Maximum 40-Year Licensing Terms for Certain Fuel Cycle Facilities, 70441 [E6-20412]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 232 / Monday, December 4, 2006 / Notices The entire meeting will be open to public attendance. The agenda for the subject meeting shall be as follows: Thursday, December 14, 2006–8:30 a.m. until the conclusion of business. Friday, December 15, 2006–8:30 a.m. until the conclusion of business. The Subcommittee will review the PRA for General Electric’s next generation simplified boiling water reactor, the ESBWR. The Subcommittee will hear presentations by and hold discussions with representatives of the NRC staff and industry regarding this matter. The Subcommittee will gather information, analyze relevant issues and facts, and formulate proposed positions and actions, as appropriate, for deliberation by the full Committee. Members of the public desiring to provide oral statements and/or written comments should notify the Designated Federal Official, Mr. Eric A. Thornsbury, (Telephone: 301–415– 8716) five days prior to the meeting, if possible, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Electronic recordings will be permitted. Further information regarding this meeting can be obtained by contacting the Designated Federal Official between 7:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m. (ET). Persons planning to attend this meeting are urged to contact the above named individual at least two working days prior to the meeting to be advised of any potential changes to the agenda. Dated: November 28, 2006. Michael R. Snodderly, Branch Chief, ACRS/ACNW. [FR Doc. E6–20411 Filed 12–1–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION Maximum 40-Year Licensing Terms for Certain Fuel Cycle Facilities Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Notice. mstockstill on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES AGENCY: SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has established a new policy extending the maximum license term for certain 10 CFR Part 70 fuel cycle licensees who are required to submit Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA) summaries for approval. Such license terms are being extended from the current 10-year period to a 40-year period, on the next renewal of the affected license. The NRC is also extending the maximum license term to a 40-year period for new 10 CFR Part 70 license applicants, where the applicant VerDate Aug<31>2005 11:51 Dec 01, 2006 Jkt 211001 is required to submit an ISA summary for approval. The 10-year term has been a matter of policy and practice since 1990 (55 FR 24948; June 19, 1990); it is not codified in the regulations. The NRC added Subpart H requirements to 10 CFR part 70 on September 18, 2000 (65 FR56211). The Subpart H requirements apply to licensees possessing greater than a critical mass of special nuclear material. Under Subpart H, both new applicants and existing licensees are required to conduct an ISA and submit an ISA summary to the NRC for approval. An ISA is a systematic analysis to identify facility and external hazards; potential accident sequences, including likelihood and consequences; and items relied on for safety to prevent potential accidents or mitigate the consequences. Licensees are required to keep their ISAs up-to-date. In addition to the initial ISA summary, licensees must submit the following information to the NRC: certain facility changes for the NRC’s approval; annual summaries of facility changes that did not need the NRC’s preapproval; and annual updates to the ISA summaries. Before the Subpart H requirements were implemented, the NRC relied on the 10-year license renewal as the main opportunity to review the facility safety basis. Now, along with the annual updates of the ISA summaries, the NRC is conducting more frequent reviews of the licensees’ facility safety basis. Through the annual update of the ISA summaries, the NRC is kept informed of changes due to material degradation and aging throughout the lifetime of a facility. Thus, the Subpart H requirements permit the NRC to continue to support safe operations of licensed facilities on an ongoing basis, regardless of the duration of the license. On August 24, 2006, the NRC staff provided the Commission with a paper, SECY–06–0186, ‘Increasing Licensing Terms for Certain Fuel Cycle Facilities,’ which recommended that the Commission approve a maximum license term of 40 years for certain fuel cycle facilities. The paper provided the basis for the staff’s recommendation, including a description of the link with 10 CFR Part 70 reviews and a discussion of consistency with the NRC strategic goals for safety and effectiveness. In response to SECY–06–0186, the Commission issued a staff requirements memorandum (SRM) establishing the new policy described above. The Commission also approved of license terms for less than 40 years, on a caseby-case basis, where there are concerns with safety risk to the facility or in cases involving a new process or technology. PO 00000 Frm 00082 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 70441 SECY–06–0186 and the SRM on SECY–06–0186 are available in the NRC’s Public Document Room or electronically from the ADAMS Publicly Available Records (PARS) component on the NRC Web site, https:// www.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Breeda Reilly, Project Manager, Fuel Manufacturing Branch, Fuel Facility Licensing Directorate, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. Telephone: (301) 415–8103; fax: (301) 415–5955; email: bmr@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 21st day of November, 2006. For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Gary S. Janosko, Deputy Director, Fuel Facility Licensing Directorate, Division of Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards. [FR Doc. E6–20412 Filed 12–1–06; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT No FEAR Act Notice Office of Personnel Management. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: SUMMARY: Pursuant to 29 CFR part 724, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has implemented Title II of the Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act (No FEAR Act) of 2002, concerning OPM’s obligation (along with other Federal agencies) to provide notice to all its employees, former employees, and applicants for Federal employment about the rights and remedies available under the applicable Federal Antidiscrimination Laws and Whistleblower Protection Laws. OPM’s No FEAR Act notice is available on OPM’s Web site at https://www.opm.gov/ about_opm/nofear/. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen T. Shih, Chief, Center for Equal Employment Opportunity, by telephone at (202) 606–2460, by facsimile at (202) 606–1841, or by e-mail at eeo@opm.gov. No FEAR Act Notice On May 15, 2002, Congress enacted the ‘‘Notification and Federal Employee Antidiscrimination and Retaliation Act of 2002,’’ which is now known as the No FEAR Act. One purpose of the Act E:\FR\FM\04DEN1.SGM 04DEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 232 (Monday, December 4, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 70441]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-20412]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Maximum 40-Year Licensing Terms for Certain Fuel Cycle Facilities

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has established a 
new policy extending the maximum license term for certain 10 CFR Part 
70 fuel cycle licensees who are required to submit Integrated Safety 
Analysis (ISA) summaries for approval. Such license terms are being 
extended from the current 10-year period to a 40-year period, on the 
next renewal of the affected license. The NRC is also extending the 
maximum license term to a 40-year period for new 10 CFR Part 70 license 
applicants, where the applicant is required to submit an ISA summary 
for approval. The 10-year term has been a matter of policy and practice 
since 1990 (55 FR 24948; June 19, 1990); it is not codified in the 
regulations.
    The NRC added Subpart H requirements to 10 CFR part 70 on September 
18, 2000 (65 FR56211). The Subpart H requirements apply to licensees 
possessing greater than a critical mass of special nuclear material. 
Under Subpart H, both new applicants and existing licensees are 
required to conduct an ISA and submit an ISA summary to the NRC for 
approval. An ISA is a systematic analysis to identify facility and 
external hazards; potential accident sequences, including likelihood 
and consequences; and items relied on for safety to prevent potential 
accidents or mitigate the consequences.
    Licensees are required to keep their ISAs up-to-date. In addition 
to the initial ISA summary, licensees must submit the following 
information to the NRC: certain facility changes for the NRC's 
approval; annual summaries of facility changes that did not need the 
NRC's preapproval; and annual updates to the ISA summaries.
    Before the Subpart H requirements were implemented, the NRC relied 
on the 10-year license renewal as the main opportunity to review the 
facility safety basis. Now, along with the annual updates of the ISA 
summaries, the NRC is conducting more frequent reviews of the 
licensees' facility safety basis. Through the annual update of the ISA 
summaries, the NRC is kept informed of changes due to material 
degradation and aging throughout the lifetime of a facility. Thus, the 
Subpart H requirements permit the NRC to continue to support safe 
operations of licensed facilities on an ongoing basis, regardless of 
the duration of the license.
    On August 24, 2006, the NRC staff provided the Commission with a 
paper, SECY-06-0186, `Increasing Licensing Terms for Certain Fuel Cycle 
Facilities,' which recommended that the Commission approve a maximum 
license term of 40 years for certain fuel cycle facilities. The paper 
provided the basis for the staff's recommendation, including a 
description of the link with 10 CFR Part 70 reviews and a discussion of 
consistency with the NRC strategic goals for safety and effectiveness. 
In response to SECY-06-0186, the Commission issued a staff requirements 
memorandum (SRM) establishing the new policy described above. The 
Commission also approved of license terms for less than 40 years, on a 
case-by-case basis, where there are concerns with safety risk to the 
facility or in cases involving a new process or technology.
    SECY-06-0186 and the SRM on SECY-06-0186 are available in the NRC's 
Public Document Room or electronically from the ADAMS Publicly 
Available Records (PARS) component on the NRC Web site, https://
www.nrc.gov (the Electronic Reading Room).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Breeda Reilly, Project Manager, Fuel 
Manufacturing Branch, Fuel Facility Licensing Directorate, Division of 
Fuel Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555. 
Telephone: (301) 415-8103; fax: (301) 415-5955; e-mail: bmr@nrc.gov.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 21st day of November, 2006.
    For the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Gary S. Janosko,
Deputy Director, Fuel Facility Licensing Directorate, Division of Fuel 
Cycle Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and 
Safeguards.
[FR Doc. E6-20412 Filed 12-1-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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