Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations regarding fitness for duty (FFD) programs for certain NRC licensees and other entities to align the NRC's drug testing requirements more closely with the updates made to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' ``Mandatory Guidelines for Federal Workplace Drug Testing Programs'' in 2008 and as revised in 2017. This final rule also incorporates lessons learned from implementing the NRC's current FFD regulations. These changes enhance the ability of NRC licensees and other entities to identify individuals using illegal drugs, misusing legal drugs, or attempting to subvert the drug testing process. This final rule provides additional protections to individuals subject to drug testing and improves the clarity, organization, and flexibility of the NRC's FFD regulations. This final rule provides a new flexibility for the collection and drug testing of an oral fluid specimen as an alternative to the collection and testing of a urine specimen under direct observation conditions. The NRC also is issuing final implementation guidance for this final rule.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment a draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1391, ``Performance- Based Containment Leak Test Program''. This DG is proposed Revision 1 to regulatory guide (RG) 1.163 of the same name. The proposed revision provides guidance on an acceptable performance-based leak-test program, leakage-rate test methods, procedures, and analyses that may be used to comply with NRC regulations.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering a renewal for twenty years of special nuclear materials (SNM) License SNM-2500 for the possession, transfer, and storage of radioactive material at the Morris Operation independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) in Grundy County, Illinois. The license is held by GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC, and, if renewed, would expire on May 31, 2042.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received Environmental Report, Supplement 1, from Virginia Electric and Power Company (Dominion, the applicant), dated September 28, 2022, related to Dominion's application for subsequent license renewal (SLR) of Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-4 and NPF-7 for North Anna Power Station Units 1 and 2 (North Anna). The NRC staff will prepare a supplement to its draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS) for North Anna subsequent license renewal, i.e., NUREG-1437, Supplement 7, Second Renewal, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, Supplement 7, Second Renewal, Regarding Subsequent License Renewal for North Anna Power Station Units 1 and 2, Draft Report'' (August 2021). The subsequent renewed operating licenses would authorize the applicant to operate North Anna for an additional 20 years beyond the period specified in each of the current renewed licenses. The current renewed operating licenses for North Anna Units 1 and 2 expire on April 1, 2038, and August 21, 2040, respectively. The NRC will conduct a limited scoping process to gather information necessary to prepare a supplement to its DSEIS to evaluate the environmental impacts of SLR of the operating licenses for North Anna. The NRC is seeking public comment on the proper scope of the site- specific environmental impact statement (EIS) supplement to be prepared for this action.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) ``Safety Review of Light-Water Power Reactor Construction Permit Applications'' to clarify existing guidance and to assist the NRC staff in determining whether an application to construct a light-water power reactor (LWR) facility meets the minimum requirements to issue a construction permit (CP). The NRC anticipates the submission of power reactor CP applications in the next few years based on preapplication engagement initiated by several prospective applicants. This guidance is applicable to all applicants for a CP for a light-water power reactor but not to non-LWR applicants or those following the Advanced Reactor Content of Application Project (ARCAP) guidance to the extent the guidance is issued as final and is relevant to the application from a technical and regulatory perspective.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) regarding the SHINE Medical Technologies, LLC (SHINE, the licensee) request to amend Construction Permit No. CPMIF-001 for the SHINE Medical Isotope Production Facility (SHINE facility) in Rock County, Wisconsin. The amendment request seeks, in part, NRC approval to extend the latest date for completion of the construction of the SHINE facility from December 31, 2022, to December 31, 2025.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will convene a meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) on December 5-6, 2022. A sample of agenda items to be discussed during the public session includes: an overview of Y-90 medical events; overview of the review of Lu-177-PSMA for the treatment of adult patients with prostate cancer; review of pre-rulemaking documents for the rulemaking to establish requirements for Rb-82 generators and emerging medical technologies; and overview of the status of rulemaking for regulations for decommissioning financial assurance for sealed and unsealed radioactive materials. The agenda is subject to change. The current agenda and any updates will be available on the ACMUI's Meetings and Related Documents web page at https://www.nrc.gov/reading- rm/doc-collections/acmui/meetings/2022.html or by emailing Ms. Gupta Sarma at the contact information below. Purpose: Discuss issues related to 10 CFR part 35, Medical Use of Byproduct Material. Date and Time for Open Sessions: December 5, 2022, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EST, December 6, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST. Date and Time for Closed Session: December 6, 2022, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. EST. This session will be closed to conduct the ACMUI's required annual training. Address for Public Meeting: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, One White Flint North Building, Commissioner's Hearing Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) received and is considering approval of an application filed by Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC (Susquehanna Nuclear) on September 29, 2022, as supplemented by letter dated October 28, 2022. The application seeks NRC approval of the indirect transfer of Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22 for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (Susquehanna), Units 1 and 2, respectively, and the general license for the Susquehanna independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) as a result of the restructuring of Talen Energy Corporation, an indirect parent of Susquehanna Nuclear, as a reorganized company yet to be named (referred to as ``Reorganized Talen''). The NRC is also considering amending the renewed facility operating licenses for administrative purposes to reflect the proposed transfer. The application and supplement contain sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending 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. 10 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1031. Amendment No. 10 revises the certificate of compliance by adding a new metal storage overpack.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing partial exemptions, with a conforming amendment, from several of the record keeping requirements in its regulations in response to a request from TMI-2 Solutions, LLC. Specifically, the licensee requested partial exemptions for certain NRC regulations which require certain records to be retained for the period specified by the appropriate regulation, license condition, or technical specifications (TS), or until termination of the license if not otherwise specified. In response to the licensee's requests, the NRC also issued a conforming amendment that revised the license to reflect the specific exemptions and associated changes in the TS.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a new Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.250, ``Dedication of Commercial-Grade Digital Instrumentation and Control Items for Use in Nuclear Power Plants.'' RG 1.250 provides guidance that the staff of the NRC considers acceptable to meet, in part, regulatory requirements for the dedication of commercial-grade digital instrumentation and control items (I&C) for use in nuclear power plant safety applications.

Pursuant to section 189.a.(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) has received an application for the renewal of Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-87 and NPF-89, which authorize Vistra Operations Company LLC (VOC or the applicant) to operate Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant (CPNPP), Units 1 and 2. The renewed licenses would authorize the applicant to operate CPNPP for an additional 20 years beyond the period specified in each of the current licenses. The current operating licenses for CPNPP expire as follows: Unit 1 on February 8, 2030, and Unit 2 on February 2, 2033.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to incorporate by reference the 2019 Edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section III, Division 1, and Section XI, Division 1, and the 2020 Edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants, Division 1: OM Code: Section IST, for nuclear power plants. The NRC is also incorporating by reference the American Society of Mechanical Engineers OM Code Case OMN-28, ``Alternative Valve Position Verification Approach to Satisfy ISTC-3700 for Valves Not Susceptible to Stem-Disk Separation''; the 2011 Addenda to ASME NQA-1-2008, ``Quality Assurance Requirements for Nuclear Facility Applications'' (ASME NQA-1b-2011); and the 2012 and 2015 Editions of ASME NQA-1, ``Quality Assurance Requirements for Nuclear Facility Applications.'' This action is in accordance with the NRC's policy to periodically update the regulations to incorporate by reference new editions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Codes and is intended to maintain the safety of nuclear power plants and to make NRC activities more effective and efficient.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a final finding of no significant impact (FONSI) and accompanying supplement to the NRC staff's environmental assessment (EA) for the license renewal of the Crow Butte Resources, Inc. (CBR) in situ uranium recovery (ISR) facility located Dawes County, Nebraska. Based on the analysis in the EA supplement, the NRC staff has concluded that there will be no significant impacts to cultural resources from the renewal of CBR's license and, therefore, a FONSI remains appropriate.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a Confirmatory Order to Cammenga and Associates, LLC, as a result of a successful alternative dispute resolution mediation session. The commitments outlined in the Confirmatory Order were made as a part of a settlement agreement concerning apparent violations by Cammenga and Associates regarding the distribution of products containing byproduct material (hydrogen-3) without the required licensing authorization.

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, ``NRC Policy Statement, ``Criteria for Guidance of States and NRC in Discontinuance of NRC Regulatory Authority and Assumption Thereof by States Through Agreement,'' Maintenance of Existing Agreement State Programs, Requests for Information Through the Integrated Materials Performance Evaluation Program (IMPEP) Questionnaire, and Agreement State Participation in IMPEP.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing public notice of receipt and availability of an application for a construction permit from Abilene Christian University (ACU). The construction permit application is dated August 12, 2022.