Draft Regulatory Guide: Preparing Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Submittals, 14782-14783 [2024-04222]

Download as PDF 14782 Proposed Rules Federal Register Vol. 89, No. 41 Thursday, February 29, 2024 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 Parts 50, 52, 71, and 72 [NRC–2024–0036] Draft Regulatory Guide: Preparing Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Submittals I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ACTION: Draft guide; request for comment. AGENCY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment a draft Regulatory Guide (DG), DG–1422, ‘‘Preparing Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Submittals.’’ This DG is proposed Revision 1 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.245, ‘‘Preparing Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Submittals.’’ DG–1422 describes an approach that is acceptable to the staff of the NRC for performing probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analyses in support of regulatory applications. DATES: Submit comments by April 1, 2024. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC 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 however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the Federal rulemaking website: • Federal rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2024–0036. Address questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; telephone: 301–415–0624; email: Stacy. Schumann@nrc.gov. For technical questions, contact the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document. • Mail comments to: Office of Administration, Mail Stop: TWFN–7– A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555– khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:15 Feb 28, 2024 Jkt 262001 0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff. 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: Michael A. Eudy, telephone: 301–415– 3104; email: Michael.Eudy@nrc.gov and Patrick Raynaud, telephone: 301–415– 1987; email: Patrick.Raynaud@nrc.gov. Both are staff of the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555–0001. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A. Obtaining Information Please refer to Docket ID NRC–2024– 0036 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 Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC–2024–0036. • 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 ‘‘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, at 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 this document. • NRC’s PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to PDR.Resource@nrc.gov or call 1–800–397–4209 or 301–415– 4737, between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. B. Submitting Comments The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 Federal rulemaking website (https:// www.regulations.gov). Please include Docket ID NRC–2024–0036 in your comment submission. The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact information 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. 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. Additional Information The NRC is issuing for public comment a DG in the NRC’s ‘‘Regulatory Guide’’ series. This series was developed to describe methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the agency’s regulations, to explain techniques that the staff uses in evaluating specific issues or postulated events, and to describe information that the staff needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. The DG, entitled ‘‘Preparing Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Submittals,’’ is temporarily identified by its task number, DG–1422 (ADAMS Accession No. ML23291A298). This DG presents proposed guidance on justifying the acceptability of the methods used to generate and report PFM results. This DG does not describe how the results of PFM may be used to support a regulatory application. Regulatory applications typically contain information other than fracture mechanics analyses; this DG does not address the review of this other information. The proposed revisions made to RG 1.245, Revision 0 clarify guidance for applications that leverage risk insights, such as PFM. These changes are reflected in Regulatory Positions 2.1, ‘‘Regulatory Context,’’ and E:\FR\FM\29FEP1.SGM 29FEP1 Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 41 / Thursday, February 29, 2024 / Proposed Rules 2.2, ‘‘Information Made Available to the NRC Staff with a Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Submittal.’’ The staff is also issuing for public comment a draft regulatory analysis (ADAMS Accession No. ML23291A299). The staff developed the regulatory analysis to assess the value of revising RG 1.245, Revision 0, as well as alternative courses of action. As noted in the Federal Register on December 9, 2022 (87 FR 75671), this document is being published in the ‘‘Proposed Rules’’ section of the Federal Register to comply with publication requirements under chapter I of title 1 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). III. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality Issuance of DG–1422, if finalized, would not constitute backfitting as defined in 10 CFR 50.109, ‘‘Backfitting,’’ and as described in NRC Management Directive (MD) 8.4, ‘‘Management of Backfitting, Forward Fitting, Issue Finality, and Information Requests’’; affect issue finality of any approval issued under 10 CFR part 52, ‘‘Licenses, Certificates, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants’’; or constitute forward fitting as defined in MD 8.4, because, as explained in this DG, licensees would not be required to comply with the positions set forth in this DG. IV. Submitting Suggestions for Improvement of Regulatory Guides A member of the public may, at any time, submit suggestions to the NRC for improvement of existing RGs or for the development of new RGs. Suggestions can be submitted on the NRC’s public website at https://www.nrc.gov/readingrm/doc-collections/reg-guides/ contactus.html. Suggestions will be considered in future updates and enhancements to the ‘‘Regulatory Guide’’ series. khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with PROPOSALS Dated: February 23, 2024. For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Meraj Rahimi, Chief, Regulatory Guide and Programs Management Branch, Division of Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research. [FR Doc. 2024–04222 Filed 2–28–24; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 7590–01–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 16:15 Feb 28, 2024 Jkt 262001 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration 14 CFR Part 39 [Docket No. FAA–2024–0230; Project Identifier AD–2023–01064–Q] RIN 2120–AA64 Airworthiness Directives; Various Airplanes Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). AGENCY: The FAA proposes to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for all airplanes with certain Pacific Scientific Company rotary buckle assemblies (buckles) installed. This AD was prompted by a report of a manufacturing defect in the screws used inside the buckle. This proposed AD would require inspecting the buckle screws, and depending on the results, reidentifying the buckle, replacing the screws and reidentifying the buckle, or replacing the buckle. This proposed AD would also prohibit installing certain buckles. The FAA is proposing this AD to address the unsafe condition on these products. DATES: The FAA must receive comments on this proposed AD by April 15, 2024. ADDRESSES: You may send comments, using the procedures found in 14 CFR 11.43 and 11.45, by any of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. • Fax: 202–493–2251. • Mail: U.S. Department of Transportation, Docket Operations, M– 30, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. • Hand Delivery: Deliver to Mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. AD Docket: You may examine the AD docket at regulations.gov under Docket No. FAA–2024–0230; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The AD docket contains this NPRM, any comments received, and other information. The street address for Docket Operations is listed above. Material Incorporated by Reference: • For service information identified in this NPRM, contact Parker Meggitt Services, 1785 Voyager Avenue, Simi Valley, CA 93063; phone 877–666–0712; SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 14783 email TechSupport@meggitt.com; website meggitt.com/services_and_ support/customer_experience/updateon-buckle-assembly-service-bulletins. • You may view this service information at the FAA, Airworthiness Products Section, Operational Safety Branch, 2200 South 216th Street, Des Moines, WA. For information on the availability of this material at the FAA, call 206–231–3195. It is also available at regulations.gov by searching for and locating Docket No. FAA–2024–0230. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Kim, Aviation Safety Engineer, FAA, 3960 Paramount Boulevard, Lakewood, CA 90712; phone 562–627– 5274; email david.kim@faa.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments Invited The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or arguments about this proposal. Send your comments to an address listed under ADDRESSES. Include ‘‘Docket No. FAA–2024–0230; Project Identifier AD– 2023–01064–Q’’ at the beginning of your comments. The most helpful comments reference a specific portion of the proposal, explain the reason for any recommended change, and include supporting data. The FAA will consider all comments received by the closing date and may amend this proposal because of those comments. Except for Confidential Business Information (CBI) as described in the following paragraph, and other information as described in 14 CFR 11.35, the FAA will post all comments received, without change, to regulations.gov, including any personal information you provide. The agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this NPRM. Confidential Business Information CBI is commercial or financial information that is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner. Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552), CBI is exempt from public disclosure. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as ‘‘PROPIN.’’ The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this E:\FR\FM\29FEP1.SGM 29FEP1

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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 41 (Thursday, February 29, 2024)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 14782-14783]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-04222]


========================================================================
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. 89, No. 41 / Thursday, February 29, 2024 / 
Proposed Rules

[[Page 14782]]



NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Parts 50, 52, 71, and 72

[NRC-2024-0036]


Draft Regulatory Guide: Preparing Probabilistic Fracture 
Mechanics Submittals

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Draft guide; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for 
public comment a draft Regulatory Guide (DG), DG-1422, ``Preparing 
Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Submittals.'' This DG is proposed 
Revision 1 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.245, ``Preparing Probabilistic 
Fracture Mechanics Submittals.'' DG-1422 describes an approach that is 
acceptable to the staff of the NRC for performing probabilistic 
fracture mechanics (PFM) analyses in support of regulatory 
applications.

DATES: Submit comments by April 1, 2024. Comments received after this 
date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but the NRC 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 
however, the NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website:
     Federal rulemaking website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2024-0036. Address 
questions about Docket IDs in Regulations.gov to Stacy Schumann; 
telephone: 301-415-0624; email: [email protected]. For technical 
questions, contact the individuals listed in the FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document.
     Mail comments to: Office of Administration, Mail Stop: 
TWFN-7-A60M, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-
0001, ATTN: Program Management, Announcements and Editing Staff.
    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: Michael A. Eudy, telephone: 301-415-
3104; email: [email protected] and Patrick Raynaud, telephone: 301-
415-1987; email: [email protected]. Both are staff of the Office 
of Nuclear Regulatory Research at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Obtaining Information and Submitting Comments

A. Obtaining Information

    Please refer to Docket ID NRC-2024-0036 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 Website: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket ID NRC-2024-0036.
     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 ``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, at 301-415-4737, 
or by email to [email protected]. The ADAMS accession number for 
each document referenced (if it is available in ADAMS) is provided the 
first time that it is mentioned in this document.
     NRC's PDR: The PDR, where you may examine and order copies 
of publicly available documents, is open by appointment. To make an 
appointment to visit the PDR, please send an email to 
[email protected] or call 1-800-397-4209 or 301-415-4737, between 8 
a.m. and 4 p.m. eastern time (ET), Monday through Friday, except 
Federal holidays.

B. Submitting Comments

    The NRC encourages electronic comment submission through the 
Federal rulemaking website (https://www.regulations.gov). Please 
include Docket ID NRC-2024-0036 in your comment submission.
    The NRC cautions you not to include identifying or contact 
information 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. 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. Additional Information

    The NRC is issuing for public comment a DG in the NRC's 
``Regulatory Guide'' series. This series was developed to describe 
methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific 
parts of the agency's regulations, to explain techniques that the staff 
uses in evaluating specific issues or postulated events, and to 
describe information that the staff needs in its review of applications 
for permits and licenses.
    The DG, entitled ``Preparing Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics 
Submittals,'' is temporarily identified by its task number, DG-1422 
(ADAMS Accession No. ML23291A298).
    This DG presents proposed guidance on justifying the acceptability 
of the methods used to generate and report PFM results. This DG does 
not describe how the results of PFM may be used to support a regulatory 
application. Regulatory applications typically contain information 
other than fracture mechanics analyses; this DG does not address the 
review of this other information. The proposed revisions made to RG 
1.245, Revision 0 clarify guidance for applications that leverage risk 
insights, such as PFM. These changes are reflected in Regulatory 
Positions 2.1, ``Regulatory Context,'' and

[[Page 14783]]

2.2, ``Information Made Available to the NRC Staff with a Probabilistic 
Fracture Mechanics Submittal.''
    The staff is also issuing for public comment a draft regulatory 
analysis (ADAMS Accession No. ML23291A299). The staff developed the 
regulatory analysis to assess the value of revising RG 1.245, Revision 
0, as well as alternative courses of action.
    As noted in the Federal Register on December 9, 2022 (87 FR 75671), 
this document is being published in the ``Proposed Rules'' section of 
the Federal Register to comply with publication requirements under 
chapter I of title 1 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

III. Backfitting, Forward Fitting, and Issue Finality

    Issuance of DG-1422, if finalized, would not constitute backfitting 
as defined in 10 CFR 50.109, ``Backfitting,'' and as described in NRC 
Management Directive (MD) 8.4, ``Management of Backfitting, Forward 
Fitting, Issue Finality, and Information Requests''; affect issue 
finality of any approval issued under 10 CFR part 52, ``Licenses, 
Certificates, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants''; or constitute 
forward fitting as defined in MD 8.4, because, as explained in this DG, 
licensees would not be required to comply with the positions set forth 
in this DG.

IV. Submitting Suggestions for Improvement of Regulatory Guides

    A member of the public may, at any time, submit suggestions to the 
NRC for improvement of existing RGs or for the development of new RGs. 
Suggestions can be submitted on the NRC's public website at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/reg-guides/contactus.html. 
Suggestions will be considered in future updates and enhancements to 
the ``Regulatory Guide'' series.

    Dated: February 23, 2024.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Meraj Rahimi,
Chief, Regulatory Guide and Programs Management Branch, Division of 
Engineering, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 2024-04222 Filed 2-28-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7590-01-P

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