Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an order to PPL Susquehanna, LLC (PPL Susquehanna), approving the indirect transfer of PPL Susquehanna's interests in Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-14 and NPF-22, as well as the general license for the independent spent fuel storage installation, for Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, Units 1 and 2. As a result of the transaction, PPL Susquehanna will become indirectly controlled by two new entities, and will be renamed Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC. Conforming license amendments will replace references to PPL Corporation in the license with references to Talen Energy to reflect the transfer of ownership, and will replace references to PPL Susquehanna, LLC with references to Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC to reflect the new name. No physical changes to the facilities or operational changes were proposed in the application, and Susquehanna Nuclear, LLC will be owner and operator of the facility. This Order is effective upon issuance.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is withdrawing a direct final rule that would have amended the NRC's 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 add Amendment No. 8, Revision No. 1. This rule would have superseded Amendment No. 8 (effective May 2, 2012, and corrected on November 16, 2012), to the Certificate of Compliance (CoC) No. 1014. The NRC is taking this action because it has received at least one significant adverse comment in response to a companion proposed rule that was concurrently published with the direct final rule.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1322, ``Alternate Risk- Informed Approach for Addressing the Effects of Debris On Post-Accident Long-Term Core Cooling.'' This DG proposes new guidance that describes methods and procedures that the NRC staff considers acceptable for complying with a voluntary, risk-informed alternative in a proposed revision of the NRC's regulation governing the design of emergency core cooling systems (ECCS).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public comment on a draft regulatory issue summary (RIS), RIS 2015-XX ``Seismic Stability Analysis Methodologies for Spent Fuel Dry Cask Loading Stack-up Configuration.'' This RIS clarifies the NRC staff's position on acceptable seismic stability analysis methodologies to determine if a spent fuel dry cask loading stack-up configuration needs to be laterally supported

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to a December 31, 2014, letter from UniStar Nuclear Energy (UNE), on behalf of Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Project, LLC, and UniStar Operating Services, LLC, co-applicants for the combined license (COL) application for the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 (CCNPP3), which requested an exemption to delay the submission of the annual update of the Final Safety Analysis Report (FSAR) to be included in their COL application. The NRC staff reviewed this request and determined that it is appropriate to grant the exemption to delay the FSAR update submittal up to December 31, 2015.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is providing supplemental information to an earlier notice, appearing in the Federal Register on March 4, 2015, which requested comment on a draft interim staff guidance (ISG), ``Guidance for Evaluation of Acute Chemical Exposures and Proposed Quantitative Standards.'' The draft ISG, if issued in final form, would supplement existing guidance in NUREG-1520, ``Standard Review Plan for the Review of a License Application for a Fuel Cycle Facility,'' by providing additional guidance and the descriptions of proposed quantitative standards for the NRC to follow when evaluating the integrated safety analysis (ISAs) of acute chemical exposures. This action is necessary to provide the public with the backfitting information with respect to the draft ISG, and includes references to the key documents on backfitting issues. The public comment period was originally scheduled to close on May 18, 2015. The NRC is extending the public comment period on this action to allow more time for members of the public to review the additional information on backfitting before submitting any comments.

On December 18, 2014, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a request for public comment on draft NUREG-2126, ``Standard Review Plan for Conventional Uranium Mills and Heap Leach Facilities.'' The public comment period closed on March 18, 2015. The NRC has decided to reopen the public comment period on this document until June 18, 2015, to allow more time for members of the public to develop and submit their comments.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption from certain emergency planning requirements in response to a June 20, 2012, request from ZionSolutions, LLC. The requirements were part of a final rule that the NRC issued on November 23, 2011.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its 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 3.3.1, and other editorial changes to Appendices A and B of the TSs.

Pursuant to Section 189a. (2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing this regular biweekly 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, notwithstanding the pendency before the Commission of a request for a hearing from any person. This biweekly notice includes all notices of amendments issued, or proposed to be issued from March 19, 2015 to April 1, 2015. The last biweekly notice was published on March 31, 2015.

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. 30 to Combined Licenses (COLs), 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 granting of the exemption allows the changes to Tier 1 information requested 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 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. 29 to Combined Licenses (COLs), 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 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 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption from the requirement to maintain a specified level of onsite property damage insurance in response to a request from Dominion Energy Kewaunee, Inc. (DEK or the licensee) dated March 20, 2014. This exemption would permit the licensee to reduce its onsite property damage insurance from $1.06 billion to $50 million.

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, General Domestic Licenses for Byproduct Material.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an environmental assessment and finding of no significant impact regarding exemptions from specific emergency planning requirements for license nos. DPR-39 and DPR-48, issued to ZionSolutions, LLC, for the Zion Nuclear Power Station, Units 1 and 2.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission will convene a teleconference meeting of the Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) on June 16, 2015, to discuss the ACMUI Radioactive Seed Localization subcommittee report and to hear a presentation from Spectrum Pharmaceuticals regarding the training and experience requirements for alpha and beta emitters. Meeting information, including a copy of the agenda and handouts, will be available at https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/acmui/meetings/ 2015.html. The agenda and handouts may also be obtained by contacting Ms. Sophie Holiday using the information below.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of three amendment requests. The amendment requests are for Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1; Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2; and San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Units 2 and 3. The NRC proposes to determine that each amendment request involves no significant hazards consideration. In addition, each amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non- safeguards information (SUNSI).

On December 19, 2014, as supplemented on February 26, 2015, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received from Zion Solutions, LLC, (ZS), the License Termination Plan (LTP) for the Zion Nuclear Power Station (ZNPS), Units 1 and 2. The LTP provides details about the known radiological information for the site, the planned demolition and decommissioning tasks to be completed, and the final radiological surveys and data that will need to be obtained to allow termination of the NRC's license for ZNPS. The NRC is requesting public comments on ZS's LTP and will hold a public meeting to discuss the LTP.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a final revision to the following section in Chapter 3 of NUREG-0800, ``Standard Review Plan (SRP) for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants: LWR Edition,'' Section 3.5.1.4, ``Missiles Generated by Extreme Winds.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting a one-time exemption to South Carolina Electric and Gas Company (the licensee) from NRC regulations that require that a licensee must use the criteria in NUREG-1021, ``Operator Licensing Examination Standards for Power Reactors,'' in effect six months before the examination date to prepare the written examinations and the operating tests. NUREG- 1021, Revision 10, which was published on January 2, 2015, adds guidance for licensing operators of new reactors and includes NUREG- 2103, ``Knowledge and Abilities Catalog for Nuclear Power Plant Operators: Pressurized-Water Reactors, Westinghouse AP1000,'' dated October 2011, but does not go into effect until July 2, 2015. The exemption allows the licensee to use NUREG-1021, Revision 10, prior to July 2, 2015, to prepare, proctor, and grade the written examinations and to prepare the operating tests required by NRC regulations.

Pursuant to Section 189a. (2) of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended (the Act), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing this regular biweekly 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, notwithstanding the pendency before the Commission of a request for a hearing from any person. This biweekly notice includes all notices of amendments issued, or proposed to be issued from March 5, 2015 to March 18, 2015. The last biweekly notice was published on March 17, 2015.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has conducted a comprehensive review of all its Privacy Act systems of records notices. The NRC is proposing to adopt a new routine use as a Prefatory Statement of General Routine Uses that will authorize disclosure of information to the National Archives and Records Administration, Office of Government Information Services (OGIS), to the extent necessary to allow OGIS to fulfill its responsibilities to review administrative agency policies, procedures, and compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and offer of mediation services to resolve disputes between persons making FOIA requests and administrative agencies. The NRC is also proposing revisions to NRC 11, ``General Personnel Records (Official Personnel Folder and Related Records) NRC;'' and NRC 22, ``Personnel Performance AppraisalsNRC.'' The proposed revisions will add a routine use to each of these systems of records that will authorize the disclosure of information to officials of federally-recognized labor organizations when relevant and necessary to their duties of exclusive representation concerning personnel policies, practices, and matters affecting working conditions. The NRC is revising the routine use for NRC 18, ``Office of the Inspector General OIG Investigative RecordsNRC. The proposed revision is to reflect that, under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014, the Inspector General of the NRC is authorized in 2014 and subsequent years to exercise the same authorities with respect to the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, as the Inspector General exercises under the Inspector General Act of 1978 with respect to the NRC.