Nuclear Regulatory Commission January 13, 2011 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage cask regulations by revising the Transnuclear, Inc. (TN) NUHOMS[supreg] HD System listing within the ``List of Approved Spent Fuel Storage Casks'' to include Amendment No. 1 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) Number 1030. Amendment No. 1 would revise the definitions for Damaged Fuel Assembly and Transfer Operations; add definitions for Fuel Class and Reconstituted Fuel Assembly; add Combustion Engineering 16x16 class fuel assemblies as authorized contents; reduce the minimum off-normal ambient temperature from -20 [deg]F to -21 [deg]F; expand the authorized contents of the NUHOMS[supreg] HD System to include pressurized water reactor fuel assemblies with control components; reduce the minimum initial enrichment of fuel assemblies from 1.5 weight percent uranium-235 to 0.2 weight percent uranium-235; clarify the requirements of reconstituted fuel assemblies; add requirements to qualify metal matrix composite neutron absorbers with integral aluminum cladding; clarify the requirements for neutron absorber tests; delete use of nitrogen for draining the water from the dry shielded canister (DSC), and allow only helium as a cover gas during DSC cavity water removal operations; and make corresponding changes to the technical specifications (TS).

DG-1229 was previously issued for public comment in June 2009, and the Commission approved RG 1.159 subject to changes which are spelled out in a Staff Requirements Memorandum dated October 25, 2010 (ML1029805650). Because of the nature of the changes, the draft guide is being reissued for comment, and during that period, NRR will hold a public workshop to solicit comments from stakeholders and other relevant experts on the use of the net present value method for parent guarantees in license transfer cases.