Regulatory Guidance and Technical Basis on the Alternate Pressurized Thermal Shock Rule, 48471-48472 [2018-20827]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 25, 2018 / Notices Members of the public may request to receive this information electronically. If you would like to be added to the distribution, please contact the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Office of the Secretary, Washington, DC 20555 (301– 415–1969), or you may email Patricia.Jimenez@nrc.gov or Wendy.Moore@nrc.gov. Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of September, 2018. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Denise L. McGovern, Policy Coordinator, Office of the Secretary. [FR Doc. 2018–20888 Filed 9–21–18; 11:15 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION RIN 3150–AI01 [NRC–2014–0137] Regulatory Guidance and Technical Basis on the Alternate Pressurized Thermal Shock Rule Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Regulatory guide; issuance. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 0 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.230, ‘‘Regulatory Guidance on the Alternate Pressurized Thermal Shock Rule’’ and the associated technical basis, NUREG– 2163, ‘‘Technical Basis for Regulatory Guidance on the Alternate Pressurized Thermal Shock Rule.’’ This guidance describes a method that the NRC staff considers acceptable to permit use of the alternate fracture toughness requirements for protection against pressurized thermal shock events for pressurized water reactor pressure vessels. DATES: Revision 0 to RG 1.230 is available on September 25, 2018. ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2014–0137 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You may obtain publically-available information related to this document, using the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2014–0137. Address questions about docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges; telephone: 301–287–9127; email: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • NRC’s Agencywide Documents Access and Management System daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:40 Sep 24, 2018 Jkt 244001 48471 (ADAMS): You may obtain publiclyavailable documents online in the ADAMS Public Document collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ adams.html. To begin the search, 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 notice (if that document is available in ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. Revision 0 to Regulatory Guide 1.230, and the regulatory analysis may be found in ADAMS under Accession No. ML15344A402 and ML14056A013 respectively. Revision 0 to NUREG– 2163 may be found in ADAMS under Accession No. ML18255A118. • 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. Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, and NRC approval is not required to reproduce them. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Kirk, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone: 301–415–2456, email: Mark.Kirk@nrc.gov, and Stephen Burton, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone: 301–415–7000, email: Stephen.Burton@nrc.gov. Both are staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– 0001. Requirements for Protection against Pressurized Thermal Shock Events.’’ The alternate PTS requirements are based on updated analysis methods, whereas the requirements in 10 CFR 50.61, ‘‘Fracture Toughness Requirements for Protection against Pressurized Thermal Shock Events,’’ are based on overly conservative probabilistic fracture mechanics analyses. NUREG–2163 explains the basis for the requirements that establish the threshold conditions to permit use of 10 CFR 50.61a in lieu of 10 CFR 50.61 and describes methods by which the following four requirements can be met: (1) Criteria relating to the date of construction and design requirements, (2) criteria relating to evaluation of plant specific surveillance data, (3) criteria relating to inservice inspection data and non-destructive examination requirements, and (4) criteria relating to alternate limits on embrittlement. Revision 0 of RG 1.230 also describes these methods in a manner consistent with NUREG–2163. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: III. Congressional Review Act RG 1.230 is a rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act (5 U.S.C. 801–808). However, the Office of Management and Budget has not found it to be a major rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act. I. Introduction The NRC is issuing a new guide in the NRC’s ‘‘Regulatory Guide’’ series. This series was developed to describe and make available to the public information regarding methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the agency’s regulations, techniques that the NRC staff uses in evaluating specific issues or postulated events, and data that the NRC staff needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. Revision 0 of RG 1.230 was issued with a temporary identification of Draft Regulatory Guide, DG–1299. This RG is being issued to describe a method that the staff of the NRC considers acceptable to meet the alternate fracture toughness requirements for protection against pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events for pressurized water reactor (PWR) reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) in section 50.61a of title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ‘‘Alternate Fracture Toughness PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 II. Additional Information The DG–1299 and draft NUREG–2163 were published in the Federal Register on March 13, 2015 (80 FR 13449) for a 60-day public comment period. The public comment period closed on May 12, 2015. Public comments on DG–1299 and draft NUREG–2163 and the NRC staff responses to the public comments are available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML15344A398. IV. Backfitting and Issue Finality The RG 1.230 provides guidance on the methods acceptable to the NRC for complying with the NRC’s regulations associated with alternate fracture toughness requirements for protection against PTS events for PWR RPVs. NUREG–2163 provides technical bases that support the RG. The RG, like the alternate PTS requirements of 10 CFR 50.61a, applies to holders of operating licenses for a PWR whose construction permit was issued before February 3, 2010. Issuance of this RG and NUREG does not constitute backfitting under 10 CFR part 50. As discussed in the ‘‘Implementation’’ section of RG 1.230, the NRC has no current intention to impose the RG on current holders of 10 E:\FR\FM\25SEN1.SGM 25SEN1 48472 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 186 / Tuesday, September 25, 2018 / Notices CFR part 50 operating licenses. Also, this RG is the first guidance issued for the 10 CFR 50.61a final rule, which itself was an alternative to 10 CFR 50.61 and therefore not a backfit on current licensees (75 FR 1322; January 4, 2010). The first issuance of guidance on a newly-added rule does not constitute backfitting when, as here, the guidance is consistent with the regulatory requirements in the newly-added rule, and the backfitting considerations applicable to the newly-added rule apply to this guidance. Therefore, issuance of RG 1.230 does not constitute backfitting within the definition provided in 10 CFR 50.109(a)(1). Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of September 2018. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Thomas H. Boyce, Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. [FR Doc. 2018–20827 Filed 9–24–18; 8:45 am] I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments BILLING CODE 7590–01–P NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC–2017–0060] Information Collection: NRC Form 361, Reactor Plant Event Notification Worksheet; NRC Form 361A, Fuel Cycle and Materials Event Notification Worksheet; NRC Form 361N, NonPower Reactor Event Notification Worksheet Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Proposed information collection; request for comment. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on this proposed collection of information. The information collection is entitled, ‘‘NRC Form 361, Reactor Plant Event Notification Worksheet; NRC Form 361A, Fuel Cycle and Materials Event Notification Worksheet; NRC Form 361N, Non-Power Reactor Event Notification Worksheet.’’ DATES: Submit comments by November 26, 2018. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the Commission is able to ensure consideration only for comments received on or before this date. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2017–0060. Address questions about docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges; daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:40 Sep 24, 2018 Jkt 244001 telephone: 301–287–9127; email: Jennifer.Borges@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • Mail comments to: David Cullison, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Mail Stop: O–1 F13, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. For additional direction on obtaining information and submitting comments, see ‘‘Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments’’ in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Cullison, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Mail Stop: O–1 F13, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415–2084; email: Infocollects.Resource@nrc.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2017– 0060 when contacting the NRC about the availability of information for this action. You may obtain publiclyavailable information related to this action by any of the following methods: • Federal Rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search Docket ID NRC–2017–0060. A copy of the collection of information and related instructions may be obtained without charge by accessing Docket ID NRC– 2017–0060 on this website. • 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 ‘‘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. A copy of the collection of information and related instructions may be obtained without charge by accessing ADAMS Accession No. ML18038A512. The supporting statement is available in ADAMS under Accession No. ML18038A511. • 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. • NRC’s Clearance Officer: A copy of the collection of information and related instructions may be obtained without PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 charge by contacting NRC’s Clearance Officer, David Cullison, Office of the Chief Information Officer, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001; telephone: 301–415– 2084; email: Infocollects.Resource@ nrc.gov. B. Submitting Comments Please include Docket ID NRC–2017– 0060 in the subject line of your comment submission, in order to ensure that the NRC is able to make your comment submission available to the public in this docket. The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information in comment submissions that you do not want to be publicly disclosed in your comment submission. The NRC will post all comment submissions at https:// www.regulations.gov as well as enter the comment submissions into ADAMS, and the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove identifying or contact information. If you are requesting or aggregating comments from other persons for submission to the NRC, then you should inform those persons not to include identifying or contact information that they do not want to be publicly disclosed in their comment submission. Your request should state that the NRC does not routinely edit comment submissions to remove such information before making the comment submissions available to the public or entering the comment into ADAMS. II. Background In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35), the NRC is requesting public comment on its intention to request the OMB’s approval for the information collection summarized below. 1. The title of the information collection: ‘‘NRC Form 361, Reactor Plant Event Notification Worksheet; NRC Form 361A, Fuel Cycle and Materials Event Notification Worksheet; NRC Form 361N, Non-Power Reactor Event Notification Worksheet.’’ 2. OMB approval number: 3150– XXXX. 3. Type of submission: New. 4. The form number, if applicable: NRC Form 361, NRC Form 361A, NRC Form 361N. 5. How often the collection is required or requested: On occasion, as defined NRC licensee events are reportable when they occur. 6. Who will be required or asked to respond: Holders of NRC licenses for commercial nuclear power plants, fuel E:\FR\FM\25SEN1.SGM 25SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48471-48472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-20827]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

RIN 3150-AI01
[NRC-2014-0137]


Regulatory Guidance and Technical Basis on the Alternate 
Pressurized Thermal Shock Rule

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Regulatory guide; issuance.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing 
Revision 0 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.230, ``Regulatory Guidance on the 
Alternate Pressurized Thermal Shock Rule'' and the associated technical 
basis, NUREG-2163, ``Technical Basis for Regulatory Guidance on the 
Alternate Pressurized Thermal Shock Rule.'' This guidance describes a 
method that the NRC staff considers acceptable to permit use of the 
alternate fracture toughness requirements for protection against 
pressurized thermal shock events for pressurized water reactor pressure 
vessels.

DATES: Revision 0 to RG 1.230 is available on September 25, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2014-0137 when contacting the 
NRC about the availability of information regarding this document. You 
may obtain publically-available information related to this document, 
using the following methods:
     Federal Rulemaking Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2014-0137. Address 
questions about docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Jennifer Borges; 
telephone: 301-287-9127; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individuals 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 Document collection at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/adams.html. To begin the search, 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 [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for each 
document referenced in this notice (if that document is available in 
ADAMS) is provided the first time that a document is referenced. 
Revision 0 to Regulatory Guide 1.230, and the regulatory analysis may 
be found in ADAMS under Accession No. ML15344A402 and ML14056A013 
respectively. Revision 0 to NUREG-2163 may be found in ADAMS under 
Accession No. ML18255A118.
     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.
    Regulatory guides are not copyrighted, and NRC approval is not 
required to reproduce them.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Kirk, Office of Nuclear 
Regulatory Research, telephone: 301-415-2456, email: [email protected], 
and Stephen Burton, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, telephone: 
301-415-7000, email: [email protected]. Both are staff of the U.S. 
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Introduction

    The NRC is issuing a new guide in the NRC's ``Regulatory Guide'' 
series. This series was developed to describe and make available to the 
public information regarding methods that are acceptable to the NRC 
staff for implementing specific parts of the agency's regulations, 
techniques that the NRC staff uses in evaluating specific issues or 
postulated events, and data that the NRC staff needs in its review of 
applications for permits and licenses.
    Revision 0 of RG 1.230 was issued with a temporary identification 
of Draft Regulatory Guide, DG-1299. This RG is being issued to describe 
a method that the staff of the NRC considers acceptable to meet the 
alternate fracture toughness requirements for protection against 
pressurized thermal shock (PTS) events for pressurized water reactor 
(PWR) reactor pressure vessels (RPVs) in section 50.61a of title 10 of 
the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Alternate Fracture 
Toughness Requirements for Protection against Pressurized Thermal Shock 
Events.'' The alternate PTS requirements are based on updated analysis 
methods, whereas the requirements in 10 CFR 50.61, ``Fracture Toughness 
Requirements for Protection against Pressurized Thermal Shock Events,'' 
are based on overly conservative probabilistic fracture mechanics 
analyses.
    NUREG-2163 explains the basis for the requirements that establish 
the threshold conditions to permit use of 10 CFR 50.61a in lieu of 10 
CFR 50.61 and describes methods by which the following four 
requirements can be met: (1) Criteria relating to the date of 
construction and design requirements, (2) criteria relating to 
evaluation of plant specific surveillance data, (3) criteria relating 
to inservice inspection data and non-destructive examination 
requirements, and (4) criteria relating to alternate limits on 
embrittlement. Revision 0 of RG 1.230 also describes these methods in a 
manner consistent with NUREG-2163.

II. Additional Information

    The DG-1299 and draft NUREG-2163 were published in the Federal 
Register on March 13, 2015 (80 FR 13449) for a 60-day public comment 
period. The public comment period closed on May 12, 2015. Public 
comments on DG-1299 and draft NUREG-2163 and the NRC staff responses to 
the public comments are available in ADAMS under Accession No. 
ML15344A398.

III. Congressional Review Act

    RG 1.230 is a rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act (5 
U.S.C. 801-808). However, the Office of Management and Budget has not 
found it to be a major rule as defined in the Congressional Review Act.

IV. Backfitting and Issue Finality

    The RG 1.230 provides guidance on the methods acceptable to the NRC 
for complying with the NRC's regulations associated with alternate 
fracture toughness requirements for protection against PTS events for 
PWR RPVs. NUREG-2163 provides technical bases that support the RG. The 
RG, like the alternate PTS requirements of 10 CFR 50.61a, applies to 
holders of operating licenses for a PWR whose construction permit was 
issued before February 3, 2010.
    Issuance of this RG and NUREG does not constitute backfitting under 
10 CFR part 50. As discussed in the ``Implementation'' section of RG 
1.230, the NRC has no current intention to impose the RG on current 
holders of 10

[[Page 48472]]

CFR part 50 operating licenses. Also, this RG is the first guidance 
issued for the 10 CFR 50.61a final rule, which itself was an 
alternative to 10 CFR 50.61 and therefore not a backfit on current 
licensees (75 FR 1322; January 4, 2010). The first issuance of guidance 
on a newly-added rule does not constitute backfitting when, as here, 
the guidance is consistent with the regulatory requirements in the 
newly-added rule, and the backfitting considerations applicable to the 
newly-added rule apply to this guidance. Therefore, issuance of RG 
1.230 does not constitute backfitting within the definition provided in 
10 CFR 50.109(a)(1).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 20th day of September 2018.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Thomas H. Boyce,
Chief, Regulatory Guidance and Generic Issues Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2018-20827 Filed 9-24-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P
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