List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC International, Inc., MAGNASTOR® System; Certificate of Compliance No. 1031, Amendment No. 5, 36467-36469 [2015-15607]
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 122 / Thursday, June 25, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
Executive Orders 12866, 12988, 13175,
and 13563; the Paperwork Reduction
Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35); and the
E-Gov Act (44 U.S.C. 101).
After consideration of all relevant
material presented, it is found that
finalizing the interim rule, without
change, as published in the Federal
Register (80 FR 15673, March 25, 2015)
will tend to effectuate the declared
policy of the Act.
List of Subjects
7 CFR Part 944
Avocados, Food grades and standards,
Grapefruit, Grapes, Imports, Kiwifruit,
Limes, Olives, Oranges.
7 CFR Part 980
Food grades and standards, Imports,
Marketing agreements, Onions, Potatoes,
Tomatoes.
7 CFR Part 999
Dates, Filberts, Food grades and
standards, Imports, Nuts, Prunes,
Raisins, Reporting and recordkeeping
requirements, Walnuts.
Accordingly, the interim rule that
amended 7 CFR parts 944, 980, and 999
that was published at 80 FR 15673 on
March 25, 2015, is adopted as a final
rule, without change.
Dated: June 18, 2015.
Rex A. Barnes,
Associate Administrator, Agricultural
Marketing Service.
[FR Doc. 2015–15386 Filed 6–24–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
NUCLEAR REGULATORY
COMMISSION
10 CFR Part 72
[NRC–2014–0261]
RIN 3150–AJ50
List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage
Casks: NAC International, Inc.,
MAGNASTOR® System; Certificate of
Compliance No. 1031, Amendment
No. 5
Nuclear Regulatory
Commission.
ACTION: Direct final rule; confirmation of
effective date.
AGENCY:
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) is confirming the
effective date of June 29, 2015, for the
direct final rule that was published in
the Federal Register on April 15, 2015.
This direct final rule amended the
NRC’s spent fuel storage regulations by
revising the NAC International, Inc.,
Lhorne on DSK7TPTVN1PROD with RULES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
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Jkt 235001
MAGNASTOR® System listing within
the ‘‘List of approved spent fuel storage
casks’’ to include Amendment No. 5 to
Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No.
1031. Amendment No. 5 makes
numerous changes to the Technical
Specifications (TSs) including adding a
new damaged fuel assembly, revising
the maximum or minimum enrichments
for three fuel assembly designs, adding
four-zone preferential loading for
pressurized-water reactor fuel
assemblies and increasing the maximum
dose rates in limiting condition for
operation (LCO) 3.3.1, and other
editorial changes to Appendices A and
B of the TSs.
DATES: Effective Date: The effective date
of June 29, 2015, for the direct final rule
published April 15, 2015 (80 FR 20149),
is confirmed.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID
NRC–2014–0261 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of
information for this action. You may
obtain publicly-available information
related to this action by any of the
following methods:
• Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to
https://www.regulations.gov and search
for Docket ID NRC–2014–0261. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol
Gallagher; telephone: 301–415–3463;
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 publiclyavailable 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 (if it is available in
ADAMS) is provided the first time that
it is mentioned in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section.
• NRC’s PDR: You may examine and
purchase copies of public documents at
the NRC’s PDR, Room O–1F21, One
White Flint North, 11555 Rockville
Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Solomon Sahle, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone:
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
36467
301–415–3781; email: Solomon.Sahle@
nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Discussion
On April 15, 2015 (80 FR 20149), the
NRC published a direct final rule
amending its regulations in § 72.214 of
Title 10 of the Code of Federal
Regulations (10 CFR) by revising the
NAC International, Inc., MAGNASTOR®
System listing within the ‘‘List of
approved spent fuel storage casks’’ to
include Amendment No. 5 to CoC No.
1031. Amendment No. 5 makes
numerous changes to the TSs including
adding a new damaged fuel assembly,
revising the maximum or minimum
enrichments for three fuel assembly
designs, adding four-zone preferential
loading for pressurized-water reactor
fuel assemblies and increasing the
maximum dose rates in LCO 3.3.1, and
other editorial changes to Appendices A
and B of the TSs.
II. Public Comments on the Companion
Proposed Rule
In the direct final rule, the NRC stated
that if no significant adverse comments
were received, the direct final rule
would become effective on June 29,
2015. The NRC received two identical
public comments from private citizens
on the companion proposed rule (80 FR
20171). Electronic copies of these
comments can be obtained from the
Federal rulemaking Web site, https://
www.regulations.gov, by searching for
Docket ID NRC–2014–0261. The
comments also are available in ADAMS
under Accession No. ML15147A691.
For the reasons discussed in more detail
in Section III, ‘‘Public Comment
Analysis,’’ of this document, none of the
comments received are considered
significant adverse comments.
III. Public Comment Analysis
The NRC received two identical
comments from private citizens on the
proposed rule. As explained in the April
15, 2015, direct final rule (80 FR 20149),
the NRC would withdraw the direct
final rule only if it received a
‘‘significant adverse comment.’’ This is
a comment where the commenter
explains why the rule would be
inappropriate, including challenges to
the rule’s underlying premise or
approach, or would be ineffective or
unacceptable without a change. A
comment is adverse and significant if:
(1) The comment opposes the rule and
provides a reason sufficient to require a
substantive response in a notice-andcomment process. For example, a
substantive response is required when:
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 122 / Thursday, June 25, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
(a) The comment causes the NRC staff
to reevaluate (or reconsider) its position
or conduct additional analysis;
(b) The comment raises an issue
serious enough to warrant a substantive
response to clarify or complete the
record; or
(c) The comment raises a relevant
issue that was not previously addressed
or considered by the NRC staff.
(2) The comment proposes a change
or an addition to the rule, and it is
apparent that the rule would be
ineffective or unacceptable without
incorporation of the change or addition.
(3) The comment causes the NRC staff
to make a change (other than editorial)
to the rule, CoC, or TSs.
The NRC determined that none of the
comments submitted on this direct final
rule met any of these criteria. The
comments either were already
addressed in the NRC staff’s safety
evaluation report (SER) (ADAMS
Accession No. ML14216A310), were
beyond the scope of this rulemaking, or
failed to provide a reason sufficient to
require a substantive response in a
notice-and-comment rulemaking. The
NRC has not made any changes to the
direct final rule as a result of the public
comments. However, the NRC is taking
this opportunity to respond to the
individual comments to clarify
information about the CoC rulemaking
process.
For rulemakings amending or revising
a CoC, the scope of the rulemaking is
limited to the specific changes
requested by the applicant in the
request for the amendment or
amendment revision. Therefore,
comments about the system, or spent
fuel storage in general that are not
applicable to the changes requested by
the applicant are outside the scope of
this rulemaking. Comments about
details of the particular system that is
the subject of the rulemaking, but that
are not being addressed by the specific
changes requested, have already been
resolved in prior rulemakings. Persons
who have questions or concerns about
prior rulemakings and the resulting final
rules may consider the NRC’s process
for petitions for rulemaking under 10
CFR 2.802, ‘‘Petition for rulemaking.’’
Additionally, safety concerns about any
NRC-regulated activity may be reported
to the NRC in accordance with the
guidance posted on the NRC’s public
Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/aboutnrc/regulatory/allegations/safetyconcern.html. This Web site provides
information on how to notify the NRC
of emergency or non-emergency issues.
The NRC identified two overall issues
raised in the two identical comments
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received, and the NRC’s responses to
these issues follow.
Issue 1: Increased Dose Rate Around the
Storage Cask
The commenter stated that it is
unacceptable and unnecessary to
increase dry cask exposure. The
commenter stated that the exposure
should be decreasing instead of
increasing by 26 percent. By referencing
a Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation
(BEIR) report, the commenter stated that
120 mrem per hour gives whoever or
whatever is around the dry cask for 1
year over 100 percent chance of cancer
or leukemia. The commenter also stated
that it is impossible to have 450 mrem
per hour on top of the dry cask without
a similar dose surrounding it; and that
such dose does not meet as low as is
reasonably achievable requirements and
impacts not just people, but animals,
too. The commenter suggested counting
all casks together in determining dose,
rather than just using a single cask, as
indicated in Revision 1 of NUREG–
1536, ‘‘Standard Review Plan for Dry
Cask Storage Systems’’ (ADAMS
Accession No. ML101040620). The
commenter noted that variations in cask
emissions always appear to add up to
the required dose at the fence line.
NRC Response
These comments are not within the
scope of this specific rulemaking. This
rulemaking is limited to the addition of
Amendment No. 5 to CoC No. 1031 for
the MAGNASTOR® System. This
rulemaking does not propose any
change in the standards for approval of
a CoC or to the guidance documents
(such as NUREG–1536) that are used to
guide review of the CoC applications.
The regulations in 10 CFR part 72 for
approval of a CoC require the applicant
to demonstrate that storage of spent fuel
will not result in an annual dose beyond
the established regulatory limits for an
individual located beyond the site
boundary. (See 10 CFR 72.104).
Therefore, even though the changes
included in Amendment No. 5 increase
the dose rate on the surface of the
canister, the amendment was found to
be in compliance with 10 CFR part 72
because, as documented in Section 5.0
of the NRC staff’s SER (ADAMS
Accession No. ML14216A310), the
certificate holder demonstrated that the
potential dose at the site boundary
would remain below regulatory limits.
Moreover, storage casks that will be
loaded or stored under Amendment No.
5 to the MAGNASTOR® System are only
authorized for use under a general
license to power reactor licensees.
These licensees are subject to a number
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Frm 00004
Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
of other regulatory requirements that
limit exposure from the spent fuel in the
casks through regulations that directly
limit access to the casks and limit dose
to workers or members of the public
located on site at a nuclear power plant.
(See 10 CFR parts 20 and 73). Therefore,
any general licensee that uses this cask
system is subject to additional
regulatory requirements that ensure
dose rates to individuals on site remain
within regulatory limits. Those
additional regulatory requirements that
apply to the general licensee are not,
however, part of this rulemaking, but
are beyond its scope.
Issue 2: Bollards and Earthquake
Protection
The commenter stated that replacing
real earthquake-proof engineering with
bollards is not acceptable, as they might
puncture holes in the dry casks. The
commenter suggested developing other
ways to earthquake-proof already filled
casks such as anchors, dampers, or other
means. The commenter also suggested
making all new casks earthquake-proof,
for the maximum earthquake anywhere.
NRC Response
The safety issue regarding the use of
bollards was addressed by the NRC staff
in its SER, and the commenter does not
raise any additional information that
would alter the staff’s determination
that Amendment No. 5 to the
MAGNASTOR® System, when used
within the requirements of the proposed
CoC, will safely store spent fuel.
Amendment No. 5 includes a specific
TS to address this issue, TS 4.3.1(i)
(ADAMS Accession No. ML14216A257),
which requires a general licensee using
the system under this amendment to
evaluate the impact of the bollards on
the storage cask using that site’s designbasis earthquake. The TS requires the
licensee’s analysis to demonstrate that
any damage to the storage cask from the
bollards when analyzed using the site’s
specific design-basis earthquake, is
bounded by the applicant’s analysis of
a non-mechanistic tipover event
contained in the final safety analysis
report. (See Section 3 of the NRC staff’s
SER (ADAMS Accession No.
ML14216A310)).
As to the general comments raising
concerns with the regulatory
requirements and process in 10 CFR
part 72 for evaluating seismic issues in
the CoC application, those comments
are beyond the scope of this rulemaking
which is limited to the addition of
Amendment No. 5 to CoC No. 1031 for
the MAGNASTOR® System. Persons
who have questions or concerns about
prior rulemakings and the resulting final
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Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 122 / Thursday, June 25, 2015 / Rules and Regulations
rules may consider the NRC’s process
for petitions for rulemaking under 10
CFR 2.802.
Therefore, the NRC staff has
concluded that the comments received
on the companion proposed rule for
Amendment No. 5 to CoC No. 1031 for
the MAGNASTOR® System are not
significant adverse comments as defined
in NUREG/BR–0053, Revision 6,
‘‘United States Nuclear Regulatory
Commission Regulations Handbook’’
(ADAMS Accession No. ML052720461).
Therefore, this rule will become
effective as scheduled.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd
day of June, 2015.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Cindy Bladey,
Chief, Rules, Announcements, and Directives
Branch, Division of Administrative Services,
Office of Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015–15607 Filed 6–24–15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Aviation Administration
14 CFR Part 25
[Docket No. FAA–2015–0758; Special
Conditions No. 25–586–SC]
Special Conditions: L–3
Communications Integrated Systems,
Boeing Model 747–8 Series Airplanes;
Therapeutic Oxygen for Medical Use
Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), DOT.
ACTION: Final special conditions.
AGENCY:
These special conditions are
issued for the Boeing Model 747–8
series airplanes. These airplanes, as
modified by L–3 Communications
Integrated Systems (L–3
Communications), will have a novel or
unusual design feature when compared
to the state of technology envisioned in
the airworthiness standards for
transport category airplanes. This design
feature is therapeutic oxygen for
medical use installed in an executiveinterior airplane. The applicable
airworthiness regulations do not contain
adequate or appropriate safety standards
for this design feature. These special
conditions contain the additional safety
standards that the Administrator
considers necessary to establish a level
of safety equivalent to that established
by the existing airworthiness standards.
DATES: Effective June 25, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Hettman, FAA, Propulsion and
Mechanical Systems, ANM–112,
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SUMMARY:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
13:54 Jun 24, 2015
Jkt 235001
Transport Airplane Directorate, Aircraft
Certification Service, 1601 Lind Avenue
SW., Renton, Washington, 98057–3356;
telephone 425–227–2683; facsimile
425–227–1320.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On May 10, 2011, L–3
Communications applied for a
supplemental type certificate (STC) for
therapeutic oxygen for medical use in
the Boeing Model 747–8 series airplanes
equipped with executive interiors. The
Boeing Model 747–8 series airplane,
which is a derivative of the Boeing
Model 747–400 airplane currently
approved under Type Certificate No.
A20WE, is a four-engine jet transport
airplane that will have a maximum
takeoff weight of 970,000 lbs. The
Model 747–8 airplane will have 153
seats approved for taxi, takeoff, and
landing (19 crewmembers and 134
passengers).
Section 25.1445 includes standards
for oxygen distribution systems when
oxygen is supplied to flightcrew and
passengers. If a common source of
supply is used, § 25.1445(a)(2) requires
a means to separately reserve the
minimum supply required by the
flightcrew. This requirement was
included in § 25.1445 when the
regulations were codified, and was
originally added to Civil Air Regulations
4b.831 at Amendment 4b–13, effective
September 21, 1949.
It is apparent that the regulation is
intended to protect the flightcrew by
ensuring that an adequate supply of
oxygen is available to complete a
descent and landing following a loss of
cabin pressure. When the regulation was
written, the only passenger oxygen
system designs were supplemental
oxygen systems intended to protect
passengers from hypoxia in the event of
a decompression. Existing passenger
oxygen systems did not include design
features that would allow the flightcrew
to control oxygen to passengers during
flight. There are no similar requirements
when oxygen is supplied from the same
source to passengers for use during a
decompression and for discretionary/
first-aid use any time during the flight.
In the proposed design, the passenger
and therapeutic oxygen systems use the
same source of oxygen. The flightcrew
oxygen emergency system uses a
dedicated source of oxygen independent
from the passenger oxygen system. An
oxygen duration chart and operation
procedures will be incorporated into the
‘‘Flight Crew Operating Manual’’ and
‘‘Flight Manual Supplement,’’ as part of
the STC, to provide information to the
flightcrew to determine when to cease
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Frm 00005
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36469
operation of the therapeutic system as a
means by which to reserve the
minimum supply of supplemental
passenger oxygen.
Type Certification Basis
Under the provisions of § 21.101, L–
3 Communications must show that the
Boeing Model 747–8 series airplanes, as
changed, continue to meet the
applicable provisions of the regulations
listed in Type Certificate No. A20WE, or
the applicable regulations in effect on
the date of application for the change,
except for earlier amendments as agreed
upon by the FAA.
If the Administrator finds that the
applicable airworthiness regulations
(i.e., Title 14, Code of Federal
Regulations (14 CFR) part 25) do not
contain adequate or appropriate safety
standards for the Boeing Model 747–8
series airplanes because of a novel or
unusual design feature, special
conditions are prescribed under the
provisions of § 21.16.
Special conditions are initially
applicable to the model for which they
are issued. Should the applicant apply
for a supplemental type certificate to
modify any other model included on the
same type certificate to incorporate the
same or similar novel or unusual design
feature, these special conditions would
also apply to the other model under
§ 21.101.
In addition to the applicable
airworthiness regulations and special
conditions, the Boeing Model 747–8
series airplanes must comply with the
fuel vent and exhaust emission
requirements of 14 CFR part 34; and the
noise certification requirements of 14
CFR part 36.
The FAA issues special conditions, as
defined in 14 CFR 11.19, in accordance
with § 11.38, and they become part of
the type certification basis under
§ 21.101.
Novel or Unusual Design Features
The L–3 Communications
modifications to the Boeing Model 747–
8 series airplanes will incorporate the
following novel or unusual design
feature:
L–3 Communications is seeking
certification of an interior modification
to Boeing Model 747–8 series airplanes
to include executive and medical
patient transport. As a part of the
executive interior installation, the
airplane will be outfitted with a
therapeutic oxygen system. The
therapeutic oxygen system shares the
same supply of oxygen with the existing
passenger oxygen system and consists of
multiple constant flow oxygen outlets
located throughout the cabin. The
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Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 122 (Thursday, June 25, 2015)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 36467-36469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15607]
=======================================================================
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
10 CFR Part 72
[NRC-2014-0261]
RIN 3150-AJ50
List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks: NAC International,
Inc., MAGNASTOR[supreg] System; Certificate of Compliance No. 1031,
Amendment No. 5
AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Direct final rule; confirmation of effective date.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the
effective date of June 29, 2015, for the direct final rule that was
published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2015. This direct final
rule amended the NRC's spent fuel storage regulations by revising the
NAC International, Inc., MAGNASTOR[supreg] System listing within the
``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No.
5 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1031. Amendment No. 5 makes
numerous changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) including adding
a new damaged fuel assembly, revising the maximum or minimum
enrichments for three fuel assembly designs, adding four-zone
preferential loading for pressurized-water reactor fuel assemblies and
increasing the maximum dose rates in limiting condition for operation
(LCO) 3.3.1, and other editorial changes to Appendices A and B of the
TSs.
DATES: Effective Date: The effective date of June 29, 2015, for the
direct final rule published April 15, 2015 (80 FR 20149), is confirmed.
ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2014-0261 when contacting the
NRC about the availability of information for this action. You may
obtain publicly-available information related to this action by any of
the following methods:
Federal Rulemaking Web site: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2014-0261. Address
questions about NRC dockets to Carol Gallagher; telephone: 301-415-
3463; 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 (if it is available
in ADAMS) is provided the first time that it is mentioned in the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.
NRC's PDR: You may examine and purchase copies of public
documents at the NRC's PDR, Room O-1F21, One White Flint North, 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Solomon Sahle, Office of Nuclear
Material Safety and Safeguards, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission,
Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone: 301-415-3781; email:
Solomon.Sahle@nrc.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Discussion
On April 15, 2015 (80 FR 20149), the NRC published a direct final
rule amending its regulations in Sec. 72.214 of Title 10 of the Code
of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) by revising the NAC International,
Inc., MAGNASTOR[supreg] System listing within the ``List of approved
spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 5 to CoC No. 1031.
Amendment No. 5 makes numerous changes to the TSs including adding a
new damaged fuel assembly, revising the maximum or minimum enrichments
for three fuel assembly designs, adding four-zone preferential loading
for pressurized-water reactor fuel assemblies and increasing the
maximum dose rates in LCO 3.3.1, and other editorial changes to
Appendices A and B of the TSs.
II. Public Comments on the Companion Proposed Rule
In the direct final rule, the NRC stated that if no significant
adverse comments were received, the direct final rule would become
effective on June 29, 2015. The NRC received two identical public
comments from private citizens on the companion proposed rule (80 FR
20171). Electronic copies of these comments can be obtained from the
Federal rulemaking Web site, https://www.regulations.gov, by searching
for Docket ID NRC-2014-0261. The comments also are available in ADAMS
under Accession No. ML15147A691. For the reasons discussed in more
detail in Section III, ``Public Comment Analysis,'' of this document,
none of the comments received are considered significant adverse
comments.
III. Public Comment Analysis
The NRC received two identical comments from private citizens on
the proposed rule. As explained in the April 15, 2015, direct final
rule (80 FR 20149), the NRC would withdraw the direct final rule only
if it received a ``significant adverse comment.'' This is a comment
where the commenter explains why the rule would be inappropriate,
including challenges to the rule's underlying premise or approach, or
would be ineffective or unacceptable without a change. A comment is
adverse and significant if:
(1) The comment opposes the rule and provides a reason sufficient
to require a substantive response in a notice-and-comment process. For
example, a substantive response is required when:
[[Page 36468]]
(a) The comment causes the NRC staff to reevaluate (or reconsider)
its position or conduct additional analysis;
(b) The comment raises an issue serious enough to warrant a
substantive response to clarify or complete the record; or
(c) The comment raises a relevant issue that was not previously
addressed or considered by the NRC staff.
(2) The comment proposes a change or an addition to the rule, and
it is apparent that the rule would be ineffective or unacceptable
without incorporation of the change or addition.
(3) The comment causes the NRC staff to make a change (other than
editorial) to the rule, CoC, or TSs.
The NRC determined that none of the comments submitted on this
direct final rule met any of these criteria. The comments either were
already addressed in the NRC staff's safety evaluation report (SER)
(ADAMS Accession No. ML14216A310), were beyond the scope of this
rulemaking, or failed to provide a reason sufficient to require a
substantive response in a notice-and-comment rulemaking. The NRC has
not made any changes to the direct final rule as a result of the public
comments. However, the NRC is taking this opportunity to respond to the
individual comments to clarify information about the CoC rulemaking
process.
For rulemakings amending or revising a CoC, the scope of the
rulemaking is limited to the specific changes requested by the
applicant in the request for the amendment or amendment revision.
Therefore, comments about the system, or spent fuel storage in general
that are not applicable to the changes requested by the applicant are
outside the scope of this rulemaking. Comments about details of the
particular system that is the subject of the rulemaking, but that are
not being addressed by the specific changes requested, have already
been resolved in prior rulemakings. Persons who have questions or
concerns about prior rulemakings and the resulting final rules may
consider the NRC's process for petitions for rulemaking under 10 CFR
2.802, ``Petition for rulemaking.'' Additionally, safety concerns about
any NRC-regulated activity may be reported to the NRC in accordance
with the guidance posted on the NRC's public Web site at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/allegations/safety-concern.html. This
Web site provides information on how to notify the NRC of emergency or
non-emergency issues.
The NRC identified two overall issues raised in the two identical
comments received, and the NRC's responses to these issues follow.
Issue 1: Increased Dose Rate Around the Storage Cask
The commenter stated that it is unacceptable and unnecessary to
increase dry cask exposure. The commenter stated that the exposure
should be decreasing instead of increasing by 26 percent. By
referencing a Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) report,
the commenter stated that 120 mrem per hour gives whoever or whatever
is around the dry cask for 1 year over 100 percent chance of cancer or
leukemia. The commenter also stated that it is impossible to have 450
mrem per hour on top of the dry cask without a similar dose surrounding
it; and that such dose does not meet as low as is reasonably achievable
requirements and impacts not just people, but animals, too. The
commenter suggested counting all casks together in determining dose,
rather than just using a single cask, as indicated in Revision 1 of
NUREG-1536, ``Standard Review Plan for Dry Cask Storage Systems''
(ADAMS Accession No. ML101040620). The commenter noted that variations
in cask emissions always appear to add up to the required dose at the
fence line.
NRC Response
These comments are not within the scope of this specific
rulemaking. This rulemaking is limited to the addition of Amendment No.
5 to CoC No. 1031 for the MAGNASTOR[supreg] System. This rulemaking
does not propose any change in the standards for approval of a CoC or
to the guidance documents (such as NUREG-1536) that are used to guide
review of the CoC applications. The regulations in 10 CFR part 72 for
approval of a CoC require the applicant to demonstrate that storage of
spent fuel will not result in an annual dose beyond the established
regulatory limits for an individual located beyond the site boundary.
(See 10 CFR 72.104). Therefore, even though the changes included in
Amendment No. 5 increase the dose rate on the surface of the canister,
the amendment was found to be in compliance with 10 CFR part 72
because, as documented in Section 5.0 of the NRC staff's SER (ADAMS
Accession No. ML14216A310), the certificate holder demonstrated that
the potential dose at the site boundary would remain below regulatory
limits.
Moreover, storage casks that will be loaded or stored under
Amendment No. 5 to the MAGNASTOR[supreg] System are only authorized for
use under a general license to power reactor licensees. These licensees
are subject to a number of other regulatory requirements that limit
exposure from the spent fuel in the casks through regulations that
directly limit access to the casks and limit dose to workers or members
of the public located on site at a nuclear power plant. (See 10 CFR
parts 20 and 73). Therefore, any general licensee that uses this cask
system is subject to additional regulatory requirements that ensure
dose rates to individuals on site remain within regulatory limits.
Those additional regulatory requirements that apply to the general
licensee are not, however, part of this rulemaking, but are beyond its
scope.
Issue 2: Bollards and Earthquake Protection
The commenter stated that replacing real earthquake-proof
engineering with bollards is not acceptable, as they might puncture
holes in the dry casks. The commenter suggested developing other ways
to earthquake-proof already filled casks such as anchors, dampers, or
other means. The commenter also suggested making all new casks
earthquake-proof, for the maximum earthquake anywhere.
NRC Response
The safety issue regarding the use of bollards was addressed by the
NRC staff in its SER, and the commenter does not raise any additional
information that would alter the staff's determination that Amendment
No. 5 to the MAGNASTOR[supreg] System, when used within the
requirements of the proposed CoC, will safely store spent fuel.
Amendment No. 5 includes a specific TS to address this issue, TS
4.3.1(i) (ADAMS Accession No. ML14216A257), which requires a general
licensee using the system under this amendment to evaluate the impact
of the bollards on the storage cask using that site's design-basis
earthquake. The TS requires the licensee's analysis to demonstrate that
any damage to the storage cask from the bollards when analyzed using
the site's specific design-basis earthquake, is bounded by the
applicant's analysis of a non-mechanistic tipover event contained in
the final safety analysis report. (See Section 3 of the NRC staff's SER
(ADAMS Accession No. ML14216A310)).
As to the general comments raising concerns with the regulatory
requirements and process in 10 CFR part 72 for evaluating seismic
issues in the CoC application, those comments are beyond the scope of
this rulemaking which is limited to the addition of Amendment No. 5 to
CoC No. 1031 for the MAGNASTOR[supreg] System. Persons who have
questions or concerns about prior rulemakings and the resulting final
[[Page 36469]]
rules may consider the NRC's process for petitions for rulemaking under
10 CFR 2.802.
Therefore, the NRC staff has concluded that the comments received
on the companion proposed rule for Amendment No. 5 to CoC No. 1031 for
the MAGNASTOR[supreg] System are not significant adverse comments as
defined in NUREG/BR-0053, Revision 6, ``United States Nuclear
Regulatory Commission Regulations Handbook'' (ADAMS Accession No.
ML052720461). Therefore, this rule will become effective as scheduled.
Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 22nd day of June, 2015.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Cindy Bladey,
Chief, Rules, Announcements, and Directives Branch, Division of
Administrative Services, Office of Administration.
[FR Doc. 2015-15607 Filed 6-24-15; 8:45 am]
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