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

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting public comment on the Design-Specific Review Standard (DSRS) and Safety Review Matrix for the NuScale Power, LLC, design (NuScale DSRS Scope and Safety Review Matrix). The purpose of the NuScale DSRS is to provide guidance to NRC staff in performing safety reviews where existing NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition,'' Standard Review Plans (SRP) have been modified by the staff specifically for the NuScale design, or do not address unique features of the NuScale design. The DSRS also allows NRC staff to more fully integrate the use of design-specific risk insights into the review of the NuScale design certification application (DC) or an early site permit (ESP) or combined license (COL) application that references the NuScale design.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the availability of final Generic Letter 2015-01, ``Treatment of Natural Phenomena Hazards in Fuel Cycle Facilities.'' The generic letter requests information from licensees of fuel cycle facilities to demonstrate if compliance is being maintained with the regulatory requirements and applicable license conditions regarding the treatment of natural phenomena events in the facilities' safety assessments, and to determine if additional NRC regulatory action is necessary to ensure that licensees are in compliance with their current licensing basis and existing NRC's regulations. The NRC will use the information submitted by licensees in response to the generic letter to determine if additional regulatory action is warranted.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of June 29, 2015, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2015. This direct final rule amended the NRC's 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 granted the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) to withdraw its application dated November 22, 2013, as supplemented by letters dated April 4, August 15, September 30, 2014, and January 29, 2015, for a proposed amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License (RFOL) Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, and DPR-68, for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3 (Browns Ferry). The proposed amendment would have revised the Browns Ferry Technical Specifications to decrease the allowable leakage rate criteria for the Main Steam Isolation Valves (MSIVs).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International, Inc. (Holtec), HI-STORM (Holtec International Storage Module) Underground Maximum Capacity (UMAX) Canister Storage System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to add Amendment No. 1 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1040. Amendment No. 1 provides a seismically enhanced version of the HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System, identified as the ``Most Severe Earthquake (MSE)'' version that could be used in areas with higher seismic demands than those analyzed previously. Amendment No. 1 also includes minor physical design changes to help ensure structural integrity of the amended system. These are the addition of a hold-down system to the closure lid; replacing the fill material in the interstitial spaces between the cavity enclosure containers (CECs) surrounding the casks with plain concrete with a minimum comprehensive strength of 3000 psi concrete; strengthening the multi-purpose canister (MPC) guides; and engineering the guides' nominal gap with the MPC to be tighter than the original HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System design.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received three petitions for rulemaking (PRM) requesting that the NRC amend its ``Standards for Protection Against Radiation'' regulations and change the basis of those regulations from the Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model of radiation protection to the radiation hormesis model. The radiation hormesis model provides that exposure of the human body to low levels of ionizing radiation is beneficial and protects the human body against deleterious effects of high levels of radiation. Whereas, the LNT model provides that radiation is always considered harmful, there is no safety threshold, and biological damage caused by ionizing radiation (essentially the cancer risk) is directly proportional to the amount of radiation exposure to the human body (response linearity). The petitions were submitted by Carol S. Marcus, Mark L. Miller, and Mohan Doss (the petitioners), dated February 9, 2015, February 13, 2015, and February 24, 2015, respectively. These petitions were docketed by the NRC on February 20, 2015, February 27, 2015, and March 16, 2015, and have been assigned Docket Numbers. PRM-20-28, PRM-20-29, and PRM-20-30, respectively. The NRC is examining the issues raised in these petitions to determine whether they should be considered in rulemaking. The NRC is requesting public comments on these petitions for rulemaking.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a proposed collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``NRC Request for Sodium Iodide I-131 Treatment and Patient Release Practices.''

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, ``Rules of General Applicability to Domestic Licensing of Byproduct Material.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting public comment on a draft regulatory basis for a proposed rulemaking to amend the current financial qualification requirements of ``reasonable assurance'' to the review standard of ``appears to be financially qualified.'' The NRC plans to hold a public meeting to promote full understanding of this regulatory basis and facilitate public comment.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted the request of Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota corporation, doing business as Xcel Energy, to withdraw its application dated June 17, 2014, for a proposed amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-22, for the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. The proposed amendment would have revised the required pressure for operability of the Alternate Nitrogen System as specified in Technical Specification Surveillance Requirement 3.5.1.3.b.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval for an existing collection of information. The information collection is entitled, ``Financial Protection Requirements and Indemnity Agreements.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting exemptions in response to a request from Southern California Edison Company (SCE or the licensee) regarding certain emergency planning (EP) requirements. The exemptions will eliminate the requirements to maintain formal offsite radiological emergency plans and reduce the scope of the onsite EP activities at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Units 1, 2, and 3, and the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), based on the reduced risks of accidents that could result in an offsite radiological release at the decommissioning nuclear power reactors. Provisions would still exist for offsite agencies to take protective actions, using a comprehensive emergency management plan to protect public health and safety, if protective actions were needed in the event of a very unlikely accident that could challenge the safe storage of spent fuel.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), is amending its regulations for the packaging and transportation of radioactive material. These amendments make conforming changes to the NRC's regulations based on the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 2009 standards for the international transportation of radioactive material and maintain consistency with the DOT's regulations. In addition, these amendments re-establish restrictions on materials that qualify for the fissile material exemption, clarify requirements, update administrative procedures, and make editorial changes.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to a March 19, 2015 request, as supplemented April 3, and June 1, 2015, from the Department of Energy (DOE or the licensee). The exemption seeks to delay the performance of an O-ring leakage rate test specified in Technical Specification (TS) 3.3.1 of Appendix A of Special Nuclear Material License No. SNM-2504, and to delay the performance of an aging management surveillance described in the Fort St. Vrain (FSV) Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) to check six Fuel Storage Containers (FSCs) for hydrogen buildup, both until June, 2016.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a director's decision with regard to the petition dated June 21, 2012, filed by Mr. Wallace Taylor on behalf of the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club (the petitioner), requesting that the NRC take action with regard to Fort Calhoun Station (FCS), Unit 1. The petitioner's request and the director's decision are included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR- 56, issued to Exelon Generation Company, LLC (the licensee), for operation of the Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station (PBAPS), Unit 3. The proposed amendment would change a license condition pertaining to the PBAPS, Unit 3 replacement steam dryer (RSD). Currently, the license condition requires that a revised analysis for the RSD be submitted to the NRC, as a report, at least 90 days prior to the start of the Unit 3 extended power uprate (EPU) outage. The proposed amendment would reduce the period before the outage by which the analysis is to be submitted from 90 days to 30 days. The licensee indicated that the EPU outage is scheduled to start on September 14, 2015.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an order imposing trustworthiness and reliability requirements for unescorted access to certain radioactive material by request of a service provider licensee that is not a manufacturer or distributor. The order was issued on April 27, 2015, and became effective immediately.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a new Regulatory Guide (RG) 7.13, ``Standard Format and Content of Transportation Security Plans for Classified Matter Shipments.'' The guide describes a method that NRC staff considers acceptable for compliance with the agency's regulations with regard to the development of classified matter transportation security plans, which identify the correct measures to protect classified matter while in transport.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of two amendment requests. The amendment requests are for Indian Point Nuclear Generating, Unit 3; and St. Lucie Plant, Unit 2. The NRC proposes to determine that each amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. In addition, each amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an order to Duke Energy Florida, Inc. (DEF), approving the direct transfer of Facility Operating License No. DPR-72 for Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant (CR-3), to the extent held by eight minority co-owners to DEF. The eight minority co-owners, all municipalities or utilities in the State of Florida, are as follows: The City of Alachua, City of Bushnell, City of Gainesville, City of Kissimmee, City of Leesburg, City of New Smyrna Beach and Utilities Commission/City of New Smyrna Beach, City of Ocala, and Orlando Utilities Commission/City of Orlando (the eight minority co-owners, collectively). The direct license transfer does not involve Seminole Electric Cooperative, Inc., the remaining co-owner of CR-3. A conforming license amendment will remove reference to the eight minority co-owners in the license. The CR-3 facility is permanently shut down and defueled and the application proposed no physical changes to the facility or operational changes. DEF and Seminole Electric Corporation, Inc., will be joint owners of CR-3 and DEF will be the operator of the facility. This Order is effective upon issuance.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is making available NUREG-0090, Volume 37, ``Report to Congress on Abnormal Occurrences: Fiscal Year 2014.'' The report describes those events that the NRC or an Agreement State identified as abnormal occurrences (AOs) during fiscal year (FY) 2014, based on the criteria defined in this report's Appendix A, ``Abnormal Occurrence Criteria and Guidelines for Other Events of Interest.'' The report describes 12 events at Agreement State-licensed facilities and 1 event at an NRC-licensed facility.