Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting public comment on the following sections in Chapter 3, ``Design of Structures, Components, Equipment, and Systems'' and soliciting public comment on NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition,'' Section 3.9.3 ``ASME Code Class 1, 2, and 3 Components, and Component Supports, and Core Support Structures.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is revising the following section in Chapter 17, ``Quality Assurance'' and soliciting public comment on NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition,'' Section 17.6, ``Maintenance Rule.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment about our intention to request the OMB's approval for renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: Suspicious Activity Reporting Using the Protected Web Server (PWS). 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-XXXX. 3. How often the collection is required: On occasion. Reporting is done on a voluntary basis, as suspicious incidents occur. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Nuclear power reactor licensees provide the majority of reports, but other entities that may voluntarily send reports include fuel facilities, independent spent fuel storage installations, decommissioned power reactors, power reactors under construction, research and test reactors, agreement states, non-agreement states, as well as departments of health, medical centers, steel mills, and radiographers. 5. The number of annual respondents: 50. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 678 hours. 7. Abstract: The NRC licensees voluntarily report information on suspicious incidents on an ad-hoc basis, as these incidents occur. This information is shared with authorized nuclear industry officials and Federal, State, and local government agencies using PWS. Information provided by licensees is considered OFFICIAL USE ONLY and is not made public. Submit, by October 7, 2013, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? The public may examine, and have copied for a fee, publicly available documents, including the draft supporting statement, at the NRC's Public Document Room, Room O-1F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC's Web site: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments submitted in writing or in electronic form will be made available for public inspection. Because your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information, the NRC cautions you against including any information in your submission that you do not want to be publicly disclosed. Comments submitted should reference Docket No. NRC- 2013-0129. You may submit your comments by any of the following methods: Electronic comments: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. NRC-2013-0129. Mail comments to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-6258, or by email to INFOCOLLECTS.Resource@NRC.GOV.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted to OMB for review the following proposal for the collection of information under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). The NRC hereby informs potential respondents that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and that a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The NRC published a Federal Register notice with a 60-day comment period on this information collection on April 16, 2013 (78 FR 22562). 1. Type of submission, new, revision, or extension: New. 2. The title of the information collection: NRC Form 850A, ``Request for NRC Contractor Building Access,'' NRC Form 850B, ``Request for NRC Contractor Information Technology Access Authorization,'' and NRC Form 850C, ``Request for NRC Contractor Security Clearance.'' 3. Current OMB approval number: 3150-XXXX. 4. The form numbers if applicable: NRC Form 850A, NRC Form 850B, and NRC Form 850C. 5. How often the collection is required: On occasion. 6. Who will be required or asked to report: NRC contractors, subcontractors and other individuals who are not NRC employees. 7. An estimate of the number of annual responses: 500. 8. The estimated number of annual respondents: 500. 9. An estimate of the total number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 85. 10. Abstract: Part 10 of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), ``Criteria and Procedures for Determining Eligibility for Access to Restricted Data or National Security Information or an Employment Clearance,'' establishes requirements that individuals requiring an access authorization and/or employment clearance must have an investigation of their background. The NRC Forms 850A, 850B, and 850C will be used by the NRC to obtain information on NRC contractors, subcontractors, and other individuals who are not NRC employees and require access to the NRC buildings, IT systems, sensitive information, sensitive unclassified information, or classified information. The public may examine and have copied for fee publicly available documents, including the final supporting statement, at the NRC's Public Document Room, Room O-1F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC's Web site: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC's home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments and questions should be directed to the OMB reviewer listed below by September 9, 2013. Comments received after this date will be considered if it is practical to do so, but assurance of consideration cannot be given to comments received after this date.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing the Final Japan Lessons-Learned Project Directorate Interim Staff Guidance (JLD-ISG), JLD-ISG-2013-01, ``Guidance for Estimating Flooding hazards due to Dam Failure'' (Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. ML13151A153). This ISG provides guidance and clarification to assist nuclear power reactors applicants and licensees with the flooding hazard reassessment in response to Enclosure 2 of the NRC staff's request for information, ``Request for Information Pursuant to section 50.54(f) of Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR), Regarding Recommendations 2.1, 2.3, and 9.3 of the Near-Term Task Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident,'' dated March 12, 2012 (ADAMS Accession No. ML12053A340).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is updating its regulations to standardize the frequency of required security education training for employees of NRC licensees possessing security clearances so that such training will be conducted annually consistent with the objectives of Executive Order 13526, Classified National Security Information. The rule allows licensees flexibility in determining the means and methods for providing this training. This action establishes uniformity in the frequency of licensee security education and training programs and enhances the protection of classified information.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a general license to Entergy Nuclear Generation Company (Entergy), authorizing the operation of an Independent Spent Fuel Storage installation (ISFSI), in accordance with its regulations. This Order is being issued to Entergy because it has identified near-term plans to store spent fuel in an ISFSI under the general license provisions of the NRC's regulations.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a revised regulatory guide (RG), Revision 1 of RG 1.170, ``Test Documentation for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This RG endorses the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standard 829-2008, ``IEEE Standard for Software and System Test Documentation'' with the clarifications and exceptions stated in Section C, ``Staff Regulatory Guidance'' of the RG. IEEE Std. 829-2008 describes methods that the NRC considers acceptable for use in complying with NRC regulations for developing test documentation and design quality in the software used in safety systems of nuclear power plants.

By letter dated October 3, 2012, AUC submitted a license application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requesting authorization to construct and operate its proposed Reno Creek, In Situ Leach Uranium Recovery (ISR) project to be located in the Powder River Basin near Wright, Wyoming.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a revised regulatory guide (RG), revision 1 of RG 1.171, ``Software Unit Testing for Digital Computer Software Used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This RG endorses American National Standards Institute/ Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (ANSI/IEEE) Standard (Std.) 1008-1987, ``IEEE Standard for Software Unit Testing'' with the clarifications and exceptions stated in Section C, ``Staff Regulatory Position'' in the RG. ANSI/IEEE Std. 1008-1987, which was reaffirmed in 2002, describes a method acceptable to the NRC staff for complying with NRC regulations for promoting high functional reliability and design quality in the software used in safety systems of nuclear power plants.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a revised regulatory guide (RG), revision 1 of RG 1.172, ``Software Requirement Specifications for Digital Computer Software used in Safety Systems of Nuclear Power Plants.'' This RG endorses the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Standard (Std.) 830-1998, ``IEEE Recommended Practice for Software Requirements Specifications,'' issued in 1998 and reaffirmed in 2009 with the exceptions and clarifications stated in Section C, ``Staff Regulatory Guidance'' of RG 1.172. IEEE Std. 830-1998 describes methods that the NRC staff considers acceptable to demonstrate compliance with NRC regulations for achieving high functional reliability and design quality in software used in safety systems in nuclear power plants.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment about our intention to request the OMB's approval for renewal of an existing information collection that is summarized below. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35). Information pertaining to the requirement to be submitted: 1. The title of the information collection: NRC Form 327, ``Special Nuclear Material (SNM) and Source Material Physical Inventory Summary Report'' and NUREG/BR-0096, ``Instructions and Guidance for Completing Physical Inventory Summary Reports.'' 2. Current OMB approval number: 3150-0139. 3. How often the collection is required: Certain licensees possessing strategic SNM are required to report inventories every six months. Licensees possessing SNM of moderate strategic significance must report every nine months. Licensees possessing SNM of low strategic significance must report annually, except two licensees must report their dynamic inventories every two months and a static inventory on an annual basis. 4. Who is required or asked to report: Fuel facility licensees possessing special nuclear material, i.e., enriched uranium, plutonium or U-233. 5. The number of annual respondents: 7. 6. The number of hours needed annually to complete the requirement or request: 140 hours (4 hours per response x 35 responses). 7. Abstract: NRC Form 327 is submitted by fuel facility licensees to account for special nuclear material. The data is used by NRC to assess licensee material control and accounting programs and to confirm the absence of (or detect the occurrence of) SNM theft or diversion. NUREG/BR-0096 provides specific guidance and instructions for completing the form in accordance with the requirements appropriate for a particular licensee. Submit, by October 1, 2013, comments that address the following questions: 1. Is the proposed collection of information necessary for the NRC to properly perform its functions? Does the information have practical utility? 2. Is the burden estimate accurate? 3. Is there a way to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected? 4. How can the burden of the information collection be minimized, including the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology? The public may examine and have copied for a fee publicly available documents, including the draft supporting statement, at the NRC's Public Document Room, Room O-1F21, One White Flint North, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852. The OMB clearance requests are available at the NRC's Web site: https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/ doc-comment/omb/. The document will be available on the NRC's home page site for 60 days after the signature date of this notice. Comments submitted in writing or in electronic form will be made available for public inspection. Because your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or contact information, the NRC cautions you against including any information in your submission that you do not want to be publicly disclosed. Comments submitted should reference Docket No. NRC- 2013-0157. You may submit your comments by any of the following methods: Electronic comments: Go to https://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. NRC-2013-0157. Mail comments to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001. Questions about the information collection requirements may be directed to the NRC Clearance Officer, Tremaine Donnell (T-5 F53), U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001, by telephone at 301-415-6258, or by email to INFOCOLLECTS.Resource@NRC.GOV.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and License Amendment No. 11 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensee); for construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing draft NUREG-2154, ``Acceptability of Corrective Action Programs for Fuel Cycle Facilities,'' based on receipt and review of public comments. The draft NUREG provided guidance to NRC staff on how to determine whether a submittal for a Corrective Action Program (CAP), voluntarily submitted by fuel cycle facility licensees, was acceptable. The NRC staff has reviewed public comments received on draft NUREG-2154 and has decided to withdraw the draft NUREG and to proceed with the development and issuance of a draft Regulatory Guide (RG) to describe elements of an acceptable CAP for fuel cycle facilities.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting an exemption to allow a departure from the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic design control document (DCD) and is issuing License Amendment No. 10 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, and the City of Dalton, Georgia (the licensee); for construction and operation of the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3 and 4, located in Burke County, Georgia. The amendment requests to modify the Primary Sampling System (PSS) design, including changes to Tier 1 information located in Tables 2.2.1-2, 2.3.13-1, and 2.3.13-3, Figures 2.2.1-1 ``Containment System'' and 2.3.13-1 ``Primary Sampling System,'' and Subsection 2.3.13, ``Primary Sampling System'' of the Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR). The granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 information asked for in the amendment. Because the acceptability of the exemption was determined in part by the acceptability of the amendment, the exemption and amendment are being issued concurrently.

The NRC is issuing an exemption in response to a request submitted by Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC., on August 13, 2012, for the Oconee Nuclear Station, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI).

This is a notice of acceptance for docketing and notice of opportunity for hearing regarding the renewal of operating licenses for the Byron Nuclear Station (Byron), Units 1 and 2, and the Braidwood Nuclear Station (Braidwood), Units 1 and 2. The NRC is considering an application for the renewal of operating licenses NPF-37, NPF-66, NPF- 72, and NPF-77, which authorize Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon), to operate Byron, Units 1 and 2, at 3586.6 megawatts thermal each, and Braidwood, Units 1 and 2, at 3586.6 megawatts thermal each. Byron, Units 1 and 2, are located near Byron, IL; Braidwood, Units 1 and 2, are located near Braidwood, IL. The renewed licenses would authorize the applicant to operate both Byron and Braidwood for an additional 20 years beyond the period specified in each of the respective current licenses. The current operating licenses for Byron expire as follows: Unit 1 (NPF-37) on October 31, 2024, and Unit 2 (NPF-66) on November 6, 2026. The current operating licenses for Braidwood expire as follows: Unit 1 (NPF-72) on October 17, 2026, and Unit 2 (NPF-77) on December 18, 2027.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a regulatory basis document to support the potential amendment of its regulations concerning nuclear power plant licensees' and applicants' station blackout mitigation strategies. The issuance of this regulatory basis document is one of the actions stemming from the NRC's lessons- learned efforts associated with the March 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan.