[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-16818]


  Federal Register / Vol. 59, No. 132 / Tuesday, July 12, 1994 /
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[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: July 12, 1994]


                                                   VOL. 59, NO. 132

                                             Tuesday, July 12, 1994

NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

10 CFR Part 50

 

Regulation of Advanced Nuclear Power Plants; Statement of Policy

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Final Policy Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) intends to improve the 
licensing environment for advanced nuclear power reactors to minimize 
complexity and uncertainty in the regulatory process. This statement 
gives the Commission's policy regarding the review of, and desired 
characteristics associated with, advanced reactors. This policy 
statement is a revision of the final policy statement titled 
``Regulation of Advanced Nuclear Power Plants, Statement of Policy'' 
that was published on July 8, 1986. The purpose of this revision is to 
update the Commission's policy statement on advanced reactors to 
reference the Commission's metrication policy.

EFFECTIVE DATE: July 12, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen P. Sands, U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC 20555, Telephone: 301-504-3154.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    On July 8, 1986 (51 FR 24643), the Commission published its final 
policy statement on advanced reactors in the Federal Register. The 
Commission's primary objectives in issuing the advanced reactor policy 
statement were threefold:
     First, to maintain the earliest possible interaction of 
applicants, vendors, and government agencies, with the NRC;
     Second, to provide all interested parties, including the 
public, with the Commission's views concerning the desired 
characteristics of advanced reactor designs; and
     Third, to express the Commission's intent to issue timely 
comment on the implications of such designs for safety and the 
regulatory process.
    On August 10, 1988, Congress passed the Omnibus Trade and 
Competitiveness Act [the Act], (19 U.S.C. 2901 et seq.), which amended 
the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, (15 U.S.C. 205a et seq.). Section 
5164 of the Act (15 U.S.C. 205a) designates the metric system as the 
preferred system of weights and measures for U.S. trade and commerce.
    In an effort to effect an orderly change to the metric system, the 
Act requires that all Federal agencies convert to the metric system of 
measurement in their procurement, grants, and other business-related 
activities by the end of fiscal year 1992, ``except to the extent that 
such use is impractical or is likely to cause significant 
inefficiencies or loss of markets to U.S. firms, such as when foreign 
competitors are producing competing products in non-metric units,'' 
Section 5614(b)(2).
    In response to the Act, the NRC published its metrication policy 
statement for comment in the Federal Register on February 10, 1992 (57 
FR 4891). The purpose of the metrication policy statement was to inform 
NRC licensees and the public how the Commission intended to meet its 
obligations under the Act. Comments on the draft statement were 
submitted by 12 responders, including 5 power reactor licensees, 3 
standards organizations, a reactor vendor, a materials licensee, the 
Nuclear Management and Resources Council, and a joint letter submitted 
by three individuals. All commenters supported the Commission's 
position and the final policy statement was published on October 7, 
1992 (57 FR 46202).
    The Commission supports and encourages the use of the metric system 
of measurement by NRC licensees and applicants. However, Commission 
experience to date in design certification reviews is that it is 
impracticable and uneconomical to convert a design to the metric system 
late in the design process and that applicants should consider 
metrication early in the design process. Therefore, the Commission is 
revising the advanced reactor policy statement to incorporate its 
policy on metrication to encourage licensees and license applicants to 
employ the metric system of measurement wherever and whenever its use 
is not potentially detrimental to the public health and safety or is 
not economically impracticable.

Commission Policy

    Consistent with its legislative mandate, the Commission's policy 
with respect to regulating nuclear power reactors is to ensure adequate 
protection of the public health and safety and the environment. 
Regarding advanced reactors, the Commission expects, as a minimum, at 
least the same degree of protection of the public and the environment 
that is required for current-generation light water reactors. 
Furthermore, the Commission expects that advanced reactors will provide 
enhanced margins of safety and/or utilize simplified, inherent, 
passive, or other innovative means to accomplish their safety 
functions. The Commission also expects that advanced reactor designs 
will comply with the Commission's safety goal policy statement and the 
policy statement on conversion to the metric system.
    Among the attributes that could assist in establishing the 
acceptability or licensability of a proposed advanced reactor design, 
and that therefore should be considered in advanced designs, are:
     Highly reliable and less complex shutdown and decay heat 
removal systems. The use of inherent or passive means to accomplish 
this objective is encouraged (negative temperature coefficient, natural 
circulation, etc.).
     Longer time constants and sufficient instrumentation to 
allow for more diagnosis and management before reaching safety systems 
challenge and/or exposure of vital equipment to adverse conditions.
     Simplified safety systems that, where possible, reduce 
required operator actions, equipment subjected to severe environmental 
conditions, and components needed for maintaining safe shutdown 
conditions. Such simplified systems should facilitate operator 
comprehension, reliable system function, and more straightforward 
engineering analysis.
     Designs that minimize the potential for severe accidents 
and their consequences by providing sufficient inherent safety, 
reliability, redundancy, diversity, and independence in safety systems.
     Designs that provide reliable equipment in the balance of 
plant (BOP) (or safety-system independence from BOP) to reduce the 
number of challenges to safety systems.
     Designs that provide easily maintainable equipment and 
components.
     Designs that reduce potential radiation exposures to plant 
personnel.
     Designs that incorporate defense-in-depth philosophy by 
maintaining multiple barriers against radiation release, and by 
reducing the potential for and consequences of severe accidents.
     Design features that can be proven by citation of existing 
technology or that can be satisfactorily established by commitment to a 
suitable technology development program.
    If specific advanced reactor designs with some or all of the above 
foregoing attributes are brought to the NRC for comment and/or 
evaluation, the Commission can develop preliminary design safety 
evaluation and licensing criteria for their safety-related aspects. 
Combination of some or all of the above attributes may help obtain 
early licensing approval with minimum regulatory burden. Designs with 
some or all of these attributes are also likely to be more readily 
understood by the general public. Indeed, the number and nature of the 
regulatory requirements may depend on the extent to which an individual 
advanced reactor design incorporates general attributes such as those 
listed above. However, until such time as conceptual designs are 
submitted, the Commission believes that regulatory guidance must be 
sufficiently general to avoid placing unnecessary constraints on the 
development of new design concepts.
    To provide for more timely and effective regulation of advanced 
reactors, the Commission encourages the earliest possible interaction 
of applicants, vendors, other government agencies, and the NRC to 
provide for early identification of regulatory requirements for 
advanced reactors, and to provide all interested parties, including the 
public, with a timely, independent assessment of the safety 
characteristics of advanced reactor designs. Such licensing interaction 
and guidance early in the design process will contribute toward 
minimizing complexity and adding stability and predictability in the 
licensing and regulation of advanced reactors.
    While the NRC itself does not develop new designs, the Commission 
intends to develop the capability for timely assessment and response to 
innovative and advanced designs that might be presented for NRC review. 
Prior experience has shown that new reactor designs--even variations of 
established designs--may involve technical problems that must be solved 
in order to ensure adequate protection of the public health and safety. 
The earlier such design problems are identified, the earlier 
satisfactory resolution can be achieved. Prospective applicants are 
reminded that, while the NRC will undertake to review and comment on 
new design concepts, the applicants are responsible for documentation 
and research necessary to support a specific license application. (NRC 
research is conducted to provide the technical bases for rulemaking and 
regulatory decisions, to support licensing and inspection activities, 
and to increase NRC's understanding of phenomena for which analytical 
methods are needed in regulatory activities.)
    During the initial phase of advanced reactor development, the 
Commission particularly encourages design innovations that enhance 
safety and reliability (such as those described above) and that 
generally depend on technology that is either proven or can be 
demonstrated by a straightforward technology development program. In 
the absence of a significant history of operating experience on an 
advanced concept reactor, plans for innovative use of proven technology 
and/or new technology development programs should be presented to the 
NRC for review as early as possible, so that the NRC can assess how the 
proposed program might influence regulatory requirements. To achieve 
these broad objectives, the Advanced Reactor Projects Directorate 
(PDAR) was established in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. 
This group is the focal point for NRC interaction with the Department 
of Energy, reactor designers, and potential applicants, and coordinates 
the development of regulatory criteria and guidance for proposed 
advanced reactors. In addition, the group maintains knowledge of 
advanced reactor designs, developments, and operating experience in 
other countries, and provides guidance on an NRC-funded advanced 
reactor safety research program to ensure that it supports, and is 
consistent with, the Commission's advanced reactor policy. The PDAR 
also provides guidance regarding the timing and format of submittals 
for review. The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards plays a 
significant role in reviewing proposed advanced design concepts and 
supporting activities.
    The NRC believes that conversion to the metric system is important 
to the national interest. The Commission strongly encourages its 
licensees and license applicants to employ the metric system of 
measurement wherever and whenever its use is not potentially 
detrimental to the public health and safety or is not economically 
infeasible. In order to facilitate use of the metric system by 
licensees and applicants, the NRC began publishing, as of January 7, 
1993, the following documents in dual units: new regulations, major 
amendments to existing regulations, regulatory guides, NUREG-series 
documents, policy statements, information notices, generic letters, 
bulletins, and all written communications directed to the public. 
Licensees and applicants should follow the guidance outlined in the 
Commission's position and final policy statement on metrication 
published on October 7, 1992 (57 FR 46202).

    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 5th day of July, 1994.

    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
John C. Hoyle,
Acting Secretary of the Commission.
[FR Doc. 94-16818 Filed 7-11-94; 8:45 am]
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