Nuclear Regulatory Commission September 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the availability of final interim staff guidance (ISG) document, ``HLWRS- ISG-01, Review Methodology for Seismically Initiated Event Sequences,'' and NRC responses to the public comments received on that document. The ISG clarifies or refines the guidance provided in the Yucca Mountain Review Plan (YMRP) (NUREG-1804, Revision 2, July 2003). The YMRP provides guidance to NRC staff for evaluating a potential license application to receive and possess high-level radioactive waste at a geologic repository constructed or operated at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) and Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response (NSIR) has issued Section 13.3, Second Draft Revision 3, ``Emergency Planning,'' of NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants, LWR Edition,'' for public comment.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to clarify a requirement pertaining to items relied on for safety (IROFS). This rulemaking corrects an inconsistency in the regulations pertaining to IROFS.

Notice is hereby given that the staff of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared a model licensee application relating to the modification of shutdown testing requirements in technical specifications (TS) for Boiling Water Reactors (BWR). The purpose of this model is to permit the NRC to efficiently process amendments that propose to modify LCO 3.10.1 that would allow control rod scram time testing to be performed concurrently with inservice leak and hydrostatic testing. Licensees of nuclear power reactors to which the model applies could then request amendments, confirming the applicability to their reactors. The NRC staff is requesting comment on the model application prior to announcing its availability for license amendment applications. A model safety evaluation and no significant hazards determination regarding the proposed changes to LCO 3.10.1 have been previously posted in the Federal Register for comment on August 21, 2006 (71 FR 48561).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is currently reviewing and revising numerous guides in the agency's Regulatory Guide (RG) Series. This series has been developed to describe and make available to the public methods that are acceptable to the NRC staff for implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques that the staff uses in evaluating specific problems or postulated accidents, and data that the staff needs in its review of applications for permits and licenses. The proposed revisions do not constitute a backfit to any previously issued staff position for existing nuclear power reactors. The purpose of the ongoing revision of the NRC's RGs is to ensure that prospective applicants have complete, accurate, and current guidance for use in preparing early site permit (ESP), design certification (DC), and combined license (COL) applications for proposed new reactors. In particular, the NRC staff is focused on ensuring that the agency's regulatory guidance is consistent with the rulemaking to update Title 10, part 52, of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR part 52), ``Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants.'' The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on March 13, 2006 (71 FR 12781).\1\

Notice is hereby given that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a Safety Evaluation Report (SER) for the USEC Inc. (USEC) license application, dated August 23, 2004, and as revised, for the possession and use of source, byproduct, and special nuclear materials at its proposed American Centrifuge Plant (ACP) in Piketon, Ohio. The SER discusses the results of the safety review performed by NRC staff in the following areas: General information, organization and administration, Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA) and ISA Summary, radiation protection, nuclear criticality safety, chemical process safety, fire safety, emergency management, environmental protection, decommissioning, management measures, materials control and accountability, and physical protection. The NRC is planning to conduct a public meeting in Ohio to provide an overview of the staff's safety review and to address any comments or questions relating to the issuance of the SER.

The NRC is preparing a submittal to OMB for review of continued approval of information collections under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: ``General Licensee Registration,'' NRC Form 664. 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0198. 3. How often the collection is required: Annually. 4. Who is required or asked to report: General Licensees of the NRC who possess devices subject to registration under 10 CFR 31.5. 5. The estimated number of annual respondents: 1,000. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 333 hours annually (1,000 respondents x 20 minutes per form). 7. Abstract: NRC Form 664 is used by NRC general licensees to make reports regarding certain generally licensed devices subject to registration. The registration program allows NRC to better track general licensees, so that they can be contacted or inspected as necessary, and to make sure that generally licensed devices can be identified even if lost or damaged, and to further ensure that general licensees are aware of and understand the requirements for the possession of devices containing byproduct material. Greater awareness helps to ensure that general licensees will comply with the requirements for proper handling and disposal of generally licensed devices and would reduce the potential for incidents that could result in unnecessary radiation exposure to the public and contamination of property. Submit, by November 20, 2006, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? A copy of the draft supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site: https:// www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Brenda Jo. Shelton, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, T-5 F52, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-7233, or by Internet electronic mail to INFOCOLLECTS@NRC.GOV.

The NRC has recently submitted to OMB for review the following proposal for the collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. 1. Type of submission, new, revision, or extension: Extension. 2. The title of the information collection: NRC Form 531 ``Request for Taxpayer Identification Number''. 3. The form number if applicable: NRC Form 531. 4. How often the collection is required: One time from each applicant or individual to enable the Department of the Treasury to process electronic payments or collect debts owed to the Government. 5. Who will be required or asked to report: All individuals doing business with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, including contractors and recipients of credit, licenses, permits, and benefits. 6. An estimate of the number of annual responses: 300. 7. The estimated number of annual respondents: 300. 8. An estimate of the total number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 25 hours (5 minutes per respondent). 9. An indication of whether Section 3507(d), Pub. L. 104-13 applies: N/A. 10. Abstract: The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 requires that agencies collect taxpayer identification numbers (TINs) from individuals who do business with the Government, including contractors and recipients of credit, licenses, permits, and benefits. The TIN will be used to process all electronic payments (refunds) made to licensees by electronic funds transfer by the Department of the Treasury. The Department of the Treasury will use the TIN to determine whether the refund can be used to administratively offset any delinquent debts reported to the Treasury by other government agencies. In addition, the TIN will be used to collect and report to the Department of the Treasury any delinquent indebtedness arising out of the licensee's or applicant's relationship with the NRC. A copy of the final supporting statement may be viewed free of charge at the NRC Public Document Room, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Room O-1 F21, Rockville, MD 20852. OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC worldwide Web site: https:// www.nrc.gov/public-involve/doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions should be directed to the OMB reviewer listed below by October 11, 2006. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received after this date. John A. Asalone, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (3150-0188), NEOB-10202, Office of Management and Budget, Washington, DC 20503. Comments can also be e-mailed to JohnA.Asalone@omb.eop.gov or submitted by telephone at (202) 395-4650. The NRC Clearance Officer is Brenda Jo. Shelton, 301-415-7233.