Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2021 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption in response to a September 11, 2020, request from Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon), to allow Exelon to submit a subsequent license renewal application for R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant, at least 3 years prior to the expiration of the existing license and, if it is found sufficient, still receive timely renewal protection.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption in response to a September 11, 2020, request from Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon), to allow Exelon to submit a subsequent license renewal application for Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station, Unit 1, at least 3 years prior to the expiration of the existing license and, if it is found sufficient, still receive timely renewal protection.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment four draft appendices to NUREG/BR-0058, Revision 5, ``Regulatory Analysis Guidelines of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.'' The guidance provided in the draft appendices refines the information the staff uses when performing a cost-benefit analysis and addresses emergent policy issues and guidance enhancements. The draft appendices also incorporate pertinent information from NUREG/BR-0184, ``Regulatory Analysis Technical Handbook.'' A description of each draft appendix is provided in the Discussion section of this document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing this notice regarding the issuance of a final Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for its review and approval of the initial and updated decommissioning funding plans (DFPs) submitted by independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) licensees for the ISFSIs listed in the ``Discussion'' section of this document.

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, ``Licenses and Radiation Safety Requirements for Irradiators.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received a petition for rulemaking from Richard Arnold and Ron Johnson on behalf of the Tribal Radioactive Materials Transportation Committee, dated December 4, 2020, requesting that the NRC revise its regulations to ensure consistency regarding advance Tribal notification of certain radioactive material shipments with similar regulations for State notification. The petition was docketed by the NRC on February 11, 2021, and has been assigned Docket No. PRM-37-2. The NRC is examining the issues raised in PRM-37-2 to determine whether they should be considered in rulemaking. The NRC is requesting public comment on this petition at this time.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of one amendment request. The amendment request is for Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station. For the amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that it involves no significant hazards consideration (NSHC). Because the amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI) and/or safeguards information (SGI), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing this notice regarding the issuance of a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for its review and approval of the initial decommissioning funding plan (DFP) submitted by independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) licensees for the ISFSIs listed in the ``Discussion'' section of this document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of an application filed by NorthStar Nuclear Decommissioning Company, LLC, on behalf of itself, NorthStar Vermont Yankee, LLC, and their corporate parents related to NorthStar Group Services, Inc. (NorthStar) (together, the applicants), on November 19, 2020. The application seeks NRC approval of the indirect transfer of control of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-28, as well as the general license for the independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI), for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VY) from the corporate parents of NorthStar to a new intermediary holding company that would acquire control of NorthStar, as described in the application.

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, ``Financial Protection Requirements and Indemnity Agreements.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF- 49, issued to Dominion Energy Nuclear Connecticut, Inc., for operation of the Millstone Power Station, Unit 3 (MPS3). The proposed amendment would revise the renewed facility operating license and technical specifications (TSs) to support a measurement uncertainty recapture power uprate from 3,650 megawatts thermal (MWt) to 3,709 MWt. For this amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that it involves no significant hazards consideration. Because this amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation. The proposed amendment was previously noticed on January 26, 2021 (86 FR 7115), and is being re-noticed to include the instructions for requesting access to SUNSI.

We are publishing our semiannual regulatory agenda (the Agenda) in accordance with Public Law 96-354, ``The Regulatory Flexibility Act,'' and Executive Order 12866, ``Regulatory Planning and Review.'' This Agenda issuance also contains our annual regulatory plan, which contains information on some of the more important regulatory actions that we are considering issuing in proposed or final form during Fiscal Year 2021. The NRC's complete Agenda, available on the Office of Management and Budget's website at https:// www.reginforgov, is a compilation of all rulemaking activities on which we have recently completed action or have proposed or are considering action. We have completed 7 rulemaking activities since publication of our last Agenda on, August 26, 2020 (85 FR 52858). This issuance of our Agenda contains 32 active and 17 long-term rulemaking activities: 2 are Economically Significant; 15 represent Other Significant agency priorities; 28 are Substantive, Nonsignificant rulemaking activities; and 4 are Administrative rulemaking activities. In addition, 2 rulemaking activities impact small entities; the entries for these activities are printed in this document. We are requesting comment on the rulemaking activities as identified in this Agenda.

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, ``Public Records.'' NRC Form 509, ``Statement of Estimated Fees for Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request.'' NRC updated one form integral to the agency's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process, NRC Form 507, ``Freedom of InformationPrivacy Act Record Request Form.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 Cask System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 15 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1014. Amendment No. 15 amends the certificate of compliance to add a new overpack and a new transfer cask, revise allowed content for storage, and make other changes to the storage system.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption and associated license amendment related to a request from Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC (WEC) from NRC regulations with respect to a request for alternate disposal and exemption for specified low-activity radioactive waste from the Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility (CFFF) in Hopkins, South Carolina for waste containing byproduct material and special nuclear material (SNM) under License Number SNM-1107. Additionally, the NRC is taking the related action of approving exemptions to US Ecology, Inc. (USEI) from the applicable licensing requirements to allow USEI to receive and dispose the material from CFFF without an NRC license. The USEI disposal facility, located near Grand View, Idaho, is a Subtitle C Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste disposal facility permitted by the State of Idaho to receive low-level radioactive waste and is not licensed by the NRC. Approval of the alternate disposal request from WEC, the exemptions and license amendment requested by WEC and associated exemptions for USEI would allow WEC to transfer the specific waste from CFFF for disposal at USEI.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering amending Materials License No. 45-23645-01NA to authorize extending the time period for completing decommissioning and requesting termination of the Department of the Navy's permitted activities and has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) in support of this action.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations by revising the TN Americas LLC Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular Storage System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Renewed Amendment No. 17 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1004. Because this amendment is subsequent to the renewal of the TN Americas LLC Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular Storage System Certificate of Compliance No. 1004 and, therefore, subject to the Aging Management Program requirements of the renewed certificate, it is referred to as ``Renewed Amendment No. 17.'' Renewed Amendment No. 17 revises the certificate of compliance technical specifications to add Heat Load Zoning Configurations 11-13 for the 61BTH Type 2 dry shielded canister and change the maximum assembly heat load from 1.2k W to 1.7 kW. This amendment also includes minor clarifications to the certificate of compliance.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment to Facility Operating License No. NPF-96, issued to Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), for operation of the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant (Watts Bar or WBN), Unit 2. The proposed amendment would revise the Watts Bar Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR) to apply a temperature adjustment to the growth rate calculation used to determine the end-of-cycle distribution of indications of axial outer diameter stress corrosion cracking (ODSCC) at steam generator (SG) tube support plates in support of the Watts Bar, Unit 2 operational assessment. The proposed revision to the UFSAR would apply to Unit 2 only. For this amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that it involves no significant hazards consideration. Because this amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non- safeguards information (SUNSI), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation.

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, ``General Domestic Licenses for Byproduct Material.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a temporary exemption in response to a February 20, 2021 request from Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon, the licensee) from requirements regarding pre-access drug and alcohol testing to maintain authorization for individuals assigned work activities necessary for the timely completion of a refueling and maintenance outage at LaSalle County Station, Units 1 and 2 (LSCS).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has revised its policy statement, ``Enhancing Participation in NRC Public Meetings,'' to further clarify and enhance participation in public meetings conducted by the NRC. The revised policy statement redefines the three categories of public meetings and identifies the level of public participation offered at each category of meeting. The revised policy statement also clarifies notification expectations for meetings that include physical presence in the meeting room and meetings that rely solely on remote access technology such as teleconferencing. The revisions will improve the consistency of the NRC's public meetings and help participants better prepare for NRC meetings.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of exemptions that would permit the licensee to reduce its emergency planning (EP) activities at the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC). Specifically, the licensee is seeking exemptions that would eliminate the requirements for the licensee to maintain offsite radiological emergency plans, as well as reduce some of the onsite EP activities based on the reduced risks at DAEC, which is permanently shut down 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 a final Environmental Assessment (EA) and final Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed exemptions.

On January 29, 2021, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a document in the Federal Register requesting public comment on a regulatory basis to support a proposed rule that would amend the NRC's regulations for the licensing of new nuclear power reactors. The public comment period was originally scheduled to close on April 14, 2021. The NRC has decided to extend the public comment period to allow more time for members of the public to develop and submit their comments.

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, ``Licensing Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste.''