Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This document corrects a notice appearing in the Federal Register on May 6, 2010 (75 FR 24786), that amends the regulations that govern storage of spent nuclear fuel. Specifically, this action amends the list of approved spent fuel storage casks to add revision 1 to the NUHOMS HD spent fuel storage cask system. This action is necessary to correctly specify the effective date of the rule if no adverse comments are received, because the notice of direct final rulemaking and the companion notice of proposed rulemaking (75 FR 25120; May 7, 2010) were published in the Federal Register on different dates instead of being published concurrently on the same date, as erroneously stated in the notices.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage cask regulations by revising the Transnuclear, Inc. (TN), NUHOMS[supreg] HD System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks'' to include Amendment No. 1 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1030. Amendment No. 1 would modify the CoC to add Combustion Engineering 16x16 class fuel assemblies as authorized contents, reduce the minimum off-normal ambient temperature from -20 [deg]F to -21 [deg]F, expand the authorized contents of the NUHOMS[supreg] HD System to include pressurized water reactor fuel assemblies with control components, reduce the minimum initial enrichment of fuel assemblies from 1.5 weight percent uranium-235 to 0.2 weight percent uranium-235, clarify the requirements of reconstituted fuel assemblies, add requirements to qualify metal matrix composite neutron absorbers with integral aluminum cladding, delete use of nitrogen for draining the water from the dry shielded canister (DSC) and allow only helium as a cover gas during DSC cavity water removal operations, and make corresponding changes to the technical specifications.

The NRC proposes to amend its regulations to incorporate by reference the 2005 Addenda through 2008 Addenda of Section III, Division 1, and the 2005 Addenda through 2008 Addenda of Section XI, Division 1, of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (ASME B&PV Code); and the 2005 Addenda and 2006 Addenda of the ASME Code for Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (ASME OM Code). The NRC also proposes to incorporate by reference ASME Code Case N-722-1, ``Additional Examinations for PWR Pressure Retaining Welds in Class 1 Components Fabricated With Alloy 600/82/182 Materials Section XI, Division 1,'' and Code Case N-770, ``Alternative Examination Requirements and Acceptance Standards for Class 1 PWR [Pressurized- Water Reactor] Piping and Vessel Nozzle Butt Welds Fabricated with UNS N06082 or UNS W86182 Weld Filler Material with or without Application of Listed Mitigation Activities.''

The NRC is requesting public comment on the proposed model application (with model no significant hazards consideration determination) and model safety evaluation (SE) for plant-specific adoption of Technical Specifications Task Force (TSTF) Traveler TSTF- 500, Revision 2, ``DC Electrical RewriteUpdate to TSTF-360.'' The TSTF-500, Revision 2, is available in the Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) under Accession Number ML092670242. The proposed changes modify technical specification (TS) requirements related to direct current (DC) electrical systems in limiting condition for operation (LCO) 3.8.[4], [``DC SourcesOperating,''] LCO 3.8.[5], [``DC SourcesShutdown,''] and LCO 3.8.[6], [``Battery Parameters.''] A [new or revised] ``Battery Monitoring and Maintenance Program'' is being proposed for Section [5.5] [``Administrative ControlsPrograms and Manuals.''] This proposed model SE will facilitate expedited approval of plant-specific adoption of TSTF-500, Revision 2.

NRC will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) on May 24-25, 2010. A sample of agenda items to be discussed during the public session includes: (1) Updates on 10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts 35 and 37 rulemakings; (2) information on the issue of patient release following administration of iodine 131; (3) updates on the medical isotope shortage; (4) updates on the prostate brachytherapy medical events that occurred at the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia; (5) a subcommittee report on permanent implant brachytherapy; (6) a discussion on safety culture in medical practices; (7) an update on the

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations that describe the categories of actions which do not require an environmental review under the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) as the NRC has determined that such actions do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. The amended regulations eliminate the need for the preparation of environmental assessments for NRC actions that are minor, administrative, or procedural in nature. The amendments do not change any requirements for licensees, but may provide for more time for NRC action on more substantial issues and/or speed up the process for review of the amendments.