[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 129 (Wednesday, July 7, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40990-40991]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-15323]


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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION


Workshop on Regulatory Structure for New Plant Licensing: 
Technology-Neutral Framework and Options for Non-Light-Water Reactor 
Containment Functional Performance Requirements and Criteria

AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice of public workshop.

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SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has requested the staff to 
develop Regulatory Structure for New Plant Licensing: Technology-
Neutral Framework and Options for Non-Light-Water Reactor (Non-LWR) 
Containment Functional Performance Requirements and Criteria. The 
purpose of the public workshop/meeting is to discuss and solicit 
comments on the draft regulatory framework for future reactors and 
options for non-LWR containment functional performance requirements and 
criteria.

DATES: July 27, 2004, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. July 28, 2004, 8:30 a.m.-12 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: Nuclear Regulatory Commission Auditorium, 11545 Rockville 
Pike, Rockville, MD 20852.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Margaret T. Bennett, Office of Nuclear 
Regulatory Research, Mail Stop: T-10 F13A, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 
Commission, Washington DC 20555-0001, (301) 415-7252, e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice serves as initial notification 
of a public workshop to provide for the exchange of information with 
all stakeholders regarding the staff's efforts to develop a technology-
neutral framework for future plant licensing and options for 
containment functional performance requirements and criteria for future 
non-light water reactors. The meeting will focus on the current work 
being performed by the NRC staff. A preliminary agenda is attached.
    Workshop Meeting Information: The staff intends to conduct a 
workshop to provide for an exchange of information related to the 
staff's initial efforts to develop a Regulatory Structure for New Plant 
Licensing: Technology-Neutral Framework and options for containment 
functional performance requirements and criteria for future non-light 
water reactors. Persons other than NRC staff and NRC contractors 
interested in making a presentation at the workshop should notify 
Margaret T. Bennett, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Mail Stop: 
T-10 G8, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555-0001, 
(301) 415-7252, e-mail: [email protected].
    Registration: There is no registration fee for the workshop; 
however, so that adequate space, materials, etc., for the workshop can 
be arranged, please provide notification of attendance to Margaret T. 
Bennett, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Mail Stop: T-10 F13A, 
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington DC 20555-0001, (301) 
415-7252, e-mail: [email protected].

[[Page 40991]]

    Background: As noted in the Advanced Reactor Research Plan, a risk-
informed regulatory structure that can be applied to license and 
regulate future reactors, regardless of their technology, could enhance 
the effectiveness, efficiency, and predictability (i.e., stability) of 
new plant licensing. As such this new process, if implemented, could be 
available for future reactors based on a number of considerations, 
including the following:
     While the NRC has over 30 years of experience of licensing 
and regulating nuclear power plants, this experience (e.g., 
regulations, regulatory guidance, policies and practices) has been 
focused on current light water-cooled reactors (LWRs) and may have 
limited applicability to future reactors that may be distinctly 
different from current LWR issues.
     The regulatory structure for current LWRs has evolved over 
five decades, and the bulk of this evolution occurred without the 
benefit of insights from probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs) and 
severe accident research. It is expected that future applicants will 
rely on PRA and PRA insights as an integral part of their license 
applications. In addition, it is further expected that the regulations 
licensing these future reactors will be risk-informed. Both 
deterministic and probabilistic results and insights will be used in 
the development of these regulations governing these reactors. 
Consequently, a structured approach for a regulatory structure for 
future reactors that provides guidance about how to use PRA results and 
insights will help ensure the safety of these reactors by focusing the 
regulations on where the risk is most likely while maintaining basic 
safety principles, such as defense-in-depth and safety margins.
    The development of this structure will help to ensure that a 
structured and systematic approach is used during the development of 
the regulations that will govern the design construction and operation 
of future reactors.
    The possibility of using alternatives to the traditional 
``essentially leak-tight'' containment structures for non-LWRs has been 
the subject of Commission policy review, beginning with SECY-93-092, 
``Issues Pertaining to the Advanced Reactor (PRISM, MHTGR, and PIUS) 
and CANDU 3 Designs and Their Relationship to Current Regulatory 
Requirements,'' dated April 8, 1993. More recently, in SECY-02-0139, 
``Plan for Resolving Policy Issues Related to Licensing Non-Light Water 
Reactor Designs,'' dated July 22, 2002, the staff informed the 
Commission of its plan to develop policy options for the design and 
safety performance of the containment structure and related systems for 
non-LWRs.
    In SECY-03-0047, ``Policy Issues Related to Licensing Non-Light-
Water Reactor Designs,'' dated March 28, 2003, staff discussed the 
policy issue of the conditions, if any, that would be acceptable for 
licensing a plant without a pressure-retaining containment building. In 
SECY-03-0047, the staff recommended to the Commission that (1) 
functional performance requirements be approved for use in establishing 
the acceptability of either a pressure retaining, low leakage 
containment or a non-pressure retaining building for future non-LWR 
reactor designs and, if approved, (2) the staff develop the functional 
performance requirements using the guidance contained in the July 30, 
1993, Commission Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) for SECY-93-092 
and the Commission's guidance on the other issues in SECY-03-0047. In 
the June 26, 2003, SRM for SECY-03-0047, the Commission requested the 
staff to submit options and recommendations to the Commission on 
functional performance requirements and criteria for the containment of 
non-LWRs.
    Options for containment functional performance requirements and 
criteria for future non-LWRs are under development by the staff. The 
final options and recommendations are due in December 2004. Public 
workshops on this subject were previously held on November 19, 2003, 
and January 14, 2004. The NRC staff is including in the July 27-28, 
2004 workshop, presentations and solicitation of feedback from the 
public on options and recommendations. Key considerations for 
discussion include:

--Are the identified containment functional performance requirements 
being considered appropriate?
--Are the options for containment performance criteria reasonable?
--Are there other or alternative options for containment functional 
performance requirements and criteria which should be considered?
--What is the role of containment in relation to defense-in-depth?
--What metrics and considerations should be used to evaluate the 
options, including specific advantages and disadvantages?

                       Preliminary Workshop Agenda
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                  TIME                                TOPIC
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July 27, 2004:
8:30--8:40.............................  Introduction and Overview for
                                          Technology-Neutral Framework.
8:40-9:00..............................  Proposed Scope.
9:00-9:20..............................  Framework Roadmap.
9:20-9:40..............................  Safety Fundamentals.
9:40-10:10.............................  Public Health and Safety
                                          Objectives.
10:10-10:25............................  BREAK
10:25-11:00............................  Risk Objectives.
11:00-11:45............................  Design, Construction, and
                                          Operation Objectives.
11:45-1:00.............................  LUNCH
1:00-1:30..............................  Treatment of Uncertainties.
1:30-2:00..............................  Development of Requirements.
2:00-4:00..............................  Open Discussion.
4:00-4:30..............................  Wrap-up.
 
July 28, 2004:
8:30-8:40..............................  Introduction and Purpose for
                                          Non-LWR Containment Functional
                                          Performance. Requirements and
                                          Criteria.
8:40-9:20..............................  Stakeholder Presentations.
9:20-9:45..............................  NRC Staff Presentation:
                                          Background, Scope, Approach,
                                          Evaluation Metrics and
                                          Considerations.
9:45-10:00.............................  BREAK
10:00-11:15............................  Preliminary Options for Non-LWR
                                          Containment Functional
                                          Performance. Requirements and
                                          Criteria.
11:15-11:45............................  Open Discussion.
11:45-Noon.............................  Wrap-up.
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    Dated at Rockville, Maryland, this 30th day of June, 2004.
    For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Farouk Eltawila,
Director, Division of Systems Analysis and Regulatory Effectiveness, 
Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 04-15323 Filed 7-6-04; 8:45 am]
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