Nuclear Regulatory Commission August 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a general license to Entergy Nuclear Generation Company (Entergy), authorizing the operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage installation (ISFSI), in accordance with its regulations. This Order is being issued to Entergy because it has identified near-term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the general license provisions of the NRC's regulations.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a revised regulatory guide (RG), Revision 1 of RG 1.170, ``Test Documentation for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This RG endorses the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standard 829-2008, ``IEEE Standard for Software and System Test Documentation'' with the clarifications and exceptions stated in Section C, ``Staff Regulatory Guidance'' of the RG. IEEE Std. 829-2008 describes methods that the NRC considers acceptable for use in complying with NRC regulations for developing test documentation and design quality in the software used in safety systems of nuclear power plants.

By letter dated October 3, 2012, AUC submitted a license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requesting authorization to construct and operate its proposed Reno Creek, In Situ Leach Uranium Recovery (ISR) project to be located in the Powder River Basin near Wright, Wyoming.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a revised regulatory guide (RG), revision 1 of RG 1.171, ``Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This RG endorses American National Standards Institute/ Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (ANSI/IEEE) Standard (Std.) 1008-1987, ``IEEE Standard for Software Unit Testing'' with the clarifications and exceptions stated in Section C, ``Staff Regulatory Position'' in the RG. ANSI/IEEE Std. 1008-1987, which was reaffirmed in 2002, describes a method acceptable to the NRC staff for complying with NRC regulations for promoting high functional reliability and design quality in the software used in safety systems of nuclear power plants.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a revised regulatory guide (RG), revision 1 of RG 1.172, ``Software Requirement Specifications for Digital Computer Software used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This RG endorses the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standard (Std.) 830-1998, ``IEEE Recommended Practice for Software Requirements Specifications,'' issued in 1998 and reaffirmed in 2009 with the exceptions and clarifications stated in Section C, ``Staff Regulatory Guidance'' of RG 1.172. IEEE Std. 830-1998 describes methods that the NRC staff considers acceptable to demonstrate compliance with NRC regulations for achieving high functional reliability and design quality in software used in safety systems in nuclear power plants.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (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). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: NRC Form 327, ``Special Nuclear Material (SNM) and Source Material Physical Inventory Summary Report'' and NUREG/BR-0096, ``Instructions and Guidance for Completing Physical Inventory Summary Reports.'' 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0139. 3. How often the collection is required: Certain licensees possessing strategic SNM are required to report inventories every six months. Licensees possessing SNM of moderate strategic significance must report every nine months. Licensees possessing SNM of low strategic significance must report annually, except two licensees must report their dynamic inventories every two months and a static inventory on an annual basis. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Fuel facility licensees possessing special nuclear material, i.e., enriched uranium, plutonium or U-233. 5. The number of annual respondents: 7. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 140 hours (4 hours per response x 35 responses). 7. Abstract: NRC Form 327 is submitted by fuel facility licensees to account for special nuclear material. The data is used by NRC to assess licensee material control and accounting programs and to confirm the absence of (or detect the occurrence of) SNM theft or diversion. NUREG/BR-0096 provides specific guidance and instructions for completing the form in accordance with the requirements appropriate for a particular licensee. Submit, by October 1, 2013, 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? The public may examine and have copied for a fee publicly available documents, including the draft supporting statement, at the NRC's Public Document Room, Room O-1F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC's Web site: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC's home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments submitted in writing or in electronic form will be made available for public inspection. Because your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information, the NRC cautions you against including any information in your submission that you do not want to be publicly disclosed. Comments submitted should reference Docket No. NRC- 2013-0157. You may submit your comments by any of the following methods: Electronic comments: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. NRC-2013-0157. Mail comments to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-6258, or by email to INFOCOLLECTS.Resource@NRC.GOV.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and License Amendment No. 11 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensee); for construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.