Nuclear Regulatory Commission – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued an exemption in response to a November 15, 2023, request from Florida Power and Light Company from certain requirements of NRC regulations to use AXIOM[supreg] fuel rod cladding at Turkey Point Nuclear Generating, Unit Nos. 3 and 4. Current NRC regulations limit applicability to the use of fuel rod cladding with zircaloy or ZIRLOTM.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is considering an amendment of Special Nuclear Material (SNM) License No. SNM-2011, issued on April 13, 2007, to American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (ACO) for the operation of the American Centrifuge Plant (ACP). This proposed amendment would increase ACO's licensed material possession limits under the high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) demonstration and operations program to support production of approximately 1,400 kilograms (kg) of HALEU in the form of uranium hexafluoride (UF6). For this proposed action, the NRC staff is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI).

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a notice to announce the issuance of an exemption in response to a request from Pacific Gas and Electric Company. This exemption was requested as a result of a change to NRC's regulations published in the Federal Register on March 14, 2023.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) will commence an uncontested hearing, in which the Commission will receive written evidence in the form of testimony and exhibits regarding the application from Kairos Power LLC (Kairos) for a construction permit (CP) to construct a non-power test reactor termed Hermes 2 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing Revision 3 to Regulatory Guide (RG), 5.62, "Physical Security Event Notifications, Reports, and Records." This RG clarifies reporting and recording of security events and conditions adverse to security under NRC's regulations concerning the physical protection of plants and materials.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment draft Supplement 61, to the Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS) for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants, NUREG-1437, regarding the proposed renewal of Renewed Facility Operating License No. NPF-58 for an additional 20 years of operation for Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1 (Perry Plant). Perry Plant is located in Perry, Ohio, approximately 35 miles northeast of Cleveland, OH. Possible alternatives to the proposed action of license renewal include no action and reasonable replacement power alternatives.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) regarding the NRC's consideration of issuance of a construction permit (CP) to Kairos Power, LLC (Kairos, the applicant) for the proposed Hermes 2 test reactor facility located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. If approved, the CP would authorize the construction of two fluoride-salt cooled, high- temperature reactors that use solid tri-structural isotropic fuel in pebble form, intermediate liquid-sodium loops, and a common power conversion unit. In addition, the NRC is issuing exemptions from certain NRC requirements which state that the NRC staff shall prepare and issue an environmental impact statement (EIS) to support the issuance of a CP for a testing facility. The NRC is granting the exemptions and issuing the EA and FONSI concurrently to satisfy its obligations under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and requirements under NRC regulations, related to the proposed action.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its spent fuel regulations by revising the Holtec International HI-STORM 100 Cask System listing within the "List of approved spent fuel storage casks" to include Renewed Amendment No. 18 to Certificate of Compliance No. 1014. Renewed Amendment No. 18 would amend the certificate of compliance to incorporate the Holtec Report No. HI- 2200343-A entitled, "Topical Report for Allowance of Heat Load Patterns in HI-STORM 100 and HI-STORM FW Systems."

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted the request of Accelerated Decommissioning Partners Crystal River Unit 3, LLC (ADP CR3, the licensee) to withdraw its application dated December 12, 2022, for a proposed amendment to Facility Operating License No. DPR-72. The proposed amendment would have added a license condition to include the License Termination Plan for the Crystal River Unit 3 Nuclear Generating Plant.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is giving notice that by petition dated March 4, 2024, as supplemented on June 7, 2024, San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace, Friends of the Earth, and Environmental Working Group (the petitioners) requested that the NRC exercise its supervisory authority to order the immediate closure of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2 (Diablo Canyon) due to "the unacceptable risk of a seismically induced severe accident." The Commission referred the request to the enforcement petition process under NRC regulations. The petitioners' request is included in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to incorporate by reference the 2021 Edition of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code and the 2022 Edition 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 in accordance with the NRC's policy to periodically update the regulations to incorporate by reference new editions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Codes and is intended to maintain the safety of nuclear power plants and to make NRC activities more effective and efficient. This amendment also incorporates editorial changes that do not change the technical information.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing for public comment two related draft Regulatory Guides (DGs) namely DG- 1420, "Criteria for Power Systems for Nuclear Power Plants," and DG- 1354, "Criteria for the Protection of Class 1E Power Systems and Equipment for Nuclear Power Plants." DG-1420 is proposed Revision 4 to Regulatory Guide (RG) 1.32 of the same name and DG-1354 is newly proposed Revision 0 of RG 1.238. DG-1420 describes an approach that is acceptable to the NRC staff to meet regulatory requirements for the design, operation, and testing of electric power systems in nuclear power plants. DG-1354 describes an approach that is acceptable to the NRC staff for use in complying with NRC regulations that address the protection of Class 1E power systems and equipment at nuclear power plants.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations to revise the agency's rules of practice and procedure to improve access to documents and make e-filing rules technology neutral, to delete an obsolete regulation, to clarify the applicability of Subpart L and Subpart N procedures, to enhance internal consistency for page limit requirements, to enhance consistency with the Federal Rules of Evidence for "true copies," and to better reflect current Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel practice regarding admission of evidence.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) received and is considering issuing an export license (XW033), requested by Perma-Fix Northwest Richland, Inc (PFNW) by application dated June 18, 2024. The application seeks the NRC's approval to return residual radioactive waste to the country of origin, Mexico. The NRC is providing notice of the opportunity to comment, request a hearing, and petition to intervene on PFNW's application.

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, "Standards for Protection Against Radiation."

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations to provide certain alternative, risk-informed, performance-based physical security requirements for advanced reactors that would result in greater regulatory stability, predictability, and clarity in the licensing process and reduce the need for exemptions. The term "advanced reactors," as used in this rulemaking, refers to nuclear power reactors that are light-water small modular reactors or non-light-water reactors. Concurrently, the NRC is issuing for public comment a draft regulatory guide, DG-5072, "Guidance for Alternative Physical Security Requirements for Small Modular Reactors and Non- Light-Water Reactors." The NRC also developed DG-5071, "Target Set Identification and Development for Nuclear Power Reactors," which is withheld from public disclosure and can be made available to those members of the public with a need to know.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is issuing a final environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact (FONSI) for a proposed amendment of NRC Possession Only License (POL) DPR-73 for the Three Mile Island Nuclear Station, Unit No. 2 (TMI-2), located in Londonderry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. The proposed amendment would ensure that TMI-2 Energy Solutions (TMI- 2Solutions, the licensee) can continue decommissioning the facility in accordance with NRC regulations. TMI-2Solutions will be engaging in certain major decommissioning activities, including the physical demolition of buildings previously deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The EA, "Environmental Assessment for Specific Decommissioning Activities at Three Mile Island, Unit 2 in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania," documents the NRC staff's environmental review of the license amendment application.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or the Commission) received and is considering issuance of four amendments to Renewed Facility Operating License (RFOL) No. DPR-20, that were requested by Holtec Decommissioning International, LLC (HDI), on behalf of Holtec Palisades, LLC, to support the potential reauthorization of power operations at the Palisades Nuclear Plant (PNP). For each amendment request, the NRC proposes to determine that they involve no significant hazards consideration (NSHC). Because potential parties may deem it necessary to obtain access to sensitive unclassified non- safeguards information (SUNSI) and safeguards information (SGI) to meet Commission requirements for intervention, the NRC is issuing an order imposing procedures to obtain access to SUNSI and SGI for contention preparation by persons who file a hearing request or petition for leave to intervene.