[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 3, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46597-46598]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-17611]
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NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
Draft Regulatory Guide; Issuance, Availability
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued for public
comment a proposed revision of a guide in its Regulatory Guide Series.
Regulatory Guides are developed to describe and make available to the
public such information as methods acceptable to the NRC staff for
implementing specific parts of the NRC's regulations, techniques used
by the staff in evaluating specific problems or postulated accidents,
and data needed by the staff in its review of applications for permits
and licenses.
The draft guide is temporarily identified by its task number, DG-
1125, which should be mentioned in all correspondence concerning this
draft guide. Draft Regulatory Guide DG-1125, ``Inservice Inspection
Code Case Acceptability, ASME Section XI, Division 1,'' is proposed
Revision 14 of Regulatory Guide 1.147. The regulation at 10 CFR
50.55a(g), ``Inservice Inspection Requirements,'' requires, in part,
that Classes 1, 2, 3, MC, and CC Components and their supports meet the
requirements of Section XI, ``Rules for Inservice Inspection of Nuclear
Power Plant Components,'' of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel (B&PV) Code or equivalent
quality standards. Every 3 years the ASME publishes a new edition of
the B&PV Code, including Section XI, and new addenda are published
every year. The latest editions and addenda of Section XI that have
been approved for use by the NRC are referenced in 10 CFR 50.55a(b).
The ASME also publishes Code cases quarterly. Code cases provide
alternatives to existing Code requirements that were developed and
approved by the ASME. This regulatory guide identifies the Code cases
that have been determined by the NRC to be acceptable alternatives to
applicable parts of Section XI. These Code cases may be used by
licensees without a request for authorization from the NRC provided
that they are used with any identified limitations or modifications.
Section XI Code cases not yet endorsed by the NRC may be implemented
through 10 CFR 50.55a(a)(3), which permits the use of alternatives to
the Code requirements referenced in 10 CFR 50.55a provided that the
proposed alternatives result in an acceptable level of quality and
safety and that their use is authorized by the Director of the Office
of Nuclear Reactor Regulation.
This draft guide has not received complete staff approval and does
not represent an official NRC staff position. Because Code cases
approved by the NRC in a final guide may be used voluntarily by
licensees as an alternative to compliance with ASME Code provisions,
the final guide will be incorporated by reference into 10 CFR 50.55a
through rulemaking.
A document entitled ``Evaluation of Code Cases'' is attached to the
proposed rulemaking associated with the draft guide. The document
provides a basis for each condition in the draft guide. Public comments
are encouraged on the Code case conditions. It should be noted that
Code Cases N-416-3 and N-504-2 are listed in the draft guide as
unconditionally acceptable. The NRC is proposing to condition Code Case
N-416-3 in response to a recent licensee submittal. The NRC does not
believe that the application of the Code case as described in the
submittal would provide adequate assurance of component structural
integrity. A condition is also being proposed for Code Case N-504-2.
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) recently addressed
a revision to Code Case N-504-2. The NRC is proposing to condition the
use of Code Case N-504-2 based on this recent ASME action. The proposed
conditions are discussed in Section 4.7 of the ``Evaluation of Code
Cases.'' Because the industry actions occurred after the draft guide
had been published but prior to release of the guide for public
comment,
[[Page 46598]]
the NRC is proposing to condition the use of these two Code cases in
the final guide unless public comments are received that the staff's
proposed technical bases for the conditions are not applicable,
incorrect, unnecessary to provide reasonable assurance of adequate
protection to public health and safety and common defense and security,
or otherwise not justified in light of the increase in protection to
public health and safety or common defense and security that would be
provided by imposition of the conditions.
Comments may be accompanied by relevant information or supporting
data. Written comments may be submitted by mail to the Rules and
Directives Branch, Office of Administration, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, Washington, DC 20555-0001; or they may be hand-delivered to
the Rules and Directives Branch, Office of Administration, at 11555
Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD. Copies of comments received may be
examined at the NRC's Public Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike,
Rockville, MD. Comments will be most helpful if received by September
2, 2004.
You may also provide comments via the NRC's interactive rulemaking
web site through the NRC home page (http: //www.nrc.gov). This site
provides the ability to upload comments as files (any format) if your
web browser supports that function. For information about the
interactive rulemaking web site, contact Ms. Carol Gallagher, (301)
415-5905; e-mail [email protected]. For technical information about Draft
Regulatory Guide DG-1125, contact Mr. W. E. Norris at (301) 415-6796
(e-mail [email protected]).
Although a deadline is given for comments on these draft guides,
comments and suggestions in connection with items for inclusion in
guides currently being developed or improvements in all published
guides are encouraged at any time.
Regulatory guides are available for inspection at the NRC's Public
Document Room, 11555 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD; the PDR's mailing
address is USNRC PDR, Washington, DC 20555-0001; telephone (301) 415-
4737 or (800) 397-4209; fax (301) 415-3548; e-mail [email protected].
Requests for single copies of draft or final regulatory guides (which
may be reproduced) or placement on an automatic distribution list for
single copies of future draft guides in specific divisions should be
made in writing to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington,
DC 20555-0001, Attention: Reproduction and Distribution Services
Section, or by fax to (301) 415-2289; e-mail [email protected].
Telephone requests cannot be accommodated. Regulatory guides are not
copyrighted, and NRC approval is not required to reproduce them. (5
U.S.C. 552(a))
Dated at Rockville, Maryland this 20th day of April, 2004.
For the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Michael Mayfield,
Director, Division of Engineering Technology, Office of Nuclear
Regulatory Research.
[FR Doc. 04-17611 Filed 8-2-04; 8:45 am]
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