Nuclear Regulatory Commission October 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing NUREG/ BR-0006, Revision 9, ``Instructions for Completing Nuclear Material Transaction Reports,'' and NUREG/BR-0007, Revision 8, ``Instructions for the Preparation and Distribution of Material Status Reports.'' These NUREG brochures provide guidance for licensees submitting material transaction reports and material status reports to the Nuclear Materials Management and Safeguards System.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Interim Staff Guidance (ISG), ``Micro-Reactor License Application COL- ISG-029, `Environmental Considerations Associated with Micro-Reactors.' '' The purpose of this ISG is to modify existing guidance and provide supplemental guidance to assist the NRC staff in determining the scope and scale of environmental reviews of micro-reactor applications.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has determined that specified inspections, tests, and analyses have been successfully completed, and that specified acceptance criteria are met for the Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (VEGP), Units 3 and 4.

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 354, Data Report on Spouse.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is announcing the withdrawal of Petition for Rulemaking PRM-72-7 (PRM; petition), and discontinuation of the associated rulemaking activity, ``Spent Fuel Cask Certificate of Compliance Format and Content.'' The NRC will no longer track this rulemaking activity or PRM.

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 64, ``Travel Voucher'' (Part 1); NRC Form 64A, ``Travel Voucher'' (Part 2).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an application for the subsequent license renewal of Renewed Facility Operating License Nos. NPF-4 and NPF-7, which authorize Virigina Electric and Power Company (Dominion or the applicant) to operate North Anna Power Station, Units 1 and 2 (North Anna). The subsequent renewed licenses would authorize the applicant to operate North Anna for an additional 20 years beyond the period specified in each of the current renewed licenses. The current renewed operating licenses for North Anna expire as follows: Unit 1 on April 1, 2038, and Unit 2 on August 21, 2040.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is requesting comments on its update of the NRC's Fiscal Years (FYs) 2022-2026 Strategic Plan. Specifically, the NRC would like input on the agency's strategic goals, actions to realize those goals, and how to address key challenges and external factors as described in the current agency's Strategic Plan, NUREG 1614, Volume 7, ``Strategic Plan Fiscal Years 2018-2022.'' The information will be used to inform the development of the NRC's FYs 2022-2026 Strategic Plan framework and evidence building and evaluation activities. The public comment period was originally scheduled to close on October 13, 2020. The NRC will extend the public comment period to allow more time for members of the public to develop and submit their comments.

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, ``Licensing Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to an April 7, 2020 request from Indiana Michigan Power Company (I&M, the licensee). The issuance of the exemption would permit I&M to align the regulatory requirements for reporting frequency with the current Final Safety Analysis Report update frequency for the Donald C. Cook Nuclear Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an Order approving a request, submitted by MP Mine Operations LLC, seeking NRC's consent to the indirect transfers of control of Export License Nos. XSOU8707 and XSOU8827 and requesting approval of a conforming license amendment to reflect the new point-of-contact on Export License Nos. XSOU8707 and XSOU8827.

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, ``Standard Specifications for the Granting of Patent Licenses.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is notifying the public of its revised format for applications and amendments to facility operating licenses and combined licenses involving proposed no significant hazards considerations and containing sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI) and order imposing procedures for access to SUNSI information.

Pursuant to section 189.a.(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 (NSHC), notwithstanding the pendency before the Commission of a request for a hearing from any person. This biweekly notice includes all amendments issued, or proposed to be issued, from September 5, 2020, to September 21, 2020. The last biweekly notice was published on September 22, 2020.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to a June 30, 2020, letter from Framatome Inc. (Framatome), which requested an exemption from regulatory requirements regarding the annual reports required by regulations (hereafter ``required report'') for the U.S. EPR standard design certification application for the years 2020-2024. The regulation for which exemption is sought covers emergency core cooling systems (ECCS) for light-water nuclear power reactors. Framatome committed to submit the required report before any request to reactivate the U.S. EPR review. Framatome further committed to providing an update to the required report, or taking other appropriate action, as necessary, no later than December 31, 2024. Staff review of the U.S. EPR standard design certification application was suspended in April 2015 at the request of the applicant. The NRC staff reviewed this request and determined that it is appropriate to grant the exemption in accordance with the regulations as the request does not present an undue risk to public health or safety and is consistent with the common defense and security; furthermore, special circumstances exist.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend the reactor vessel material surveillance program requirements for commercial light-water power reactors. This action would amend the requirements associated with the testing of specimens contained within surveillance capsules and reporting the surveillance test results. This action would also clarify the requirements for the design of surveillance programs and the capsule withdrawal schedules for surveillance capsules in reactor vessels purchased after 1982. These changes would reduce regulatory burden, with no effect on public health and safety.