Nuclear Regulatory Commission 2020 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued an exemption in response to a request from GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, LLC (GEH) related to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The exemption allows GEH to submit a renewal application for the Morris Operation Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) license, Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) License No. SNM-2500, after the timely renewal due date, while continuing to be afforded protection of the timely renewal provision contained in NRC regulations.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft regulatory guide (DG), DG-1362, ``Acceptability of Probabilistic Risk Assessment Results for Risk-Informed Activities.'' This proposed guide, which is Revision 3 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.200, describes one acceptable approach for determining whether a base probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), in total or the portions that are used to support an application, is acceptable to provide confidence in the results, such that the PRA can be used in regulatory decision- making for light-water reactors. When used in support of an application, the use of this RG will obviate the need for an in-depth review of the base PRA by NRC reviewers, allowing them to focus their review on key assumptions and areas identified by peer reviewers.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering approval of an amendment to Renewed Facility Operating License No. DPR-35, issued to Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC for the decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station (Pilgrim). The amendment would amend the Pilgrim Physical Security Plan and amend License Condition 3.G, ``Physical Protection.'' The proposed revised Physical Security Plan would integrate the existing Physical Security Plan's Appendix D. Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC indicated that this proposed appendix provides the security requirements for the new Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation that is currently being built in the Owner Controlled Area outside of the existing Pilgrim Protected Area. According to Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC, the Security Training and Qualification Plan and the Safeguards Contingency Plan are included in the proposed revised Physical Security Plan but remain unchanged from the existing Physical Security Plan. The NRC proposes to determine that the amendment involves no significant hazards consideration. Because the amendment request contains safeguards information (SGI), an order imposes procedures to obtain access to SGI for contention preparation.

On March 11, 2020, Oklo Power LLC, a subsidiary of Oklo, Inc., submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for a combined license (COL) application for one micro-reactor, identified as the Aurora, to be located at the Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho. A notice of receipt and availability of this application was published in the Federal Register on March 30, 2020. Notice of the NRC's docketing the application was published in the Federal Register on June 16, 2020. A hearing will be held, at a time and place to be set in the future by the NRC or designated by the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board (Board). The hearing will consider the application dated March 11, 2020.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its spent fuel storage regulations by revising the TN Americas LLC, Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] Horizontal Modular Storage System (Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] System) listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Renewed Amendment No. 16 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1004. This amendment used a qualitative risk-informed approach (graded approach criteria) to streamline the format and content of the certificate of compliance. Renewed Amendment No. 16 does not include any design or fabrication changes to the Standardized NUHOMS[supreg] System.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received a license amendment application from Portland General Electric Company (PGE), requesting to amend License No. SNM-2509 for the Trojan Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI), located in Columbia County, Oregon. The amendment would revise the description in the safety analysis report of the licensee's evaluation of explosion accident events.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is notifying the public of an online submission option and format for documenting the NRC's evaluation of a request for an alternative to the regulatory requirements.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing NUREG- 0090, Volume 42, ``Report to Congress on Abnormal Occurrences: Fiscal Year 2019.'' The report describes those events that the NRC or an Agreement State identified as abnormal occurrences (AOs) during fiscal year (FY) 2019, based on the criteria defined in the report. The report describes nine events at Agreement State-licensed facilities and no events at NRC-licensed facilities.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently submitted a renewal of an existing collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review. The information collection is entitled, ``Requests to Agreement States for Information.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing regulatory guide (RG) 1.236, ``Pressurized-Water Reactor Control Rod Ejection and Boiling-Water Reactor Control Rod Drop Accidents.'' This is a new RG that provides guidance for analyzing control rod accidents. It defines fuel cladding failure thresholds for ductile failure, brittle failure, and pellet-clad mechanical interaction. It also describes analytical limits and guidance for demonstrating compliance with regulations governing reactivity limits. RG 1.236 supersedes the guidance for control rod ejection accidents in RG 1.77, ``Assumptions Used for Evaluation a Control Rod Ejection Accident for Pressurized Water Reactors,'' which is being withdrawn in conjunction with the issuance of RG 1.236.

On April 2, 2020, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received the post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) for the Duane Arnold Energy Center (DAEC). The PSDAR, which includes the site-specific decommissioning cost estimate (DCE), provides an overview of NextEra Energy Duane Arnold, LLC's (NEDA or the licensee) planned decommissioning activities, schedule, projected costs, and environmental impacts for DAEC. The NRC will hold a public meeting to discuss the PSDAR's content and receive comments.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued 16 exemptions in response to requests from 12 licensees. The exemptions allow these licensees temporary relief from certain requirements under NRC regulations. The exemptions are in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). The NRC is issuing a single notice to announce the issuance of the exemptions.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff accepts and dockets an application for a combined license (COL) submitted by Oklo Power LLC (Oklo), a subsidiary of Oklo, Inc. dated March 11, 2020. The reactor is to be identified as the Aurora. The Docket Number established for this application is 52-049.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is confirming the effective date of June 17, 2020, for the direct final rule that was published in the Federal Register on April 3, 2020. The direct final rule amends the NRC's spent fuel storage regulations by revising the TN Americas LLC NUHOMS[supreg] EOS Dry Spent Fuel Storage System listing within the ``List of approved spent fuel storage casks'' to include Amendment No. 1 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1042. Amendment No. 1 makes the following changes: Adds a new basket type (Type 4) to allow for the loading of intact, damaged, or failed fuel; adds another new basket type (Type 5); accepts fuel assemblies with a minimum two-year cooling time, in selected locations within the basket; and adds the NUHOMS[supreg] MATRIX design as an alternative to the EOS horizontal storage module design for the storage of spent fuel. Amendment No. 1 also makes other additional revisions to the certificate of compliance and the technical specifications for consistency and clarity.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an exemption in response to a request submitted by Exelon Generation Company, LLC (EGC) on October 3, 2019, for the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (CCNPP). This exemption would permit CCNPP to load and store spent fuel with a larger pellet diameter than is authorized in the Holtec International, Inc. (Holtec) HI-STORM FW storage system in Certificate of Compliance No. 1032, Amendment 1, Revision 1.

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, ``Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs or Activities Receiving Assistance from the Commission.''

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is correcting a rule that was published in the Federal Register on May 4, 2020, regarding its regulations to incorporate by reference the 2015 and 2017 Editions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and the 2015 and 2017 Editions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Operation and Maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants, Division 1: OM Code: Section IST, for nuclear power plants. This action is necessary to correct a code case reference and an amendatory instruction.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to implement the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017. This statute directed agencies to issue regulations that prohibit the inclusion of an individual's Social Security account number (Social Security number or SSN) on any document sent through the mail unless the head of the agency deems it necessary and the appropriate precautions are taken to protect the SSN. Applicants, licensees, and members of the public who are required to submit a form containing a SSN may be affected.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 4 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.100, ``Seismic Qualification of Electrical and Active Mechanical Equipment and Functional Qualification of Active Mechanical Equipment for Nuclear Power Plants.'' RG 1.100 was revised to endorse industry consensus standards with certain exceptions and clarifications. The guide describes methods that the staff of the NRC considers acceptable for use in the seismic qualification of electrical and active mechanical equipment and the functional qualification of active mechanical equipment for nuclear power plants.

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 May 5, 2020, to May 15, 2020. The last biweekly notice was published on May 19, 2020.