective applicants in preparing applications for non-light water reactor (non-LWR) designs that use the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) process and to assist the NRC staff in determining whether such applications meet the minimum requirements for construction permits, operating licenses, combined licenses, manufacturing licenses, standard design approval, or design certifications.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DANU-ISG-2022-02, Chapter 2, "Site Information." The purpose of this ISG is to provide guidance for prospective applicants in preparing applications for non-light water reactor (non-LWR) designs that use the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) process and to assist the NRC staff in determining whether such applications meet the minimum requirements for construction permits, operating licenses, combined licenses, manufacturing licenses, standard design approval, or design certifications.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a new Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.253, Revision 0, "Guidance for a Technology- Inclusive Content of Application Methodology to Inform the Licensing Basis and Content of Applications for Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Non-Light-Water Reactors." This new RG provides guidance to assist interested parties and prospective applicants in the development of content for major portions of their safety analysis reports required in applications for permits, licenses, certifications, and approvals by the NRC to ensure that applications for non-light water reactor (non-LWR) facility designs using the Licensing Modernization Project (LMP) process meet the minimum requirements for construction permit, operating license, combined license, or design certification applications.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of one amendment request. The amendment request is for Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2. For the amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that it involves no significant hazards consideration (NSHC). Because the amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation by persons who file a hearing request or petition for leave to intervene.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption in response to the March 31, 2023, request from Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company (MYAPC or Maine Yankee), for the Maine Yankee Atomic Power Station (MYAPS), located in Wiscasset, Maine. The exemption permits MYAPC to make withdrawals from a separate account within Maine Yankee's overall Nuclear Decommissioning Trust (NDT), on an annual basis, for spent nuclear fuel and Greater than Class C (GTCC) waste management and non-radiological site restoration without prior notification to the NRC.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is making a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for a proposed issuance of exemptions to Southern Nuclear Operating Company (SNC, the licensee), for Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Power Plant (Hatch), Units 1 and 2, Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Plant (Farley), Units 1 and 2, and Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle), Units 1, 2, 3, and 4 (SNC Fleet), located in Appling County, Georgia, Houston County, Alabama, and Burke County, Georgia, respectively. The proposed action would grant the licensee partial exemption from the physical barrier requirements in the NRC's regulations, to allow SNC to continue using vertical, rather than angled, barbed wire fence toppings in certain limited protected area sections onsite. The NRC is considering exemptions to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-57, and No. NPF-5, at Hatch, Units 1 and 2, issued on January 15, 2002, Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF- 2, and No. NPF-8, at Farley, Units 1 and 2, issued on May 12, 2005, Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-68, and No. NPF-81, at Vogtle, Units 1 and 2, issued on June 3, 2009, and Facility Combined License No. NPF-91, and NPF-92, at Vogtle, Units 3 and 4, issued on February 10, 2012, and held by SNC for the operation of the SNC Fleet.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 1 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.234, ``Evaluating Deviations and Reporting Defects and Noncompliance.'' This RG describes methods that the staff of the NRC considers acceptable for complying with the provisions of NRC regulations.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an application for the subsequent license renewal of Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, and DPR-68, which authorize Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to operate Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant (BFN), Units 1, 2, and 3. The subsequent renewed licenses would authorize TVA to operate BFN for an additional 20 years beyond the period specified in each of the current licenses. The current operating licenses for BFN expire as follows: Unit 1 on December 20, 2033, Unit 2 on June 28, 2034, and Unit 3 on July 2, 2036.

Pursuant to section 189.a.(2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing this regular monthly notice. The Act requires the Commission to publish notice of any amendments issued, or proposed to be issued, and grants the Commission the authority to issue and make immediately effective any amendment to an operating license or combined license, as applicable, upon a determination by the Commission that such amendment involves no significant hazards consideration (NSHC), notwithstanding the pendency before the Commission of a request for a hearing from any person.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering whether to issue a construction permit (CP) to Abilene Christian University (ACU) to authorize the construction of a proposed non-power molten salt research reactor (MSRR). The MSRR would be an up to 1 megawatt-thermal, graphite moderated, fluoride salt flowing fluid (fuel dissolved in the salt) research reactor that would be located in the existing Gayle and Max Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center (SERC) building on the ACU campus in Abilene, Texas. The NRC has prepared this environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) that considers the impacts associated with issuing the CP.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``Notices, Instructions, and Reports to Workers: Inspection and Investigations.''