Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2018 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuing an exemption to Northwest Medical Isotopes, LLC (NWMI) from its regulations, to waive the requirement that NWMI submit an application to the NRC for a license to possess and use special nuclear material for processing and fuel fabrication, scrap recovery or conversion of uranium hexafluoride, or for the conduct of any other activity which the NRC has determined will significantly affect the quality of the environment, at least 9 months prior to commencement of construction of the plant or facility in which the activity will be conducted. The NRC has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for this exemption request.

Pursuant to 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 July 31, 2018, to August 13, 2018. The last biweekly notice was published on August 14, 2018.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted the request of Tennessee Valley Authority (the licensee) to withdraw its application dated July 6, 2018, for proposed amendments to Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. DPR-33, DPR-52, DPR-68, DPR-77 and DPR- 79, and Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-90 and NPF-96. The proposed amendments would have revised the implementation date of Tennessee Valley Authority's emergency action level schemes based on the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) document NEI 99-01, Revision 6, ``Development of Emergency Action Levels for Non- Passive Reactors,'' from July 3, 2018, to November 3, 2018.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment Draft Regulatory Guide (DG) DG-5061, ``Cyber Security Programs for Nuclear Power Reactors.'' This revision incorporates lessons learned from operating experience since the original publication of the guide. Specifically, this revision clarifies issues identified from interim cybersecurity milestone inspections, additional insights gained through the Security Frequently Asked Questions (SFAQs) process, documented cybersecurity attacks, new technologies, and new regulations. This revision also considers the changes in the most recent revision to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publications (SP) 800-53, upon which Revision 0 of RG 5.71 was based.

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, ``Requests to Agreement States for Information.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an application for the renewal of Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) License No. SNM-2510, which currently authorizes Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) to receive, possess, transfer, and store spent fuel from Rancho Seco Nuclear Generating Station in the Rancho Seco Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). The renewed license would authorize SMUD to continue to store spent fuel in the Rancho Seco ISFSI for an additional 40 years beyond the current license expiration date of June 30, 2020. For this license renewal application, the NRC proposes to determine that it involves no significant hazards consideration. Because this license renewal 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 issued an exemption in response to a May 24, 2018, request from Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc., for an exemption of up to 3 months from certain security training schedule requirements for the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station.

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 ``Requirements for Renewal of Operating Licenses for Nuclear Power Plants.''

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 titled, ``Physical Protection of Plants and Materials.''

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) 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, ``NRC Form 171, Duplication Request.''

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 July 17, 2018, to July 30, 2018. The last biweekly notice was published on July 31, 2018.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering issuance of exemptions in response to a request from Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon or the licensee) that would permit the licensee to reduce its emergency planning (EP) activities at the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (Oyster Creek). The licensee is seeking exemptions that would eliminate the requirements for the licensee to maintain offsite radiological emergency plans and reduce some of the onsite EP activities based on the reduced risks at Oyster Creek, which will be permanently shut down and defueled. However, requirements for certain onsite capabilities to communicate and coordinate with offsite response authorities would be retained. In addition, offsite EP provisions would still exist through State and local government use of a comprehensive emergency management plan process, in accordance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101, ``Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans.'' The NRC staff is issuing a final Environmental Assessment (EA) and final Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) associated with the proposed exemptions.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an order to permit the indirect transfer of membership interests in Entergy Louisiana, LLC (ELL; the owner of River Bend Station, Unit 1, and the independent spent fuel storage installation facility) to the extent ELL is affected by the addition of Entergy Arkansas, LLC; Entergy Mississippi, LLC; and Entergy New Orleans, LLC to Entergy Utility Holding Company, LLC (EUHC). Upon execution of the transfer, these changes will result in additional members of EUHC that may dilute the resources and voting power of its members, including ELL.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a director's decision in response to a petition dated January 24, 2017, filed by Mr. Paul Gunter on behalf of Beyond Nuclear, and representing numerous public interest groups (collectively, Beyond Nuclear, et al., or petitioners), requesting that the NRC take action with regard to licensees of plants that currently rely on potentially defective safety-related components and potentially falsified quality assurance documentation supplied by AREVA-Le Creusot Forge and Japan Casting and Forging Corporation. The petitioners' requests are included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received an application from the Homestake Mining Company of California (the licensee), for amendment of Materials License No. SUA-1471, which authorizes the possession of residual uranium and byproduct material in the form of uranium waste tailings and other byproduct waste generated by the licensee's past milling operations at the licensee's uranium mill located in Cibola County, New Mexico. The amendment would update Materials License No. SUA-1471 Condition 35 to include the 300 and 1200 gallon per minute (gpm) zeolite water treatment systems, which are currently being used by the licensee for site remediation efforts.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting exemptions to allow a departure from elements of the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic AP1000 design control document (DCD) and issuing License Amendment Nos. 129 and 128 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92, respectively. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., and Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, MEAG Power SPVM, LLC, MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC, MEAG Power SPVP, LLC, 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 for public comment a draft NUREG, NUREG-2224, ``Dry Storage and Transportation of High Burnup Spent Nuclear Fuel.'' The draft NUREG provides technical background information applicable to high burnup spent nuclear fuel (HBU SNF), provides an engineering assessment of recent NRC-sponsored mechanical testing of HBU SNF, and proposes example approaches for licensing and certification of HBU SNF in transportation and dry storage.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is granting exemptions to allow a departure from elements of the certification information of Tier 1 of the generic AP1000 design control document (DCD) and issuing License Amendment Nos. 131 and 130 to Combined Licenses (COL), NPF-91 and NPF-92, respectively. The COLs were issued to Southern Nuclear Operating Company, and Georgia Power Company, Oglethorpe Power Corporation, MEAG Power SPVM, LLC, MEAG Power SPVJ, LLC, MEAG Power SPVP, LLC, 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 exemptions allows the changes to Tier 1 information asked for in the amendment. Because the acceptability of the exemptions were determined in part by the acceptability of the amendments, the exemptions and amendments are being issued concurrently. The exemption revises the plant-specific Tier 1 information and corresponding changes to COL Appendix C, and the amendment changes the associated plant-specific DCD Tier 2 material incorporated into the VEGP Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR), to modify an administrative program to manage unqualified inorganic zinc coatings in Service Level I areas of the VEGP Units 3 and 4 containment buildings.

On May 29, 2018, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) solicited comments on draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-5048, ``Standard Format and Content of Physical Security Plans, Training and Qualifications Plans and Safeguards Contingency Plans for Nuclear Power Plants.'' The public comment period was originally scheduled to close on August 13, 2018. The NRC has decided to extend the public comment period by 30 days to allow more time for members of the public to develop and submit their comments.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of one amendment request. The amendment request is for Millstone Power Station, Unit No. 3. For each amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that they involve no significant hazards consideration. Because each amendment request contains sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SUNSI for contention preparation.