Nuclear Regulatory Commission April 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received an application from United Nuclear Corporation for an amendment of Materials License No. SUA-1475. The amendment would change License Condition 30.A by adding two new monitoring wells that are already in service, and License Condition 30.C by removing requirements for work that has been completed. These changes are administrative in nature.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of exemptions in response to a request from Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy or the licensee) that would permit the licensee to reduce its emergency planning (EP) activities at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY). The licensee is seeking exemptions that would eliminate the requirements for the licensee to maintain offsite radiological emergency plans and reduce some of the onsite EP activities based on the reduced risks at VY, which is permanently shutdown and defueled. However, requirements for certain onsite capabilities to communicate and coordinate with offsite response authorities would be retained. In addition, offsite EP provisions would still exist through State and local government use of a comprehensive emergency management plan process in accordance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101, ``Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans.'' The NRC staff is issuing, for public comment, this draft environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed exemptions.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of an application filed by Duke Energy Florida, Inc. (DEF) on November 7, 2014. The application seeks NRC approval of the direct transfer of Facility Operating License DPR-72 for Crystal River Nuclear Generating Plant, Unit 3, from eight minority co-owners to DEF. The NRC is also considering amending the facility operating license for administrative purposes to reflect the proposed transfer.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has docketed a license amendment application from the Department of Energy (DOE or the licensee) for amendment of Materials License No. SNM-2512, for the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility independent spent fuel storage installation located on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory in Butte County, Idaho. If granted, the amendment would revise the technical specifications for the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) to add the Essential Program Control Program. The addition of the Essential Program Control Program would conform the technical specifications to those of Three Mile Island, Unit 2, and Fort St. Vrain, and allow the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility to make changes to the Quality Assurance Program, the Radiological Environmental Monitoring Program, and the Training Program.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval for an existing collection of information. The information collection is entitled, ``Requests to Agreement States for Information.''

On September 20, 2007, South Texas Project Nuclear Operating Company (STPNOC) submitted to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) an application for combined licenses (COLs) for two additional units (Units 3 and 4) at the South Texas Project (STP) Electric Generating Station site in Matagorda County near Bay City, Texas. The NRC published a notice of receipt and availability for this COL application in the Federal Register on December 5, 2007. In a letter dated January 19, 2011, STPNOC notified the NRC that, effective January 24, 2011, Nuclear Innovation North America LLC (NINA) became the lead applicant for STP, Units 3 and 4. This notice is being published to notify the public of the availability of the COL application for STP, Units 3 and 4.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is making available a regulatory basis document to support a rulemaking potentially amending its regulations concerning the security of special nuclear material. The NRC is not seeking public comments on this document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, are issuing for public comment NUREG-2179, ``Environmental Impact Statement for the Combined License (COL) for the Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant'' to support the environmental review for the COL. PPL Bell Bend, LLC (PPL) submitted an application for the COL to construct and operate one new nuclear power plant at its Bell Bend Nuclear Power Plant (BBNPP) site, located in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of an application filed by Duke Energy Progress, Inc. (Duke Energy) and North Carolina Eastern Municipal Power Agency (NCEMPA), on December 22, 2014, as supplemented by letter dated March 4, 2015. The application seeks NRC approval of the direct transfer of Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-63 for the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1, from the current holder, NCEMPA, to Duke Energy. The NRC is also considering amending the license for administrative purposes to reflect the proposed transfer.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has docketed a license amendment application from the Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE is requesting a revision to the Technical Specifications for the Fort St. Vrain Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation located in Platteville, Colorado.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing revision 1 to regulatory guide (RG), RG 5.74, ``Managing the Safety/ Security Interface,'' in which there are minor corrections with no substantive changes in the NRC staff's regulatory positions. This RG describes a method that the staff considers acceptable for licensees to assess and manage changes to safety and security activities so as to prevent or mitigate potential adverse effects that could negatively impact either plant safety or security.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1311, ``Sizing of Large Lead-Acid Batteries'' for public comment. This guidance is proposed revision 1 of regulatory guide (RG), RG 1.212, ``Sizing of Large Lead-Acid Storage Batteries.'' This DG endorses, with certain clarifications, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standard 485-2010, ``IEEE Recommended Practice for Sizing Lead-Acid Batteries for Stationary Applications.'' This DG describes methods acceptable to the NRC staff for complying with the design requirements for stationary battery applications in full float operation for nuclear power plants.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will convene a teleconference meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) on August 12, 2015, to discuss the ACMUI Germanium/ Gallium-68 subcommittee report. Meeting information, including a copy of the agenda and handouts, will be available at https://www.nrc.gov/ reading-rm/doc-collections/acmui/meetings/2015.html. The agenda and handouts may also be obtained by contacting Ms. Sophie Holiday using the information below.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of a license amendment to special nuclear material (SNM) license number SNM-33 issued to Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC for the former Hematite fuel cycle facility in Festus, Missouri, authorizing alternative disposal of buried debris and contaminated soil, concrete and asphalt, filter media, ion exchange resin and piping at the US Ecology Idaho, Inc. (USEI) disposal facility located near Grand View, Idaho. In addition, the NRC is considering the issuance of an exemption to USEI so that it may accept the waste for disposal. This exemption would allow USEI to accept the NRC regulated material under its Idaho Department of Environmental Quality issued license. The NRC staff is issuing an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed action.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of exemptions in response to a request from Southern California Edison Company (SCE or the licensee) that would permit the licensee to reduce its emergency planning (EP) activities at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Units 1, 2, and 3, and the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). The licensee is seeking exemptions that would eliminate the requirements to maintain offsite radiological emergency plans and reduce some of the onsite EP activities based on the reduced risks at the permanently shutdown and defueled reactors. Offsite emergency planning provisions would still exist using a comprehensive emergency management plan (CEMP) process. The NRC staff is issuing a final Environmental Assessment (EA) and final Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed exemptions.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG) DG-1314, ``Quality Group Classifications and Standards for Water-, Steam-, and Radioactive- Waste-Containing Components of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This guidance has been revised to update references to related NRC guidance, to incorporate lessons learned from recent NRC reviews and regulatory activities, and to align the format and content of the guide with the current program guidance for regulatory guides (RGs) which was developed since Revision 4 of RG 1.26 was issued.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc., MAGNASTOR[supreg] System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 5 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1031. Amendment No. 5 makes numerous changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) including adding a new damaged fuel assembly, revising the maximum or minimum enrichments for three fuel assembly designs, adding four-zone preferential loading for pressurized-water reactor fuel assemblies and increasing the maximum dose rates in limiting condition for operation (LCO) 3.3.1, and other editorial changes to Appendices A and B of the TSs.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a request for renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``Criteria and Procedures for Emergency Access to Non-Federal and Regional Low-Level Waste Disposal Facilities.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is noticing the termination of Facility Operating License No. R-28 for the Ford Nuclear Reactor (FNR). The NRC has terminated the license of the decommissioned FNR at the University of Michigan (UM or the licensee) in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has released the site for unrestricted use.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and issuing License Amendment No. 23 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-93 and NPF-94. The COLs were issued to South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G), and South Carolina Public Service Authority (the licensee), for construction and operation of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station (VCSNS), Units 2 and 3 located in Fairfield County, South Carolina. The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 information requested in the amendment. Because the acceptability of the exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the amendment, the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a final director's decision with regard to a petition dated March 5, 2014, as supplemented on April 8, May 21, and September 3, 2014, filed by Mr. Michael Mulligan (the petitioner), requesting that the NRC take action with regard to Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (ENO or the licensee) at Palisades Nuclear Plant (PNP). The petitioner's requests and the final director's decision are included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted the request of Omaha Public Power District to withdraw its application dated April 25, 2014, as supplemented by letter dated February 13, 2015, for a proposed amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-40. The proposed amendment would have revised Section 5.11, ``Structures Other Than Containment,'' and Appendix F, ``Classification of Structures and Equipment and Seismic Criteria,'' of the Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1, Updated Safety Analysis Report.