Nuclear Regulatory Commission February 2025 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC Multi-Purpose Canister (NAC-MPC) System listing within the "List of approved spent fuel storage casks" to include Amendment No. 9 and revise Amendment Nos. 6, 7, and 8 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1025. The addition of Amendment No. 9 and the revisions to Amendment Nos. 6, 7, and 8 amend the description of the vertical concrete cask (VCC) in the CoC and technical specifications to make a distinction between the VCC body and the VCC lid, in terms of applicability of the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Specifications ACI 349 and ACI 318.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is correcting a notice that was published in the Federal Register on February 18, 2025, regarding the publication of the regular monthly notice of any amendments issued, or proposed to be issued, and grants the Commission the authority to issue and make immediately effective any amendment to an operating license or combined license, as applicable, upon a determination by the Commission that such amendment involves no significant hazards consideration, notwithstanding the pendency before the Commission of a request for a hearing from any person. This action is necessary to correct the NRC Docket ID.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is terminating Special Nuclear Material (SNM) License No. SNM-2512 for the Idaho Spent Fuel Facility (ISFF). By letter dated November 26, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) requested that the NRC terminate the ISFF license. The ISFF has not been constructed, no physical or principal activities authorized by the license have been conducted, and no nuclear materials have been possessed under the license. Consequently, the ISFF site is approved for unrestricted use.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend the licensing, inspection, special project, and annual fees charged to its applicants and licensees. The proposed amendments are necessary to comply with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, which requires the NRC to recover, to the maximum extent practicable, approximately 100 percent of its annual budget less certain amounts excluded from this fee recovery requirement. In addition, the NRC is proposing amendments to implement a reduced hourly rate for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants for certain activities as required by the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024.

Pursuant to section 189a.(2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing this regular monthly notice. The Act requires the Commission to publish notice of any amendments issued, or proposed to be issued, and grants the Commission the authority to issue and make immediately effective any amendment to an operating license or combined license, as applicable, upon a determination by the Commission that such amendment involves no significant hazards consideration (NSHC), notwithstanding the pendency before the Commission of a request for a hearing from any person.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing NUREG- 1307, Revision 20, "Report on Waste Burial Charges: Changes in Decommissioning Waste Disposal Costs at Low-Level Waste Burial Facilities." This report, which is revised periodically, explains the formula acceptable to the NRC for determining the minimum decommissioning fund requirements for nuclear power reactor licensees, as required by NRC regulations. Specifically, this report provides the adjustment factor and updates the values for the labor, energy, and waste burial escalation factors of the minimum formula.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an Order to the licensees of non-power production or utilization facilities (NPUFs) identified in the Attachment to the Order. The Order modifies certain current NPUF licenses and establishes initial final safety analysis report update due dates for certain existing NPUFs consistent with the Non-Power Production or Utilization Facility License Renewal Rule dated December 30, 2024.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has published a final site-specific environmental impact statement (EIS), issued as NUREG-1437, Supplement 2, Second Renewal, "Site-Specific Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3, Final Report." This EIS evaluates, on a site-specific basis, the environmental impacts of subsequent renewal of Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-38, DPR-47, and DPR-55 for an additional 20 years of operation for Oconee Nuclear Station, Units 1, 2, and 3 (Oconee Station), respectively. Oconee Station is located in Seneca, South Carolina, approximately 30 miles west of Greenville. Possible alternatives to the proposed action of subsequent license renewal for Oconee Station include the no-action alternative, a new nuclear alternative, a natural gas combined-cycle alternative, and a combination alternative.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System listing within the "List of approved spent fuel storage casks" to include Revision 1 to Amendment Nos. 0 through 2 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1040. Revision 1 to Amendment Nos. 0 through 2 updates the CoC appendix A technical specifications for radiation protection and the associated bases information to clearly articulate the basis for the dose rate limits for the closure lids, modify the dose rate limit values and the description of the location of the dose rate measurements, and make other editorial changes.

On December 13, 2024, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) solicited comments on draft Regulatory Guide (DG) DG-1436, "Acceptability of ASME Code, Section III, Division 5, `High Temperature Reactors.' " The public comment period closed on January 27, 2025. The NRC has decided to reopen the public comment period to allow more time for members of the public to develop and submit their comments.