Fuel-Cladding Issues in Postulated Spent Fuel Pool Accidents, 60383-60384 [2014-23949]

Download as PDF 60383 Proposed Rules Federal Register Vol. 79, No. 194 Tuesday, October 7, 2014 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 10 CFR Part 50 [Docket No. PRM–50–108; NRC–2014–0171] Fuel-Cladding Issues in Postulated Spent Fuel Pool Accidents Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Petition for rulemaking; notice of docketing. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received a petition for rulemaking (PRM) from Mr. Mark Edward Leyse (the petitioner), dated June 19, 2014. The petition was docketed by the NRC on July 14, 2014, and has been assigned Docket No. PRM– 50–108. The petitioner requests that the NRC make new regulations concerning the use of spent fuel pool (SFP) accident evaluation models. The NRC is not requesting public comment on PRM– 50–108 at this time. DATES: October 7, 2014. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2014–0171 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information for this petition. You may obtain publicly-available information related to this petition by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2014–0171. Address questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301–287–3422; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, select ‘‘ADAMS Public Documents’’ and then select ‘‘Begin Web-based ADAMS asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with RULES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:15 Oct 06, 2014 Jkt 235001 Search.’’ For problems with ADAMS, please contact the NRC’s Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 1–800–397–4209, 301–415–4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this document (if that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. The petition, PRM–50–108, is available in ADAMS under Accession Number ML14195A388. • NRC’s PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public documents at the NRC’s PDR, Room O1–F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Doyle, Project Manager, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–3748, email: Daniel.Doyle@ nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. The Petitioner Mr. Mark Edward Leyse (the petitioner) submitted this petition for rulemaking (PRM) as an individual. In Section II of the petition, ‘‘Statement of Petitioner’s Interest,’’ the petitioner explains that he disagrees with the conclusions of recent MELCOR simulations of boiling water reactor (BWR) Mark I spent fuel pool (SFP) accident scenarios. On December 23, 2013, Mr. Leyse submitted a PRM (ADAMS Accession No. ML14008A427) with similar requests. On March 21, 2014, the NRC requested additional information to further clarify the petitioner’s request (ADAMS Accession No. ML14023A743). On June 19, 2014 (ADAMS Accession No. ML14195A388), the petitioner responded to the request and resubmitted the petition with additional information. After evaluating the resubmitted petition, the NRC has determined that the petition meets the threshold sufficiency requirements for a petition for rulemaking under § 2.802 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ‘‘Petition for rulemaking,’’ and the petition has been docketed as PRM–50–108. The NRC is not requesting public comment on PRM–50–108 at this time. PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 II. The Petition The petition requests that the NRC develop new regulations requiring that (1) spent fuel pool (SFP) accident evaluation models use data from multirod bundle (assembly) severe accident experiments for calculating the rates of energy release, hydrogen generation, and fuel cladding oxidation from the zirconium-steam reaction; (2) SFP accident evaluation models use data from multi-rod bundle (assembly) severe accident experiments conducted with pre-oxidized fuel cladding for calculating the rates of energy release (from both fuel cladding oxidation and fuel cladding nitriding), fuel cladding oxidation, and fuel cladding nitriding from the zirconium-air reaction; (3) SFP accident evaluation models be required to conservatively model nitrogeninduced breakaway oxidation behavior; and (4) licensees be required to use conservative SFP accident evaluation models to perform annual SFP safety evaluations of: Postulated complete loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) scenarios, postulated partial LOCA scenarios, and postulated boil-off accident scenarios. The petition references recent NRC post-Fukushima MELCOR simulations of BWR Mark I SFP accident/fire scenarios. The petition states that the conclusions from the NRC’s MELCOR simulations are non-conservative and misleading because their conclusions underestimate the probabilities of large radiological releases from SFP accidents. The petition states that in actual SFP fires, there would be quicker fuelcladding temperature escalations, releasing more heat, and quicker axial and radial propagation of zirconium fires than MELCOR indicates. The petition states that the NRC’s philosophy of defense-in-depth requires the application of conservative models, and, therefore, it is necessary to improve the performance of MELCOR and any other computer safety models that are intended to accurately simulate SFP accident/fire scenarios. The petition claims that the new regulations would help improve public and plant-worker safety. The petitioner asserts that the first three proposed regulations, regarding zirconium fuel cladding oxidation and nitriding, as well as nitrogen-induced breakaway oxidation behavior, are intended to E:\FR\FM\07OCP1.SGM 07OCP1 60384 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 194 / Tuesday, October 7, 2014 / Proposed Rules improve the performance of computer safety models that simulate postulated SFP accident/fire scenarios. The petition states that the fourth proposed regulation would require that licensees use conservative SFP accident evaluation models to perform annual SFP safety evaluations of postulated complete LOCA scenarios, postulated partial LOCA scenarios, and postulated boil-off accident scenarios. The petition states that the purpose of these evaluations would be to keep the NRC informed of the potential consequences of postulated SFP accident/fire scenarios as fuel assembles were added, removed, or reconfigured in licensees’ SFPs. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of September, 2014. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Annette L. Vietti-Cook, Secretary of the Commission. [FR Doc. 2014–23949 Filed 10–6–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY 12 CFR Part 1263 RIN 2590–AA39 Members of Federal Home Loan Banks Federal Housing Finance Agency. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking; extension of comment period. AGENCY: On September 12, 2014, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comments proposing to amend its regulations governing Federal Home Loan Bank (Bank) membership. The comment period for the proposed rule is set to expire on November 12, 2014. This notice extends the comment period through and including January 12, 2015. DATES: The comment period for the proposed rule published on September 12, 2014, at 79 FR 54847, is extended. Written comments must be received on or before January 12, 2015. ADDRESSES: You may submit your comments, identified by Regulatory Information Number (RIN) 2590–AA39, by any of the following methods: • Agency Web site: www.fhfa.gov/ open-for-comment-or-input. • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. If you submit your comment to the Federal eRulemaking Portal, please also asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with RULES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:15 Oct 06, 2014 Jkt 235001 send it by email to FHFA at RegComments@fhfa.gov to ensure timely receipt by the agency. Please include Comments/RIN 2590–AA39 in the subject line of the message. • Courier/Hand Delivery: The hand delivery address is: Alfred M. Pollard, General Counsel, Attention: Comments/ RIN 2590–AA39, Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW., Eighth Floor, Washington, DC 20024. Deliver the package to the Seventh Street entrance Guard Desk, First Floor, on business days between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. • U.S. Mail, United Parcel Service, Federal Express or Other Mail Service: The mailing address for comments is: Alfred M. Pollard, General Counsel, Attention: Comments/RIN 2590–AA39, Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW., Eighth Floor, Washington, DC 20024. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric M. Raudenbush, Assistant General Counsel, Office of General Counsel, Eric.Raudenbush@fhfa.gov, (202) 649– 3084; or Julie Paller, Senior Financial Analyst, Office of Program Support, Division of Bank Regulation, Julie.Paller@fhfa.gov, (202) 649–3201 (not toll-free numbers), Federal Housing Finance Agency, 400 Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20024. The telephone number for the Telecommunications Device for the Hearing Impaired is (800) 877–8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On September 12, 2014, FHFA published in the Federal Register a notice of proposed rulemaking and request for comments proposing to revise its regulations governing Bank membership, located at 12 CFR part 1263. See 79 FR 54847 (Sept. 12, 2014). Primarily, the proposed rule would revise part 1263 to: (1) Require each Bank member institution and each applicant for Bank membership to hold one percent of its assets in ‘‘home mortgage loans’’ (as that term is defined in proposed part 1263) in order to satisfy the statutory requirement that an institution make long-term home mortgage loans to be eligible for membership; (2) require each member to comply on an ongoing basis, rather than only at the time of application as at present, with the foregoing requirement and, where applicable, with the requirement that it have at least 10 percent of its assets in ‘‘residential mortgage loans’’ (as defined in proposed part 1263); (3) define the term ‘‘insurance company’’ to exclude captive insurers from Bank membership, but permit existing captive members to remain members for five years with PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 certain restrictions on their ability to obtain advances; (4) require a Bank to obtain and review an insurance company’s audited financial statements when considering it for membership; and (5) clarify the standards by which an insurance company’s ‘‘principal place of business’’ is to be identified in determining the appropriate Bank district for membership. The comment period for the proposed rule was originally set to expire on November 12, 2014. However, FHFA has received numerous requests from the Banks and from other interested parties for additional time to review the rule and provide comments. In response to these requests, FHFA is extending the comment period by an additional 60 days. This will result in a total comment period of 120 days, which will expire on January 12, 2015. Dated: October 1, 2014. Melvin L. Watt, Director, Federal Housing Finance Agency. [FR Doc. 2014–23893 Filed 10–6–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 8070–01–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39 [Docket No. FAA–2014–0771; Directorate Identifier 2014–CE–006–AD] RIN 2120–AA64 Airworthiness Directives; Beechcraft Corporation Airplanes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). AGENCY: We propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Beechcraft Corporation Model G58 airplanes. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of fuel leaks due to fuel cells that did not properly fit in Model G58 airplanes. This proposed AD would require inspecting for and replacing, as necessary, certain fuel cells. This proposed AD would also require inspecting and replacing parts, as necessary, of the left and right fuel system installations and correcting torques on fuel system fittings; and prohibit future installations of certain fuel cells. We are proposing this AD to correct the unsafe condition on these products. SUMMARY: We must receive comments on this proposed AD by November 21, 2014. DATES: E:\FR\FM\07OCP1.SGM 07OCP1

Agencies

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 7, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 60383-60384]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23949]


========================================================================
Proposed Rules
                                                Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________

This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

========================================================================


Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 194 / Tuesday, October 7, 2014 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 60383]]



NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 50

[Docket No. PRM-50-108; NRC-2014-0171]


Fuel-Cladding Issues in Postulated Spent Fuel Pool Accidents

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Petition for rulemaking; notice of docketing.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received a 
petition for rulemaking (PRM) from Mr. Mark Edward Leyse (the 
petitioner), dated June 19, 2014. The petition was docketed by the NRC 
on July 14, 2014, and has been assigned Docket No. PRM-50-108. The 
petitioner requests that the NRC make new regulations concerning the 
use of spent fuel pool (SFP) accident evaluation models. The NRC is not 
requesting public comment on PRM-50-108 at this time.

DATES: October 7, 2014.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2014-0171 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information for this petition. You may 
obtain publicly-available information related to this petition by any 
of the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2014-0171. Address 
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-287-
3422; email: Carol.Gallagher@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of 
this document.
     NRC's Agencywide Documents Access and Management System 
(ADAMS): You may obtain publicly available documents online in the 
ADAMS Public Documents collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, select ``ADAMS Public Documents'' and 
then select ``Begin Web-based ADAMS Search.'' For problems with ADAMS, 
please contact the NRC's Public Document Room (PDR) reference staff at 
1-800-397-4209, 301-415-4737, or by email to pdr.resource@nrc.gov. The 
ADAMS accession number for each document referenced in this document 
(if that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time 
that a document is referenced. The petition, PRM-50-108, is available 
in ADAMS under Accession Number ML14195A388.
     NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public 
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O1-F21, One White Flint North, 11555 
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Doyle, Project Manager, Office 
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3748, email: 
Daniel.Doyle@nrc.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. The Petitioner

    Mr. Mark Edward Leyse (the petitioner) submitted this petition for 
rulemaking (PRM) as an individual. In Section II of the petition, 
``Statement of Petitioner's Interest,'' the petitioner explains that he 
disagrees with the conclusions of recent MELCOR simulations of boiling 
water reactor (BWR) Mark I spent fuel pool (SFP) accident scenarios. On 
December 23, 2013, Mr. Leyse submitted a PRM (ADAMS Accession No. 
ML14008A427) with similar requests. On March 21, 2014, the NRC 
requested additional information to further clarify the petitioner's 
request (ADAMS Accession No. ML14023A743). On June 19, 2014 (ADAMS 
Accession No. ML14195A388), the petitioner responded to the request and 
resubmitted the petition with additional information. After evaluating 
the resubmitted petition, the NRC has determined that the petition 
meets the threshold sufficiency requirements for a petition for 
rulemaking under Sec.  2.802 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal 
Regulations (10 CFR), ``Petition for rulemaking,'' and the petition has 
been docketed as PRM-50-108. The NRC is not requesting public comment 
on PRM-50-108 at this time.

II. The Petition

    The petition requests that the NRC develop new regulations 
requiring that (1) spent fuel pool (SFP) accident evaluation models use 
data from multi-rod bundle (assembly) severe accident experiments for 
calculating the rates of energy release, hydrogen generation, and fuel 
cladding oxidation from the zirconium-steam reaction; (2) SFP accident 
evaluation models use data from multi-rod bundle (assembly) severe 
accident experiments conducted with pre-oxidized fuel cladding for 
calculating the rates of energy release (from both fuel cladding 
oxidation and fuel cladding nitriding), fuel cladding oxidation, and 
fuel cladding nitriding from the zirconium-air reaction; (3) SFP 
accident evaluation models be required to conservatively model 
nitrogen-induced breakaway oxidation behavior; and (4) licensees be 
required to use conservative SFP accident evaluation models to perform 
annual SFP safety evaluations of: Postulated complete loss-of-coolant 
accident (LOCA) scenarios, postulated partial LOCA scenarios, and 
postulated boil-off accident scenarios.
    The petition references recent NRC post-Fukushima MELCOR 
simulations of BWR Mark I SFP accident/fire scenarios. The petition 
states that the conclusions from the NRC's MELCOR simulations are non-
conservative and misleading because their conclusions underestimate the 
probabilities of large radiological releases from SFP accidents.
    The petition states that in actual SFP fires, there would be 
quicker fuel-cladding temperature escalations, releasing more heat, and 
quicker axial and radial propagation of zirconium fires than MELCOR 
indicates. The petition states that the NRC's philosophy of defense-in-
depth requires the application of conservative models, and, therefore, 
it is necessary to improve the performance of MELCOR and any other 
computer safety models that are intended to accurately simulate SFP 
accident/fire scenarios.
    The petition claims that the new regulations would help improve 
public and plant-worker safety. The petitioner asserts that the first 
three proposed regulations, regarding zirconium fuel cladding oxidation 
and nitriding, as well as nitrogen-induced breakaway oxidation 
behavior, are intended to

[[Page 60384]]

improve the performance of computer safety models that simulate 
postulated SFP accident/fire scenarios. The petition states that the 
fourth proposed regulation would require that licensees use 
conservative SFP accident evaluation models to perform annual SFP 
safety evaluations of postulated complete LOCA scenarios, postulated 
partial LOCA scenarios, and postulated boil-off accident scenarios. The 
petition states that the purpose of these evaluations would be to keep 
the NRC informed of the potential consequences of postulated SFP 
accident/fire scenarios as fuel assembles were added, removed, or 
reconfigured in licensees' SFPs.

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of September, 2014.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Annette L. Vietti-Cook,
Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 2014-23949 Filed 10-6-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

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