Nuclear Regulatory Commission July 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is requesting public comment on Management Directive (MD) 8.11, ``Review Process for 10 CFR 2.206 Petitions,'' dated July 1, 1999. MD 8.11 is a guidance document that details the internal procedures for NRC staff review and disposition of petitions submitted under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) 2.206. Because some of these internal procedures directly impact the interaction between members of the public and the NRC, the NRC is soliciting comments from the public, on what, if any, revisions should be made to the agency's internal process as described in MD 8.11.

The NRC invites public comment about our intention to request the OMB's approval for renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

The NRC invites public comment about our intention to request the OMB's approval for renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35).

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations that govern the export and import of nuclear equipment and material. This rule allows International Atomic Energy Agency Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources Category 1 and 2 quantities of radioactive materials to be imported under a general license. This rule also revises the definition of ``radioactive waste'' and removes the definition of ``incidental radioactive material.'' In addition, this rule updates, clarifies, and corrects several provisions.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations by revising the provisions applicable to the licensing and approval processes for byproduct, source and special nuclear material licenses, and irradiators. The proposed changes would clarify the definitions of ``construction'' and ``commencement of construction'' with respect to materials licensing actions instituted under the NRC's regulations. In addition, this action also contains a correction to a typographical error. The NRC is undertaking this rulemaking action to conform its regulations to the scope of its regulatory authority under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA), to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the licensing and approval processes for future applications, as well as resolve certain inconsistencies that currently exist within the NRC's regulations with respect to the use and definition of the terms ``construction'' or ``commencement of construction'' for certain materials licensees.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or ``the Commission'') is proposing to amend its regulations to require that the initial distribution of source material to exempt persons or general licensees be explicitly authorized by a specific license, which would include new reporting requirements. The proposed rule is intended to provide the Commission with more complete and timely information on the types and quantities of source material distributed for use either under exemption or by general licensees. In addition, the NRC is proposing to modify the existing possession and use requirements of the general license for small quantities of source material to better align the requirements with current health and safety standards. Finally, the NRC is proposing to revise, clarify, or delete certain source material exemptions from licensing to make the exemptions more risk informed. This rule would affect manufacturers and distributors of certain products and materials containing source material and certain persons using source material under general license and under exemptions from licensing.

The NRC is soliciting public comment on NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants,'' on a proposed Revision 1 to Standard Review Plan (SRP), Section 13.5.1.1 on ``Administrative ProceduresGeneral,'' (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML101340264). The Office of New Reactors (NRO) is revising SRP Section 13.5.1.1 (Enclosure 1), which updates the initial issuance of this section, dated March 2007, to reflect the changes as shown in the description of changes (ADAMS Accession No. ML101340272). The previous version of this SRP section was published in March 2007 as initial issuance (ADAMS Accession No. ML070550029).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International Inc. (NAC) NAC-MPC System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks'' to include Amendment No. 6 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1025. Amendment No. 6 to the NAC-MPC System CoC will include the following changes to the configuration of the NAC-MPC storage system as noted in Appendix B of the Technical Specifications (TS): Incorporation of a single closure lid with a welded closure ring for redundant closure into the Transportable Storage Canister (TSC) design; modification of the TSC and basket design to accommodate up to 68 La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor (LACBWR) spent fuel assemblies (36 undamaged Exxon fuel assemblies and up to 32 damaged fuel cans (in a preferential loading pattern)) that may contain undamaged Exxon fuel assemblies and damaged Exxon and Allis Chalmers fuel assemblies and/or fuel debris; the addition of zirconium alloy shroud compaction debris to be stored with undamaged and damaged fuel assemblies; minor design modifications to the Vertical Concrete Cask (VCC) incorporating design features from the MAGNASTOR system for improved operability of the system while adhering to as low as is reasonably achievable (ALARA) principles; an increase in the concrete pad compression strength from 4,000 psi to 6,000 psi; added justification for the 6-ft soil depth as being conservative; and other changes to incorporate minor editorial corrections in CoC No. 1025 and Appendices A and B of the TS. Also, the Definitions in TS 1.1 will be revised to include modifications and newly defined terms; the Limiting Conditions for Operation and associated Surveillance Requirements in TS 3.1 and 3.2 will be revised; and editorial changes will be made to TS 5.2 and 5.4.

Notice is hereby given that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed AREVA Enrichment Services LLC (AES) Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility (EREF). On December 30, 2008, AES submitted a license application to the NRC that proposes the construction, operation, and decommissioning of a gas centrifuge-based uranium enrichment facility on a presently undeveloped site near Idaho Falls in Bonneville County, Idaho (the ``proposed action''). The license application included an Environmental Report (ER) regarding the proposed action.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations to require research and test reactor (RTR) licensees (also called nonpower reactor licensees) to obtain a fingerprint-based criminal history records check before granting any individual unescorted access to their facilities. This action is necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 652 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), which amended Section 149 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA), to require fingerprinting and a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identification and a criminal history records check of any person who is permitted unescorted access to a utilization facility.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing a direct final rule that would have revised the NUHOMS[supreg] HD cask system listing within the list of approved spent fuel storage casks to include Amendment No. 1 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1030. The NRC is taking this action because the applicant identified that a certain Technical Specification (TS) for Boral characterization was not written precisely and in a manner that could be readily and demonstrably implemented. Specifically, the requirements for meeting TS 4.3.1, ``Neutron Absorber Tests,'' which references Section 9.1.7.3 of the Safety Analysis Report (SAR), are not precisely quantified in that it requires that ``the average size of the boron carbide particles in the finished product is approximately 50 microns after rolling.'' Use of language such as ``average'' and ``approximately'' is imprecise, and no ranges or statistical variations are specified. The NRC will publish a revised direct final rule along with its companion proposed rule after the necessary revisions to the TS are made.

International Isotopes Fluorine Products, Inc. (IIFP), a wholly owned subsidiary of International Isotopes, Inc. (INIS), submitted a license application, which included an Environmental Report (ER) on December 30, 2009, that proposes the construction, operation, and decommissioning of a fluorine extraction and depleted uranium de- conversion facility to be located near Hobbs in Lea County, New Mexico. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its regulations in 10 Code of Federal Regulations Part 51, announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) evaluating this proposed action. The EIS will examine the potential environmental impacts of the proposed INIS facility.

The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations to establish security requirements for the use and transport of category 1 and category 2 quantities of radioactive