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

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is correcting a direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on March 20, 2025, revising the NAC International, Inc. MAGNASTOR[supreg] Storage System listing within the "List of approved spent fuel storage casks" to include Amendment No. 15 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1031. This action is necessary to replace an incorrect phrase in the SUMMARY caption of the document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption in response to a request dated February 5, 2025, from Tennessee Valley Authority. The exemption authorizes a one-time exemption for Sequoyah Nuclear Plant, Unit 2, to allow the use of the less restrictive work hour limitations described in NRC regulations for a 21-day period starting no earlier than March 24, 2025, and no later than May 15, 2025.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) is considering approval of one amendment request. The amendment request is for Grand Gulf Nuclear Station, Unit 1. 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), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation by persons who file a hearing request or petitions for leave to intervene.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc. MAGNASTOR[supreg] Storage System listing within the "List of approved spent fuel storage casks" to include Amendment No. 15 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1031. Amendment No. 15 revises the certificate of compliance to add a new variation of the Lightweight MAGNASTOR[supreg] Transfer Cask design, add a new concrete cask design, increase the maximum system head load capacity, add new loading patterns, add a thermal shunt for short loading patterns, remove the 5 percent burnup penalty, increase Passive MAGNASTOR[supreg] Transfer Cask heat load, add two new pressurized-water reactor fuel types to support future operations, modify the transportable storage canister lid to allow additional clearance near the top center of the basket, and correct and clarify principal design criteria, operating procedures, and the acceptance criteria and maintenance program. This amendment also makes corresponding revisions to previously approved drawings for the concrete cask, Technical Specifications Appendix A and Appendix B, specific chapters of the final safety analysis report, and several license drawings.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an exemption to Constellation Energy Generation, LLC, permitting Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station (NMP) Units 1 and 2 to use the Holtec HI-STORM Flood/Wind (FW) Multi-Purpose Canister (MPC) Storage System, including the use of the HI-TRAC VW transfer cask during loading and transport operations, at the NMP independent spent fuel storage installation, for six MPC-89, in a near-term loading campaign beginning in May 2025, where the terms, conditions, and specifications in Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, Amendment No. 3, Revision 0, are not met.

As required by Section 274e. of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (AEA), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) is publishing the proposed Agreement for public comment (Appendix A). The NRC is also publishing the summary of a draft assessment by the NRC staff of the State of Connecticut's regulatory program. Comments are requested on the proposed Agreement and its effect on public health and safety. Comments are also requested on the draft staff assessment, the adequacy of the State of Connecticut's program, and the adequacy of the staffing of the State's program, as discussed in this document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of April 21, 2025, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on February 4, 2025. This direct final rule amended the NRC's 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.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment a draft report entitled NUREG-1482, Revision 4, "Guidelines for Inservice Testing at Nuclear Power Plants: Inservice Testing of Pumps and Valves and Inservice Examination and Testing of Dynamic Restraints (Snubbers) at Nuclear Power Plants." This report provides a basic understanding of the regulatory basis for pump and valve inservice testing (IST) programs and dynamic restraint (snubbers) examination and testing programs at nuclear power plants. It also provides information regarding the NRC's involvement in the development of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) "Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants," Division 1, "OM Code: Section IST" (OM Code).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending 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 Renewed Amendment No. 19 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1014. Renewed Amendment No. 19 revises the certificate of compliance to update the acceptance criteria and method of evaluation (MOE) for the HI-STORM 100 system tipover accident for equipment combinations involving multi-purpose canisters (MPCs) with Metamic-HT baskets. This involves applying a new stress-based criteria and completing new evaluations consistent with the new tipover acceptance criteria and MOE and involves some adjustments of the existing deflection criteria.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for an exemption request submitted by Constellation Energy Generation, LLC (CEG) that would permit Nine Mile Point Nuclear Station (NMP) Units 1 and 2 to load six 89 multi-purpose canisters (MPC) at the NMP independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) in a near-term loading campaign beginning in May 2025, including the use of the HI- TRAC VW transfer cask (HI-TRAC) during loading and transport operations, where the terms, conditions, and specifications in Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1032, Amendment No. 3, Revision No. 0, are not met.

Applicability of Requirements During the Movement of Radioactive Material Within a Temporary Jobsite