Nuclear Regulatory Commission May 3, 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Notice is hereby given that the staff of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared a model license amendment request (LAR), model safety evaluation (SE), and model proposed no significant hazards consideration (NSHC) determination related to changes to Standard Technical Specification (STS) 3.1.6, ``Rod Pattern Control,'' and STS 3.3.2.1, ``Control Rod Block Instrumentation'' for NUREG-1433 and NUREG-1434. The proposed changes would revise the Bases for STS 3.1.6, ``Rod Pattern Control,'' and STS 3.3.2.1, ``Control Rod Block Instrumentation'' to allow licensees to use an improved control rod bank position withdrawal sequence (BPWS) when performing a reactor shutdown. In addition, for NUREG-1434 licensees, the proposed changes would add a footnote to Table 3.3.2.1-1, ``Control Rod Block Instrumentation.'' The requirements for implementing the improved BPWS are described in General Electric Licensing Topical Report (LTR) NEDO- 33091-A, Revision 2, ``Improved BPWS Control Rod Insertion Process,'' dated July 2004. The General Electric Boiling Water Reactor Owners Group (BWROG) participants in the Technical Specifications Task Force (TSTF) proposed these changes to the STS in TSTF-476, Revision 0, ``Improved BPWS Control Rod Insertion Process (NEDO-33091).'' The purpose of these models is to permit the NRC to efficiently process amendments to incorporate these changes into plant-specific Technical Specifications (TS) for General Electric Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs). Licensees of nuclear power reactors to which the models apply can request amendments conforming to the models. In such a request, a licensee should confirm the applicability of the model LAR, model SE and NSHC determination to its plant. The NRC staff is requesting comments on the model LAR, model SE and NSHC determination before announcing their availability for referencing in license amendment applications.