Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a final revision to the following section of NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition,'' Section 13.6.2, ``Physical SecurityReview of Physical Security System DesignsStandard Design Certification and Operating Reactor Licensing Applications.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the availability of Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) for Natural Phenomena Hazards (NPH) in Fuel Cycle Facilities. Fuel cycle facility licensees are required to conduct and maintain an Integrated Safety Analysis (ISA). This analysis must examine potential accident sequences caused by process deviations or other events internal to the facility and credible external events, including natural phenomena. The staff is issuing this ISG to provide additional guidance to the NRC staff for the review of fuel cycle facilities ISA evaluation of accident sequences that may result from NPH. This ISG will be incorporated into future revisions of Appendix D of Chapter 3 of NUREG 1520, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of a License Application for a Fuel Cycle Facility.'' Specific emphasis was provided on seismic hazards due to recent events such as the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident and recent updates to the U.S. Geological Survey hazard curves.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft NUREG-1927, Revision 1, ``Standard Review Plan for Renewal of Specific Licenses and Certificates of Compliance for Dry Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel.'' The draft NUREG provides guidance to the NRC staff for the safety review of renewal applications for specific licenses of independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs) and certificates of compliance (CoCs) of spent fuel storage casks. The NRC is soliciting public comments on this draft NUREG and will consider received comments as it finalizes the guidance.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of eight amendment requests. The amendment requests are for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Unit 3; Beaver Valley Power Station, Units Nos. 1 and 2; Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant; Fort Calhoun Station, Unit No. 1; Salem Nuclear Generating Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 3; and Callaway Plant, Unit 1. For each amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that they involve no significant hazards consideration. In addition, each amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1323, ``Comprehensive Vibration Assessment Program for Reactor Internals During Preoperational and Startup Testing.'' This guide describes methods and procedures that the staff of the NRC considers acceptable when a developing a comprehensive vibration assessment program (CVAP) for power reactor internals during preoperational and startup testing.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1305, ``Acceptance of Commercial-Grade Design and Analysis Computer Programs for Nuclear Power Plants.'' This DG provides new (i.e., not preceded by earlier guidance on the same subject) guidance that describes acceptance methods that the staff of the NRC considers acceptable in meeting regulatory requirements for acceptance and dedication of commercial- grade design and analysis computer programs for nuclear power plants.

On January 27, 2010, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) notified the public of its opportunity to participate in the scoping process associated with the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) related to the review of the license renewal application submitted by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) for the renewal of Facility Operating Licenses DPR-80 and DPR-82 for an additional 20 years of operation at Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP), Units 1 and 2. The current operating licenses for DCPP, Units 1 and 2 expire on November 2, 2024, and August 26, 2025, respectively. The scoping period closed on April 12, 2010. The NRC has decided to reopen the scoping process and allow members of the public an additional opportunity to participate.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting public comment on the Design-Specific Review Standard (DSRS) and Safety Review Matrix for the NuScale Power, LLC, design (NuScale DSRS Scope and Safety Review Matrix). The purpose of the NuScale DSRS is to provide guidance to NRC staff in performing safety reviews where existing NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition,'' Standard Review Plans (SRP) have been modified by the staff specifically for the NuScale design, or do not address unique features of the NuScale design. The DSRS also allows NRC staff to more fully integrate the use of design-specific risk insights into the review of the NuScale design certification application (DC) or an early site permit (ESP) or combined license (COL) application that references the NuScale design.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the availability of final Generic Letter 2015-01, ``Treatment of Natural Phenomena Hazards in Fuel Cycle Facilities.'' The generic letter requests information from licensees of fuel cycle facilities to demonstrate if compliance is being maintained with the regulatory requirements and applicable license conditions regarding the treatment of natural phenomena events in the facilities' safety assessments, and to determine if additional NRC regulatory action is necessary to ensure that licensees are in compliance with their current licensing basis and existing NRC's regulations. The NRC will use the information submitted by licensees in response to the generic letter to determine if additional regulatory action is warranted.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of June 29, 2015, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on April 15, 2015. This direct final rule amended the NRC's spent fuel storage regulations by revising the NAC International, Inc., MAGNASTOR[supreg] System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 5 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1031. Amendment No. 5 makes numerous changes to the Technical Specifications (TSs) including adding a new damaged fuel assembly, revising the maximum or minimum enrichments for three fuel assembly designs, adding four-zone preferential loading for pressurized-water reactor fuel assemblies and increasing the maximum dose rates in limiting condition for operation (LCO) 3.3.1, and other editorial changes to Appendices A and B of the TSs.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted the request of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA, the licensee) to withdraw its application dated November 22, 2013, as supplemented by letters dated April 4, August 15, September 30, 2014, and January 29, 2015, for a proposed amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License (RFOL) Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, and DPR-68, for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3 (Browns Ferry). The proposed amendment would have revised the Browns Ferry Technical Specifications to decrease the allowable leakage rate criteria for the Main Steam Isolation Valves (MSIVs).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the Holtec International, Inc. (Holtec), HI-STORM (Holtec International Storage Module) Underground Maximum Capacity (UMAX) Canister Storage System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to add Amendment No. 1 to Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1040. Amendment No. 1 provides a seismically enhanced version of the HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System, identified as the ``Most Severe Earthquake (MSE)'' version that could be used in areas with higher seismic demands than those analyzed previously. Amendment No. 1 also includes minor physical design changes to help ensure structural integrity of the amended system. These are the addition of a hold-down system to the closure lid; replacing the fill material in the interstitial spaces between the cavity enclosure containers (CECs) surrounding the casks with plain concrete with a minimum comprehensive strength of 3000 psi concrete; strengthening the multi-purpose canister (MPC) guides; and engineering the guides' nominal gap with the MPC to be tighter than the original HI-STORM UMAX Canister Storage System design.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received three petitions for rulemaking (PRM) requesting that the NRC amend its ``Standards for Protection Against Radiation'' regulations and change the basis of those regulations from the Linear No-Threshold (LNT) model of radiation protection to the radiation hormesis model. The radiation hormesis model provides that exposure of the human body to low levels of ionizing radiation is beneficial and protects the human body against deleterious effects of high levels of radiation. Whereas, the LNT model provides that radiation is always considered harmful, there is no safety threshold, and biological damage caused by ionizing radiation (essentially the cancer risk) is directly proportional to the amount of radiation exposure to the human body (response linearity). The petitions were submitted by Carol S. Marcus, Mark L. Miller, and Mohan Doss (the petitioners), dated February 9, 2015, February 13, 2015, and February 24, 2015, respectively. These petitions were docketed by the NRC on February 20, 2015, February 27, 2015, and March 16, 2015, and have been assigned Docket Numbers. PRM-20-28, PRM-20-29, and PRM-20-30, respectively. The NRC is examining the issues raised in these petitions to determine whether they should be considered in rulemaking. The NRC is requesting public comments on these petitions for rulemaking.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a proposed collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``NRC Request for Sodium Iodide I-131 Treatment and Patient Release Practices.''

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, ``Rules of General Applicability to Domestic Licensing of Byproduct Material.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is soliciting public comment on a draft regulatory basis for a proposed rulemaking to amend the current financial qualification requirements of ``reasonable assurance'' to the review standard of ``appears to be financially qualified.'' The NRC plans to hold a public meeting to promote full understanding of this regulatory basis and facilitate public comment.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted the request of Northern States Power Company, a Minnesota corporation, doing business as Xcel Energy, to withdraw its application dated June 17, 2014, for a proposed amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-22, for the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant. The proposed amendment would have revised the required pressure for operability of the Alternate Nitrogen System as specified in Technical Specification Surveillance Requirement 3.5.1.3.b.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) invites public comment on the renewal of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) approval for an existing collection of information. The information collection is entitled, ``Financial Protection Requirements and Indemnity Agreements.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting exemptions in response to a request from Southern California Edison Company (SCE or the licensee) regarding certain emergency planning (EP) requirements. The exemptions will eliminate the requirements to maintain formal offsite radiological emergency plans and reduce the scope of the onsite EP activities at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), Units 1, 2, and 3, and the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), based on the reduced risks of accidents that could result in an offsite radiological release at the decommissioning nuclear power reactors. Provisions would still exist for offsite agencies to take protective actions, using a comprehensive emergency management plan to protect public health and safety, if protective actions were needed in the event of a very unlikely accident that could challenge the safe storage of spent fuel.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), in consultation with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), is amending its regulations for the packaging and transportation of radioactive material. These amendments make conforming changes to the NRC's regulations based on the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 2009 standards for the international transportation of radioactive material and maintain consistency with the DOT's regulations. In addition, these amendments re-establish restrictions on materials that qualify for the fissile material exemption, clarify requirements, update administrative procedures, and make editorial changes.