Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued exemptions in response to an April 12, 2019, request from Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon, the licensee). One exemption permits the use of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit 1 (TMI-1) Decommissioning Trust Fund (DTF) for spent fuel management activities based on the TMI-1 post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) and site-specific decommissioning cost estimate (DCE). The other exemption permits the licensee to make withdrawals from the DTF for spent fuel management activities without prior notification of the NRC.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft plant-specific Supplement 6, Second Renewal, to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, NUREG-1437, regarding the subsequent renewal of Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-32 and DPR-37 for an additional 20 years of operation for Surry Power Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Surry). The Surry facility is located in Surry County, Virginia. Possible alternatives to the proposed action (subsequent license renewal) include no action and reasonable replacement power alternatives.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``NRC Forms 540 and 540A, Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest (Shipping Paper) and Continuation Page.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``NRC Forms 541 and 541A, Uniform Low-Level Radioactive Waste Manifest (Container and Waste Description) and Continuation Page.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff accepts and dockets an application submitted by SHINE Medical Technologies, LLC (SHINE), dated July 17, 2019, filed pursuant to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, and the NRC's regulations, for an operating license for the SHINE Medical Isotope Production Facility.

In approximately 4 to 7 months, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will publish in the Federal Register a notice of intended operation, which will allow the public to submit requests for hearing regarding the licensee's conformance with the acceptance criteria in the combined license (COL) for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP) Unit 3. These acceptance criteria are part of the inspections, tests, analyses, and acceptance criteria (ITAAC) included in the COL. If a member of the public believes access to Safeguards Information (SGI) is necessary to file a hearing request, then members of the public must satisfy several standards, including a determination by the NRC that they are ``trustworthy and reliable.'' Because the background checks used to support trustworthiness and reliability determinations take some time to complete, the NRC is providing this ``pre-clearance'' process, by which members of the public may initiate background checks to be completed by an investigative agency well before the hearing process begins. Also, the NRC will hold a public information meeting on the ITAAC hearing process.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an existing collection of information. The information collection is entitled, NRC Form 850, ``Request for Contractor Assignment(s).''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) regarding a partial site release for license Nos. DPR-1 (Vallecitos Boiling Water Reactor) and DR-10 (Empire State Atomic Development Agency Vallecitos Experimental Superheat Reactor), issued to GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy at the Vallecitos Nuclear Center in Sunol, California.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has announced appointments to the NRC Performance Review Board (PRB) responsible for making recommendations on performance appraisal ratings and performance awards for NRC Senior Executives and Senior Level System employees and appointments to the NRC PRB Panel responsible for making recommendations to the appointing and awarding authorities for NRC PRB members.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of amendment requests for Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Units 3 and 4. For the amendment requests, the NRC proposes to determine that they involve no significant hazards consideration. Because each amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI) an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``Reporting of Defects and Noncompliance.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 Multipurpose Canister Cask System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 14 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1014. Amendment No. 14 revises the technical specifications to add new heat loading patterns, reduce the minimum cooling time, allow use of a damaged fuel isolator for storing damaged fuel, and modify the description of vents in overpack. Amendment No. 14 also makes other administrative changes to the technical specifications.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an order approving the direct transfer of Possession Only License No. DPR- 45 for the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR), with respect to NRC-licensed possession, maintenance, and decommissioning authorities, from the current holder, LaCrosseSolutions, LLC (LS), to Dairyland Power Cooperative (DPC), which held these authorities prior to transferring them to LS on June 1, 2016, and which is currently the licensed owner of LACBWR. The NRC is also amending the facility operating license for administrative purposes to reflect the license transfer from LS to DPC. The NRC determined that DPC is qualified to be the holder of the license and that the transfer of the license is otherwise consistent with applicable provisions of law, regulations, and orders issued by the Commission. The Order approving the transfer of the LACBWR license to DPC became effective on September 24, 2019.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted the request of Exelon Generation Company, LLC to withdraw its application dated July 19, 2018, as supplemented by letters dated October 19, 2018 and May 30, 2019, for proposed amendments to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-72 and NPF-77. The proposed amendment would have modified the renewed facility operating licenses to utilize TVEL TVS-K lead test assemblies.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is undertaking activities to develop a report identifying best practices for establishment and operation of local community advisory boards (CABs) associated with decommissioning activities, including lessons learned from existing boards, as required by the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA). As part of developing the report, the NRC is hosting 11 public meetings and a public webinar to consult with host States, communities within the emergency planning zone of an applicable nuclear power reactor, and existing local CABs. In addition to these public meetings and public webinar, the NRC has developed a questionnaire to collect information regarding the areas identified in NEIMA with respect to the creation and operation of CABs. The results of the meetings, along with any other data received as a result of the NRC's information collection activities associated with the NEIMA Section 108, will be captured in a best practices report that will be submitted to Congress.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing Regulatory Guide (RG) 3.53, ``Applicability of Existing Regulatory Guides to the Design, Construction, and Operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation.'' This document is being withdrawn because the information included in the RG has been superseded by newer guidance and is therefore no longer needed.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an existing collection of information. The information collection is entitled, ``NRC Form 314, Certificate of Disposition of Materials.'' NRC Form 314 is submitted by a materials licensee who wishes to terminate its license. The form provides information needed by NRC to determine whether the licensee has radioactive materials on hand which must be transferred or otherwise disposed of prior to expiration or termination of the license.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting an exemption under its regulations to the U.S. Navy from the decommissioning requirements as it relates to six Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs). The approval would allow the in-situ abandonment of six RTGs on the ocean bottom and subsequent termination of Naval Radioactive Materials Permit No. 45-4650-N1NP, Naval Nuclear Power Unit, Port Hueneme, California.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-51 and NPF-6, issued to Entergy Operations, Inc. (Entergy, the licensee), for Arkansas Nuclear One (ANO), Units 1 and 2 (ANO-1 and ANO-2), respectively. The proposed amendments would extend the implementation dates for License Amendment Nos. 264 and 314 for ANO-1 and ANO-2, respectively, from October 30, 2019, to January 14, 2020. These amendments, which were issued on January 17, 2019, approved an update to the ANO Emergency Plan to adopt a revised Emergency Action Level scheme.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an Order prohibiting involvement in NRC-licensed activities to Mr. Thomas Summers. The NRC determined that Mr. Thomas Summers engaged in deliberate misconduct that caused Florida Power & Light to be in violation of 10 CFR 50.7, ``Employee protection,'' and 10 CFR 50.9, ``Completeness and accuracy of information.''