Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment a draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1374, ``Criteria for Programmable Digital Devices in Safety-Related Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This DG is proposed Revision 4 of Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.152, ``Criteria for Use of Computers in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' DG-1374 describes an approach that is acceptable to the NRC staff to meet regulatory requirements for promoting high functional reliability, design quality, and a secure development and operational environment (SDOE) for the use of programmable digital devices (PDDs) in the safety-related systems of nuclear power generating stations.

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, ``Requests to Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Information.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment on its draft Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) ``Material Compatibility for non-Light Water Reactors, DANU-ISG-2023-01.'' The purpose of this draft ISG is to assist the NRC staff in reviewing certain applications for construction and operation of non-light water reactor designs, including power and non-power reactors.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing this notice to inform all holders of operating licenses and combined licenses for nuclear power reactors of the closure of ``NRC Bulletin 2012-01: Design Vulnerability in Electric Power System'' (Bulletin). NRC has completed evaluations and inspections of the responses and other actions taken by the licensees of the nuclear power plants in response to NRC Bulletin 2012-01. The staff has approved the actions to be taken by the licensee for Vogtle Units 3 and 4 following commencement of operations and will inspect these actions under the Reactor Oversight Process. The NRC staff concludes that any potential adverse impact on nuclear plant safety due to an open phase condition (OPC) in the plant offsite power system has been adequately addressed by the licensees.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an application for the subsequent license renewal of Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-22, which authorizes Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota corporation (NSPM or the applicant), doing business as Xcel Energy, to operate Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant (MNGP), Unit 1. The subsequent renewed license would authorize the applicant to operate MNGP for an additional 20 years beyond the period specified in the current license. The current operating license for MNGP expires September 8, 2030.

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.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of March 22, 2023, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on January 6, 2023. This direct final rule amended the Holtec International Storage Module Flood/Wind (HI- STORM FW) Multipurpose Canister Storage System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 6 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1032.

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, ``Access Authorization.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption to Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC, (HDI), for Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (PNPS), Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). The exemption allows PNPS to deviate from the requirements in Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1014, Amendment No. 14, Appendix A, Technical Specifications (TS) for the HI-STORM 100 System, Section 5.4, ``Radioactive Effluent Control Program,'' subsection c related to the timing of submission for an annual radiological effluent report.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will conduct an extended scoping process to gather information necessary to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental impacts for the proposed license renewal of the operating licenses for Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant (CPNPP), Units 1 and 2. The NRC is seeking stakeholder input on this action and has scheduled an additional public scoping meeting that will take place in Glen Rose, Texas.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft Regulatory Guide (DG), DG-5065, ``Perimeter Intrusion Alarm Systems.'' This DG is proposed Revision 4 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 5.44 of the same name. This proposed revision describes an approach acceptable to the NRC staff for meeting requirements in NRC regulations related to the functions of perimeter intrusion detection sensors and detection methods.

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, ``NRC Form 850, Request for Contractor Assignment(s).''

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 Form 212, ``Qualifications Investigation Professional, Technical, and Administrative Positions.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 2 of Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.156, ``Qualification of Connection Assemblies for Production and Utilization Facilities.'' This revised guide was updated to endorse ``Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers'' Std. 572-2019 to provide the latest technical information on approaches to satisfy the qualification requirements for connection assemblies. This includes guidance that when used in conjunction with the guidance in RG 1.89, ``Environmental Qualification of Certain Electric Equipment Important to Safety for Nuclear Power Plants,'' provides an acceptable method of demonstrating compliance with the NRC regulations pertaining to the environmental qualification of connectors, terminations, and environmental seals in combination with cables or wires as assemblies for service in production and utilization facilities to ensure that the connection assemblies can perform their safety functions. Further, the revised guide modifies the title of the RG to include other nuclear facilities, as discussed in the RG Section A, under Applicability.

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 renew, for 40 years, the initial certificate (Amendment 0) and Amendment Nos. 1 through 15 of Certificate of Compliance No. 1014. The renewal of the initial certificate and Amendment Nos. 1 through 15 would revise the certificate of compliance's conditions and technical specifications to address aging management activities related to the structures, systems, and components important to safety of the dry storage system to ensure that these will maintain their intended functions during the period of extended storage operations.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC, the Commission) is considering issuance of an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. TR-5, issued to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, the licensee), for operation of the National Bureau of Standards Test Reactor (NBSR). The proposed amendment would authorize the use of a specific method to perform core loading analyses of the NBSR.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of one amendment request. The amendment request is for Callaway Plant, Unit No. 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 petition for leave to intervene.

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, 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 issuing Revision 2 to Regulatory Guide (RG), 1.87, ``Acceptability of ASME Code, Section III, Division 5, `High Temperature Reactors.' '' This RG describes an approach that is acceptable to the NRC staff to assure the mechanical/structural integrity of components that operate in elevated temperature environments and that are subject to time-dependent material properties and failure modes. It endorses, with exceptions and limitations, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel (BPV) Code (ASME Code) Section III, ``Rules for Construction of Nuclear Facility Components,'' Division 5, ``High Temperature Reactors,'' and Code Cases N-861, N-862, N-872, and N-898. The NRC is also issuing NUREG-2245, ``Technical Review of the 2017 Edition of ASME Section III, Division 5, `High Temperature Reactors,' '' that documents the NRC staff's review of the 2017 Edition of ASME Section III, Division 5, certain portions of the 2019 Edition, and Code Cases N-861 and N-862. The technical basis for the NRC's endorsement of Code Cases N-872 and N-898 is contained in Technical Letter Report (TLR)-RES/DE/REB-2022-01, ``Review of Code Cases Permitting Use of Nickel-Based Alloy 617 in Conjunction with ASME Section III, Division 5.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of an amendment to Construction Permit No. CPMIF-001, issued to SHINE Technologies, LLC (SHINE, the licensee), for the construction of the SHINE Medical Isotope Production Facility. The proposed amendment would allow the receipt and possession of contained special nuclear material for the continued construction of the SHINE Medical Isotope Production Facility.

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 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.