Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

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 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.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on this proposed information collection. The information collection is entitled, ``NRC Controlled Unclassified Information Program Information-Sharing Agreement.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering issuing an export license (XW031), requested by Eastern Technologies, Inc. (ETI) by application dated November 28, 2022. The application seeks the NRC's approval to return residual radioactive waste to the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after treatment at an ETI facility in Ashford, Alabama. The NRC is providing notice of the opportunity to comment, request a hearing, and petition to intervene on ETI's 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, ``Reporting of Defects and Noncompliance.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment a draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1412, ``Qualification of Class 1E Battery Chargers, Inverters, and Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems for Production and Utilization Facilities.'' This DG is the proposed Revision 1 of Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.210, ``Qualification of Safety-Related Battery Chargers and Inverters for Nuclear Power Plants.'' DG-1412 describes an approach that is acceptable to the NRC staff to meet regulatory requirements for the qualification of safety related or Class 1E battery chargers, inverters, and uninterruptible power supply systems for production and utilization facilities. It endorses Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standard (Std.) 650-2017, ``IEEE Standard for Qualification of Class 1E Static Battery Chargers, Inverters, and Uninterruptible Power Supply Systems for Nuclear Power Generating Stations.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received an application for the subsequent 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 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.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responding to public comments on an interpretation of its requirements for industrial radiographic operations and Agreement State Compatibility Category change for these requirements published in the Federal Register on June 1, 2021. As a result of these actions, the NRC is discontinuing a planned rulemaking activity and is denying an associated petition for rulemaking, PRM-34-6.

Pursuant to 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 correcting a notice that was published in the Federal Register on January 13, 2023, regarding a final Environmental Impact Statement for United Nuclear Corporation's (UNC) request for a license amendment, as well as the issuance of a final Programmatic Agreement that provides requirements for the NRC, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and UNC to follow to ensure that cultural resources are protected during project activities. This action is necessary to correct the signature date of the notice.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to certify the NuScale standard design for a small modular reactor. Applicants or licensees intending to construct and operate a NuScale standard design may do so by referencing this design certification rule. The applicant for certification of the NuScale standard design is NuScale Power, LLC.

On December 19, 2022, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a Federal Register notice detailing its intent to conduct an additional limited scoping process to gather information necessary to prepare a supplement to its environmental impact statement (EIS) to evaluate the environmental impacts of subsequent license renewal (SLR) of Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-38, DPR-47, and DPR-55 for Oconee Nuclear Station (Oconee), Units 1, 2, and 3. The NRC is seeking public comment on the proper scope of the EIS supplement to be prepared for this action. The comment period was originally scheduled to close on January 18, 2023. The NRC has decided to extend the public scoping period to allow more time for members of the public to develop and submit their comments.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing a revision to its Enforcement Policy. This revision addresses the requirements of the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, which requires Federal agencies to adjust their maximum civil monetary penalty amounts annually for inflation.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption in response to a December 16, 2021, request from Southern California Edison, as supplemented on February 28 and September 29, 2022, that would allow the licensee to establish the Controlled Area Boundary (CAB) for the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) independent spent fuel storage installation (ISFSI) at a distance less than 100 meters from the ISFSI as required by NRC regulation.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff accepts, dockets, and is considering an application for the renewal of Facility Operating License No. R-33, submitted by GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy Americas, LLC (the licensee), dated November 19, 2020, as supplemented. The renewed license would authorize the licensee to operate the GE- Hitachi Nuclear Test Reactor at a maximum steady-state thermal power of 100 kilowatts for an additional 20 years from the date of issuance. The GE-Hitachi Nuclear Test Reactor is located at the GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Vallecitos Nuclear Center in Sunol, California. Because this application 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) 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 237, Request for Access Authorization.''